My return was accepted on February 6 but hasn’t been approved by the IRS. Why the delay?

[xmasbaby0]

TurboTax gets no information from the IRS after you file, so no one at TT can tell you why there is a delay.

The IRS is getting more and more vigilant to prevent identity theft and fraud.   Last year in 2023 they flagged over a million returns for fraud by early March.   People who file very early in the season are sometimes scrutinized more.  Do not take it personally.   TurboTax does not get any information from the IRS after they accept your return, so no one at TT knows that your refund is delayed or why.  All you can do is wait for the IRS to finish processing your return.  Watch the refund site.  If the IRS wants more information from you they will request it.If they want you to verify your identity, you must follow the IRS’s instructions in order to do that.   In many cases they will send you a letter—and you will have to wait for that letter.

Once your federal return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS has any control.  TurboTax does not receive any updates from the IRS. Your ONLY source of information about your refund now is the IRS.

You need your filing status, your Social Security number and the exact amount  (line 35a of your 2023 Form 1040) of your federal refund to track your Federal refund:   

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

To track your state refund:    

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901548-why-do-some-refunds-take-longer-than-others

If you chose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your federal refund, that will take some extra time, while the third party bank handles the refund processing.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2580357-who-provides-the-refund-processing-service

https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2840013-does-accepted-mean-my-refund-is-approved

[rmladden]

I'm in the same exact situation and the IRS return status page has been apologizing every day. My return should be non-controversial. Nothing unusual in my return. Then I received a letter this week. It's been pointed out here that early returns are reviewed more because of identity theft.

We’re holding your refund until we finish reviewing your tax return. We’ll contact you or your authorized representative if we have questions.

It goes on to say that if I did file this return to wait up to 60 more days or if I did not file this return to fill out identity theft forms