Why is my return still pending? (updated 3-16-21)

[mesquitebean]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Mine was “accepted” on February 14 according to Turbo Tax and still doesn’t even show upon IRS2GO app or website. Tried every day since. Nothing still. Called last weekend and the person at TT said “mine shows up so I’m not sure. Call the IRS.” Yeah glad HIS shows up. SMH seems like an issue with TT not IRS. 

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The IRS WMR tool can be quirky even in a normal year--moreso this year.  35 million tax returns were received by the IRS in one February week, the increased volume likely due to stimulus payments; 29 million another week.

You do need to be sure that all info is entered correctly, so I'll give some tips below, and also how to reach the IRS Refund Hotline, which several users report has found their info even when the IRS WMR tool didn't.

Here are some tips when using the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool:

https://www.irs.gov/Refunds

• Be sure you have waited at least 24 hours after acceptance before using the IRS WMR tool.
• Be sure you enter the correct SSN and filing status.
• Be sure you are using only the Federal refund amount.   Do not include any state refund or any "total refund" or "net refund"  (Fed and State) that TurboTax may have provided on a screen.  
• Also be sure you are using the Federal amount before any TurboTax fees are taken out (if you chose that option.)
• Look at your actual Federal return to get the Federal refund amount, i.e., your Form 1040, Line 35a.

• You can also try phoning the IRS refund hotline.  I've seen it work for some users when the WMR tool didn't.  800-829-1954

[mslatinlady]

To  IceCMan -- Are you still following this thread ??

[icecman]

Yes I am. Just not commenting as much.

[Lexia_6]

Why is my return still pending?

[mslatinlady]

IceCMan

I have a question since you said you previously were in the IT field.

When I first started commenting on Turbotax’s community message boards, and when I questioned why the continual “Pending” status after I had “successfully” e-filed but remained in "Pending" status, many Turbotax employees (at least I thought they worked for Turbotax) kept telling me that: “Turbotax does not SEND returns to the states or to the IRS. The states and the IRS need to "access" Turbotax servers and “pull” the returns from the Turbotax servers.”
So, IceCMan, is this true? Can you explain the “e-filing” process, and how it works?  Who "sends" and how are they received by the IRS and the States? (California specifically)

Thanks !!

[macuser_22]

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@mslatinlady wrote:

many Turbotax employees (at least I thought they worked for Turbotax) kept telling me that: “Turbotax does not SEND returns to the states or to the IRS. The states and the IRS need to "access" Turbotax servers and “pull” the returns from the Turbotax servers.”
So, IceCMan, is this true? Can you explain the “e-filing” process, and how it works?  Who "sends" and how are they received by the IRS and the States? (California specifically)

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Fed and state is different.     E-file provides make the tax returns available on a special server that the IRS can "poll" in a random order to "pull" the tax returns  to the IRS e-file server.

Some states do the same thing.   Some states want the return sent to them by the e-file provider and some states contract with the IRS for the IRS to pull both Fed and state return and then  the IRS forwards it to the state, 

This is defined in  the e-file specifications publications available to e-file providers.

This is all changeable and at time goes on more states have upgraded there systems and  are doing their own polling.

[icecman]

mslatinlady:

Actually it's not all that complicated. When a company wants to be certified to e-file customer's taxes they apply to the IRS for authorization to be a certified submission service. The IRS gives them the criteria, format and transmission parameters, for every form, they are to use when doing a test submission. After they submit a test return they are evaluated by the IRS for the accuracy of their submission for all the forms they have submitted. The IRS certifies them for specific forms. That is why some e-file companies only are certified to e-file simple returns. They have to be certified for "each" IRS form. This usually is done multiple times to ensure they have the parameters and process down to guarantee repeatable accurate submissions for processing.

As for the IRS 'pulling' the e-files from Turbotax, that is inaccurate. Turbotax transmits the tax filings to an IRS  'holding' data base (Pending) with a DCN tracking number. The IRS has to pull the filing from the submission holding data base into their system for processing. Then the filing is either Accepted or Rejected, based on the IRS criteria. This is also where some returns are rejected because the previous year's AGI does not match the IRS data base AGI.

The IRS does not return a rejected filing, it deletes it and returns a rejection code with the DCN (tracking number) for the submission. If Accepted it is then moved to the submission bucket in the IRS system for processing. I believe Turbotax does have an issue with the timely reporting of the IRS return statuses, or it could be the timeliness of the IRS providing status to Turbotax. All of the state submissions are processed the same way. Some states are not set up for accepting all returns via e-file and they still have to be mailed in. And a few states were very slow to develop the processing code to deal with all the changes that were made as a result of all the 'free' money in the last tax year and how the IRS is handling this income.

For security reasons Turbotax has no visibility on the status of an Accepted return, because it is inside the IRS 'firewalled' secured system. Only the owner of the return has access through their secured access to the IRS system.

I think this is a pretty accurate break down of the e-filing processing logic, Does this help?

[mslatinlady]

IceCMan:  

Thank you.  Yes, it does help me to understand the process.  I just felt that Turbotax employees were not revealing the truth to all the users having continual "Pending" issues, me included.  I did, however, get the email from TurboTax that my state had been rejected and Turbotax had me follow their instructions on how to resolve.  I now have  the 2020 tax year behind me as I have received both my Federal and California refunds and it's a done deal.  PRAISE THE LORD !!!

I hope and pray that Turbotax has learned a lesson from all this and that next year they will FULLY TEST their software prior to releasing it to the public.  I think that instead of filing early, I'll hold off until late February or early March to file so that all the "bugs" can be worked out.  And of course I'll come back to these message boards to see if users are having problems.

Thanks again and have a blessed weekend !

P.S.  TurboTax -- I still love your product...  Just test it fully next year and the following years !!!

[icecman]

Unfortunately, Intuit is like most companies today when it comes to having some customer service employees, and community responders, that attempt to 'guess' their way to answers. This results in a good deal of frustration in customers.

Since I'm never in a hurry for refunds, because I rarely get them, you will find me in the 'paper filing' category in the future. Still love Turbotax, but I'll pass on the drama that goes with e-filing. This year was....interesting.

[mslatinlady]

IceCMan

Well, thanks for all your help IceCMan.   I sure appreciated it !  (See you in 2022) !!!

[CBCinCA]

Haven't checked this thread for a couple of weeks, but seems that many filers are still having problems with some of the state filings.  There was another big update today, including CA, so maybe that will solve some problems. I have been using TT for over ten years and am very disappointed with the issues with this year's program.

(While reviewing various posts, I ran across one from an "Expert" who included links to find out which forms may not yet be available or supported by TT e-filing, and that might be causing some filing problems, perhaps with states.)

Links to Check Federal Forms Availability

• TurboTax Online/Mobile (web, iOS or Android)
• TurboTax CD/Download for Windows
• TurboTax CD/Download for Mac

Links to Check State Forms Availability

• TurboTax Online/Mobile (web, iOS or Android)
• TurboTax CD/Download for Windows
• TurboTax CD/Download for Mac

The notation from Turbo Tax regarding the lists:  When you locate your form or schedule, there will be dates for both Print and (depending on the state and the form) E-file availability. If the E-file form is listed as unsupported, the form must be printed and you'll need to mail your return. Forms and schedules missing from the table aren't supported in TurboTax.

[N198ua]

Ok, so today’s the day (March 5) anyone can call and ask about their return regardless of when the IRS received it. The call center opens at 7 and I was on the phone right at , after a one-hour wait they disconnected the call. I’ve tried twice to call back and have been told that due to too many callers I’ll have to try later; they wont even give me a hold option. What the hell ? 

[donnymccoy]

Hi, here is my situation:

• Fed return accepted 2/12, refund expected, second PPP credit requested.
• NYS return accepted 2/13.
• NYS refund deposited 3/1.
• S-corp return filed 3/5 (due to Intuit delays in releasing the NY shareholder info form)
• WMR site says no information.
• IRS view my account shows nothing for 2020.

Is it possible for personal return to be delayed until corp return (with K-1) is filed?  I had everything done in early February so I could use the K-1 in my personal returns.  Just couldn't file corp return until now, due to Intuit delays.

[icecman]

donnymccoy: Just like the dependency that a federal return must be accepted before a state return will be accepted. The s-corp return will likely need to be accepted before the personal returned, with K-1's, will be. I have an s-corp as well but I never file the personal until I file the s-corp.

[donnymccoy]

Yeah, that makes sense.  I never thought about this before because I always file corp first and then personal on tax day since I usually write a small check each year.  This time around, I filed personal first because I expected the NY form to be available within days - not three weeks later.  

Thanks for the confirmation!