Will I get an email when my taxes are approved?
Generally, once your return is e-filed you will receive an acknowledgement email within 48 hours. This email will let you know if your return was accepted or rejected. Once the IRS has accepted your return, the amount of time that it will take to actually receive a refund may vary.
Also note that the IRS will notify you when your tax return has been accepted. If you don't receive a notification, you can check the IRS website for updates. If more than 48 hours have passed and your return hasn't been approved, the IRS may be having a difficult time verifying your information.
Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool or the IRS2Go mobile app to check your refund online. This is the fastest and easiest way to track your refund. The systems are updated once every 24 hours. You can contact the IRS to check on the status of your refund.
We issue most refunds in less than 21 calendar days. However, if you mailed your return and expect a refund, it could take four weeks or more to process your return. Where's My Refund?
Receiving your refund after approval: Once the IRS approves your refund, how long does it take for it to show in your bank account? The good news is, not long. Financial institutions typically process direct deposit refunds within a few days, though timing can vary depending on bank processing times and volumes.
Generally, once your return is e-filed you will receive an acknowledgement email within 48 hours. This email will let you know if your return was accepted or rejected. Once the IRS has accepted your return, the amount of time that it will take to actually receive a refund may vary.
An incomplete return, an inaccurate return, an amended return, tax fraud, claiming tax credits, owing certain debts for which the government can take part or all of your refund, and sending your refund to the wrong bank due to an incorrect routing number are all reasons that a tax refund can be delayed.
It will generally mail you a notice if there is a problem with your return. An IRS agent may call you or visit your home, but usually only after sending several letters first. When an e-filed return gets rejected, the IRS will often let you know within a few hours.
Once your return shows "accepted" the status can not change to "rejected".
If you used TurboTax to e-file your return, you can login to your TurboTax Online account to check the e-file status. After your tax return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS can tell you the status of processing that return, whether you owe taxes or are due a tax refund.
Does accepted mean my refund is approved?
“Accepted” simply means that the IRS has received your tax return. This does not necessarily mean that your tax return has been approved, and it does not mean that you will receive a refund. Your return is marked as “accepted” usually within 24-48 hours of submitting it electronically.
Taxpayers should make IRS.gov their first stop to get information on filing a tax return. There is information on Choosing a tax professional, IRS Free File, Answers to tax questions and Tips on filing a return. Taxpayers who file electronically and choose direct deposit typically get their refund in less than 21 days.
For electronic returns with direct deposit, IRS refunds typically arrive in bank accounts within 21 days of approval. In contrast, paper check refunds may take four to six weeks to be received, whereas e-filed refunds can take as little as 24-48 hours.
The time it takes for the IRS to process and approve a federal tax refund can vary depending on several factors, including the method of filing, the accuracy of the return, the complexity of the return, and the volume of returns received by the IRS.
Return Received – The IRS has received your return and it's being processed. Refund Approved – They've processed your return and your refund has been approved. It will also provide an actual refund date. Refund Sent – Your refund has been sent to your bank for direct deposit or a paper check has been mailed.
Check to make sure your mailbox is not full or if you had any e-mail server problems. Spam blockers also prevent email acknowledgements from being delivered. Check your junk or spam folders for our automated emails and then mark us as a safe sender.
'Accepted' is an acknowledgment of receipt and initial screening, while 'approved' signifies that the IRS has verified the accuracy of your tax return. The IRS uses an electronic system to process tax returns filed electronically.
Key Takeaways
Your tax returns can be audited even after you've been issued a refund. Only a small percentage of U.S. taxpayers' returns are audited each year. The IRS can audit returns for up to three prior tax years and, in some cases, go back even further.
Electronic filing (e-filing) is fast and reaches the IRS almost instantly. Because of this, refunds for e-filed returns are generally processed quicker, often within 21 days. With paper filing, however, it takes longer to reach the IRS, and once it does, it takes them more time to process it manually.
E-filed returns generally sit in Pending status for 24-48 hours before coming back as either Accepted or Rejected. Sometimes state returns stay in Pending for several days or even longer. Once accepted it can take anywhere from a few days to 3 weeks to go from acceptance to approval.
Does TurboTax send an email when refund is approved?
Yes! You should receive notification(s) from TurboTax (email or text, depending on what you chose when preparing your taxes through the TurboTax software). As for direct deposits, it will generally take your financial institution 1-2 business days before the money is made available to you.
Once you submit your return in TurboTax Online, you'll see its status on the Tax Home screen of your account. We'll also send you emails letting you know when your e-file status changes.
Date Return E-Filed | Date Direct Deposit Sent | Date Paper Check Mailed |
---|---|---|
March 25 | April 51 | April 121 |
April 1 | April 121 | April 191 |
April 8 | April 191 | April 261 |
April 15 (Filing Deadline) | April 26 | May 1 |
If you chose direct deposit as your refund method and your return was error-free, the IRS estimates you should have received your refund by Feb. 27, 2024.
The IRS updates the tool once a day, usually overnight, so there's no need to check more often. This prevents individuals from having to contact the IRS for updates unless the tool requests them to call.
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