4 Steps from E-file to your Tax Refund!

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Congratulations on finishing your taxes!  Now that you’ve filed your taxes, you’re probably wondering where your refund is.  We know you work hard for your money and that it is important to you to get your refund quickly.  Don’t worry, we have a simple break down of the e-file process here, so you know where your tax return is and when you can expect your refund:

TurboTax_eFileProcess_v4-01

  1. E-file your tax return – Congratulations on finishing taxes, the hard part is over! Now you just have to sit tight and count the days until you receive your refund.
  2. Check the status of your e-filed return – Approximately 24-48 hours after you have e-filed your tax return, you will receive an email from the IRS letting you know that your tax return has been accepted!  If your return was not accepted, visit this FAQ.  If for some reason you do not receive an email, you can check the status of your e-filed return here.
  3. Start tracking your refund –  About 24-48 hours after the IRS accepts your tax return, you can start tracking your refund. The IRS expects to issue more than 9 out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days upon acceptance.  You can track your refund at the IRS Where’s My Refund tool or by logging into your MyTurboTax account.
  4. Your tax refund is here – If you chose direct deposit when you filed your return, you’ll need to allow 1-2 business days for your bank or financial institution to process it and have it available for you once the IRS has released it. If you didn’t choose direct deposit, the IRS will mail you your tax refund check, which could take 6-8 weeks.

Of course times may vary based on your situation.  Click here to see a list of tax forms that the IRS is not accepting yet.

37 responses to “4 Steps from E-file to your Tax Refund!”

  1. I did my taxes on the 14 they got accepted on the 16 by the IRS Turbotax giving me a date but when I go to IRS where’s my refund its still say its being prossed how long do they prosses returns

  2. Hey i filed my taxes on feb.24 and It got accepted on March 19 but and when I check WMR it say that the irs has received my tax return and that it’s still processing but it’s been months. Please I need some good news

  3. Filed 2/10/2014
    Accepted 2/10/2014
    Tax topic 152
    One orange bar on WMR
    Says still processing
    It’s been 16 days

    I received a email from turbo tax saying……

    Congratulations on filing your 2013 taxes. View online.

    Congratulations, you did a lot this past year. Nobody knows that better than you. With TurboTax, it’s amazing what you’re capable of.

    If you have not received your refund yet, sign in to the TurboTax Refund Tracker and let us help you find more information about your refund.

    WHAT DOES THIS EMAIL MEAN???

    Does it mean im approved ???
    Or WHAT??? …… Thanks in advance 🙂

  4. I was expecting a certain amount on my refund to be deposited in my bank account, now the email I got is about 600.00 less (federal) than what I was expecting. Did I miss something or what?

  5. My refund has been processing for 22 days now no dd and i keep gettin no errors we r just still processing from the irs.

  6. Check this out! I just got off the phone with the IRS and they said that they just accepted my return yesterday Feb. 20, despite TurboTax telling me that it was accepted back on Jan. 24! This is really bad business on TurboTax’s behalf because they should not have accepted payment and let people file before the IRS was accepting returns, especially if your return contained one of the delayed forms! Not only that, I never had the opportunity to re-file without Form-8863, in my case, because my return was held by TurboTax! Hearing today that my return was just accepted yesterday is just demoralizing when I could have been given the heads up to wait until Feb. 14 when the IRS was accepting Form-8863 or file without Form-8863 on Jan. 30 and amend later! Now I have to start counting the 21 days the IRS has to give me my refund starting on Feb. 20 when I filled back on Jan. 14! I would definitely call the IRS if I was someone who filed early with Form-8863 to find out the ACTUAL date of acceptance. I know that the whole delay in filing and the delay in filing certain forms was the decision of the IRS, but it was TurboTax who could have approached this tax season with more professionalism and allowed it’s customers more options and given more information with regard to the delays and possible alternative actions! TurboTax accepted my payment and told me that my return had been accepted by the IRS, when it had not, did not allow me to re-file, and did not give me accurate information! Shame on you TurboTax!

  7. I filed back in January (TurboTax says my return was accepted 1/21). But I received an email that it would be held due to the education credits. I haven’t received any further info, and nothing since 2/14. The IRS website still says “Your tax return is still being processed.” TurboTax was automatically submitting them after 2/14, correct? I didn’t have to do anything on my end? I just thought I would’ve had some type of update after a week.

    • Hi Jeff – You are correct, TurboTax submitted them automatically. You could also try to call the IRS for a status update via phone at 800-829-1040 (there are likely to be high wait times). According to the IRS, last year, 9 out of 10 taxpayers received their refunds within 21 days of acceptance and the same is expected this year. So, it’s been about a week for the Education Credit returns that have been submitted. Thanks, Karen

  8. Filed 1/28 accepted 2/14 not information on wmr as of yet. Filed my mother in law same day and my decreased brother in law today and he has an update today! What is wrong with my information and yes I entered it correctly.

  9. I e filed ca state with turbo tax and chose for the direct deposit and ended up getting a refund check today. Is there a reason for this?
    Thank You

    • Hi Rachel – Is it possible that you entered your bank account information incorrectly on your return? –Christopher

  10. Just curious….has anyone received a dd, and later received a letter in the mail requesting more info, and they wouldn’t be able to process until the info was provided? What is up with that??

  11. I just want to give you guys a breath of fresh air, I was one that filed the 28th, and had been processing seems for ever nothing much changed, for days, and finally got a date of the 21st, my orange bar disappeared and reappeared this morning. Hang in there!

    • Hi Cheri – Not to worry..that error just means the IRS was doing system updates at that time. If you check again, you shouldn’t get the same problem. I am told that the IRS updates their computer systems from 8pm on Friday(s) until 8am Monday(s). Hope that helps. Thanks, Karen

  12. My Federal has been pending since the 29th of January because of my 8863 Form. I recently received another 1098t from a college I went to a month. I logged on to Turbo tax and added the 1098t. Now I have a new amount in Federal. I have received an email stating my taxes will be sent to IRS on the 2-14-13 a couple of days ago. Will me in line?

  13. I am confused. Turbo tax decided I should use the Standard deduction instead of Itemized deductions. Why is the IRS worried about forms that would be used for Itemized deductions if I am using Standard Deduction?

  14. Mine was filed, on jan 28, I understand they didn’t do anything with them until jan 30, I have no education credit. And mine is still processing. What causes this?

      • Hello both Federal and State were accepted and have been processing since the 28th. But I noticed one of the forms on that list (mortgage interest credit) which we claimed says won’t be accepted till March. TurboTax says we should expect the refund by the 19th. So my question is should we wait til March for the refund or expect it by the 19th of February?

      • HI Chris – That’s a good question. I would suggest you contact the IRS directly if your return was already accepted and you have a refund date. IRS Telephone Assistance for Individuals: 800-829-1040
        Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. your local time (Alaska & Hawaii follow Pacific Time). (there may be long wait times). Their website says they won’t process returns with Form 8396 Mortgage Interest Credit until the first week in March, as you know. Thanks, Karen

  15. If my tax return was accepted by the irs does that mean it will be processed for sure or do they still have to check it for errors?

  16. I e-filed my taxes on the 28th of January and the IRS still has not accepted my return almost 2 weeks later. What is going on?

  17. WHY AM I NOT ABLE TO CLAIM MY GIRLFRIEND AND HER SON WHO BOTH LIVE WITH ME ALL YEAR, ON MY RETURN USING TURBO TAX? I SUPPORTED THEM ALL YEAR AND MY GIRLFRIEND DID NOT WORK, NOR DID HER CHILD’S FATHER. ACCORDING TO YOUR WEBSITE, I SHOULD QUALIFY, HOWEVER YOUR PROGRAM WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO.

    • Hi Michael,
      Please make sure you go through the personal information and dependent information very carefully. One incorrect check off can cause you not to get the deduction for dependents. For instance if you miss the question about whether your girlfriend lived with you the entire year, you will not get the deduction. If you are still having trouble please contact our tax experts through the online software so they can speak to you one on one about your entries.
      Thank you,
      Lisa Greene-Lewis

    • Just a comment. If a relationship violates state law a dedepndent deduction is not allowed. Most taxprepares do not practice law and are not allowed to practice law if they have not passed the Bar Exam. So….. what is a taxpreparer supposed to do about dependent situations in where the preparer knows a relationship is not legal in a particular state. Clarification would be welcome.

  18. I prepared my brothers tax return with turbo tax. My brother received his netspend card and activated it,but there is a zero balance. When can he expect to get his money????

    • Hi Carmela — When you receive the NetSpend Card, the tax refund may not be immediately accessible. The IRS must still post the refund, and you must activate the card in order to access any refund that has been posted.

      For any questions about the card, fees, how it works, or if you’re having trouble activating or using the card, please call the NetSpend Customer Service Line at 1-855-646-8848.

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