If you're really concerned, you could always call TurboTax directly to confirm that your direct deposit info was correctly transmitted to the IRS. Their customer service line is actually pretty decent compared to trying to reach the IRS! Just be prepared with your TurboTax account info and they can tell you exactly what happened with both the advance program and your regular refund. I had to do this last year when I had a similar confusion, and they cleared it right up in about 10 minutes. 🤷‍♀️ Sometimes the simplest solution works!

Just to clarify - the message you received is specifically about TurboTax's Refund Advance program, which is a loan product offered through their banking partners. This is completely separate from your actual tax refund from the IRS. The message means you didn't qualify for their loan product (which is actually good because you avoid those fees!), but your tax refund will still be processed normally by the IRS and sent via whatever method you selected when filing (direct deposit if you provided bank details). The fact that you filed jointly for the first time shouldn't affect your direct deposit - the IRS handles joint returns every day without issues.

This is a known issue for people who had to verify ID. The system often switches to paper checks as a security measure, but doesn't update all their systems accordingly. The check is probably already on its way to you. In my experience, paper checks typically arrive 5-14 days after the date shown on your transcript. So I'd give it until at least April 19th before calling again.

Just curious - did you have any offset conditions or did you owe any back taxes? Sometimes that can trigger a switch to paper check too.

Omg I'm in the EXACT same boat! 🙃 Filed my first 1099 return last week and the waiting is killing me. My friend filed her W-2 only return the same day and already got approved. I made the mistake of checking some tax forums and now I'm freaking out about audits and delays. Haha... *nervous laughter* Hope we both get updates soon! Anyone else constantly refreshing their email like a crazy person or just me?

Just to clarify smthg important: there's a diff between "transmitted," "accepted," and "approved" status. TT shows "transmitted" when they've sent it to IRS. "Accepted" means IRS rec'd it & basic info checks out (SSN, name, etc). "Approved" means IRS finished processing & determined refund amt. For 1099 contractors, the system often takes 3-5 days just to show "accepted" status, then another 5-10 days for "approved." Checking ur transcript (acct transcript specifically) will show code 150 when fully processed.

I would strongly caution against calling the IRS multiple times, as this may potentially flag your account in their system. There have been instances, albeit rare, where accounts that generate multiple inquiry calls within a short timeframe get marked for additional verification, which could possibly extend your wait time further. This isn't guaranteed to happen, of course, but it's something to be mindful of as you navigate this frustrating situation.

Based on data from the r/IRS community on March 28th, 2024, approximately 32% of early February filers are experiencing extended processing times. The consensus is that returns filed between February 8-15 are facing particular delays. Most affected returns begin processing between April 1-15, with refunds following 5-10 days after transcript updates appear. Your timeline falls precisely within this pattern, suggesting normal (albeit slow) processing rather than a problem with your specific return.

If it's been more than 21 days, you can actually call the IRS to check on your return status. After spending THREE DAYS trying to get through the regular IRS number with no luck, I used Claimyr.com and got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was happening with my return and when to expect my refund. Best $20 I've spent this tax season considering how much time and frustration it saved me!

The IRS is saying 21 days is the standard processing time, but that's honestly just their best-case scenario. I'm a tax preparer and I've seen returns take anywhere from 8 days to 10+ weeks this season. As long as your WMR doesn't show an error message, you're probably fine - just caught in the backlog. This time of year is peak filing season, so everything slows down.