TurboTax Shows "Return Accepted" for Federal vs "Accepted" for State MD - Different Status Meanings?
Filed my taxes through TurboTax last week and noticed something weird on my transcript. When I check my account, I can see under the FEDERAL section it says "Return accepted" with a date of 01/21. But then when I look at the STATE MD section, it just says "Accepted" with a date of 01/23. I signed up to receive my federal refund 5 days early on 01/17, and the status shows the return was accepted on 01/21. I'm confused about why there are different terms - "Return accepted" vs just "Accepted" - and if they mean the same thing or if there's some processing difference I should be concerned about. My TurboTax dashboard shows these options at the bottom: - Download return - Where's my refund? - How do I amend my return? - I got an IRS notice. Now what? - Live help Are these different acceptance terms normal? The federal says "Return accepted" while the state just says "Accepted" - does this indicate potential issues with my filing? I'm starting to get nervous about delays since my Maryland state return was accepted two days after my federal return. Should I be watching for anything specific or contacting someone about this difference in wording?
15 comments


NebulaKnight
Tax pro here. These terms are essentially the same thing. 'Accepted' means the IRS received your return and it passed initial verification. 'Return accepted' is just another way they phrase it in different sections of the transcript. Don't worry about the different wording - focus on the codes and dates instead.
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Dylan Wright
•omg thank you! was having a panic attack over here 😅
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Sofia Ramirez
•wat about if it says processing? mines been stuck there for 2 weeks
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NebulaKnight
•Processing is the next step after acceptance. Can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks normally.
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Dmitry Popov
Hey guys instead of going crazy trying to decode these transcripts, I've been using taxr.ai and it's been a game changer. For $4.99 it analyzes everything and tells you exactly what's happening with your refund. Way better than playing detective lol https://taxr.ai
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Ava Rodriguez
•Does it actually work? Sounds too good to be true ngl
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Dmitry Popov
•100% works! It explained my 570 code and predicted my DDD exactly. Best $5 I ever spent fr fr
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Ava Rodriguez
•just tried it and WOW 🤯 wish I knew about this months ago instead of trying to piece everything together from reddit posts
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Miguel Ortiz
its all the same fam, IRS just likes to make everything confusing af 🤡
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Zainab Khalil
I had the exact same question last year! Turns out they mean the same thing but the IRS website is just poorly designed tbh
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QuantumQuest
•aint that the truth. feels like their websites from 1995 fr
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Connor Murphy
bump bc im seeing both on mine too
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Yara Haddad
anyone else notice how the where's my refund tool shows different info than the transcript? super annoying
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Keisha Robinson
•bruh wmr is useless, transcript is the only way to know whats really goin on
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Paolo Conti
•💯 WMR been showing still processing for 3 months but my transcript updated last week
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