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Diego Rojas

Federal Return Accepted 1/17 But Now Shows "Not Processed" - State Still Pending Since 1/21

Filed my taxes early this year, federal got accepted quick on 1/17 but my state return has been stuck on pending since 1/21. Starting to get worried since its been over a week now. I just logged into my IRS account to check my federal status and saw something concerning. It says "Your 2024 Tax Return Is Not Processed" even though I received confirmation that it was accepted! The message from the IRS states: "If you've already filed, processing usually takes 21 days (electronic returns) or six weeks (paper returns)." But I filed electronically and it was supposedly accepted already! It also mentions "If you still need to file, submit your tax return along with any payment due by April 16, 2025 to avoid potential penalties and interest. If you've been affected by a recent disaster, learn about the most recent tax relief provisions to know your options." The strange thing is my federal return was accepted almost immediately on 1/17, but now when I check my account status, it shows as not processed. Has anyone experienced this discrepancy between getting an acceptance notification but then seeing "Not Processed" in their account? I'm especially concerned since my state return has been pending for over a week now too. Is there a difference between "accepted" and "processed" that I'm missing? The whole thing is making me anxious. Anyone else experiencing similar delays or status issues with either their federal or state returns?

Tax professional here - this is actually pretty normal. State processing typically takes longer than federal. Each state has their own processing system and timeframes. What state are you in? That would help determine typical wait times.

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Im in California. Just wasnt sure if something was wrong since federal went through so fast

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CA is notorious for slow processing. You're looking at 2-3 weeks minimum usually 🐌

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Hey guys instead of playing the guessing game, I've been using taxr.ai to track both my federal and state returns. It analyzes your transcript and tells you exactly where things are stuck and estimated timeframes. Its $4.99 but totally worth it for the peace of mind https://taxr.ai

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does it actually work? seem sketch ngl

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100% legit. It caught an issue with my return I wouldve never noticed. Saved me weeks of waiting

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just tried it and wow ur right! way better than refreshing wmr 100x a day 😅

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in the same boat fam 😭 filed 1/16, federal processed but state still says pending

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its normal dw. my state took like 3 weeks last year but federal was super quick

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thx that makes me feel better!

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bruh the state systems are from like 1985 fr fr 🤡 patience is key

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My states been pending since last year lmaooo welcome to the club 💀

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oof that's rough. have you called them?

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tried calling but just get stuck in automated phone tree hell

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The "accepted" vs "processed" thing confused me too when I first started filing! "Accepted" just means the IRS received your return and it passed their initial computer checks (no obvious errors, SSN matches, etc.). "Processed" means they've actually reviewed it, applied any credits/deductions, and determined your final refund amount. The 21-day processing time starts from when it's accepted, not processed. So you're still well within the normal timeframe - don't stress! Your federal return is moving through the system normally.

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