Filed 1/24/25 with TurboTax - Still Pending When Usually Accepted in 1 Hour

The IRS is experiencing significant processing delays this tax season. I filed on 1/28 and was also expecting quick acceptance like previous years, but many of us are in the same boat. According to the IRS Operations Status page, they're dealing with a backlog from the PATH Act verification requirements plus higher-than-normal submission volumes. Your income change shouldn't be a factor in the acceptance delay - that would typically affect later review stages, not initial acceptance.

I was stuck in pending for exactly 17 days after filing on January 22nd. What helped me understand what was happening was using https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript once it finally appeared. The tool showed that my return was held in the pre-processing queue for fraud screening for exactly 15 days before being accepted, then moved to normal processing after that. The system showed me that I had a TC 971 code with a specific reference number that indicated the delay was just procedural, not an actual problem with my return. I'm expecting my refund in exactly 6 days based on the processing timeline it generated.

I filed on January 25th and was pending until February 10th. After waiting on hold with the IRS for over 2 hours on February 8th and getting nowhere, I tried Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and got through to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed there was nothing wrong with my return - they're just overwhelmed with the volume this year and implemented extra verification steps. My return was accepted the following day on February 9th. If you're approaching the 21-day mark, it might be worth calling to check if there's anything specific holding yours up.

Per Internal Revenue Manual section 21.4.1.3, the IRS has up to 21 days to process electronically filed returns before they consider it a processing delay! This year they're implementing enhanced identity theft filters per the Taxpayer First Act section 2001, which can add additional processing time. If you don't see acceptance by February 14th (21 days from filing), you should call the IRS refund hotline at 800-829-1954. I recommend calling at 7:00 AM Eastern precisely when their systems open to avoid the wait times!

Having worked in tax preparation for over 15 years, I can tell you this is increasingly common. Last tax season, about 35% of my clients experienced extended pending periods before acceptance. The IRS has implemented multi-layered verification systems that weren't in place 3-4 years ago. Your higher income actually might be contributing to the delay - in 2023, I noticed returns with incomes over $100K were getting flagged for additional verification about 40% more often than lower-income returns. The good news is that once accepted, these initially-delayed returns typically process at normal speed afterward.

Have you checked your TurboTax account to see if there were any rejected state returns? Sometimes your federal return can be in limbo if there's an issue with the state portion. It's like trying to drive a car with one flat tire - the whole journey gets delayed even though most of the vehicle is fine. Just want to confirm you're not seeing any rejection notices for either federal or state?

Filed January 23rd, stuck in pending until February 6th (a full 14 days!), then magically accepted overnight. The IRS is moving slower than a sloth on vacation this year! 🐌 But seriously, I wouldn't worry yet. I meticulously track my tax timeline every year in a spreadsheet (yes, I'm that person 😂), and this is by far the longest pending-to-acceptance window I've seen. Just be cautious about making any major financial plans that depend on your refund arriving by a specific date - I'd add at least an extra 2-3 weeks to whatever timeline you're expecting based on previous years.