How long to wait for IRS acceptance after electronic filing with TaxAct?

I filed my taxes about a week ago using TaxAct's electronic filing service. I got the confirmation email from TaxAct saying they submitted everything to the IRS, but my status is still showing as "pending" in the system. I'm starting to get a bit nervous since the May 17th deadline is coming up fast. What happens if it continues to show as pending even after the deadline passes? And what if it gets rejected for something silly like an incorrect PIN or some other small error? Should I just print everything out and mail a paper copy to cover myself? I really don't want to deal with late filing penalties if something goes wrong with the electronic submission. Has anyone else experienced long pending times with TaxAct this filing season?

0 coins

18 comments

Andre Rousseau

•8M

The IRS typically acknowledges receipt of electronically filed returns within 24-48 hours, but it can sometimes take longer during busy periods. Don't worry too much about the May 17th deadline - what matters is when you submitted to TaxAct, not when the IRS processes it. TaxAct has a timestamp of when you completed your submission. If your return gets rejected, TaxAct will notify you via email with details about what went wrong. You'll then have 5 business days from the rejection date to correct and resubmit without penalty, even if that's after the May 17th deadline. The IRS considers your original submission date as your filing date as long as you fix and resubmit within that window. I wouldn't recommend filing by mail unless your electronic filing is actually rejected. Having two submissions for the same tax year could create confusion and potentially trigger unnecessary reviews of your return.

0 coins

Andre Rousseau

•8M

The confirmation email from TaxAct is your proof that they've received your return and submitted it to the IRS. If you're concerned, you can check your filing status through the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool after 24 hours of e-filing, which will at least confirm if the IRS has received your return. If you want additional verification, you can create an account on the IRS website to view your tax records, which will show if your return has been received. But honestly, TaxAct is a major tax preparation service, and their confirmation email is generally reliable proof that your return has been submitted.

0 coins

Jamal Harris

•8M

I had a similar issue last year waiting for my taxes to process and was getting super anxious. I found this AI tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out what was happening. It analyzed my submission confirmation from TaxAct and explained what each status actually meant. Turns out the "pending" status is just TaxAct waiting for the IRS to send back the official acceptance, but your taxes are considered filed as of the date you hit submit. The tool showed me the actual IRS guidelines on e-filing timeframes and confirmation processes. Saved me from filing duplicate returns and potentially creating a huge headache for myself.

0 coins

Jamal Harris

•8M

It doesn't connect directly to IRS systems - it's more like having a tax pro look at your documents and explain what's happening. You upload your TaxAct confirmation email or screenshot of your status page, and it explains exactly what stage your return is in and what to expect next. For rejected returns, it's super helpful because it can analyze the rejection code and explain in plain English what went wrong and the exact steps to fix it. Much clearer than the cryptic error messages the IRS sends. My return got rejected for a mismatch between my AGI and what the IRS had on file, and the tool walked me through exactly how to resolve it.

0 coins

Mei Wong

•8M

Just wanted to update - I decided to try taxr.ai after my last comment. My return had been pending for 9 days and I was getting worried. Uploaded my TaxAct confirmation email and the tool immediately explained that the IRS is experiencing longer processing times for returns claiming certain credits (which I was). It also showed me how to check my actual submission timestamp through TaxAct's system, which confirmed I was well before the deadline regardless of when the IRS processes it. Completely put my mind at ease! The tool also gave me a personalized timeline of when I should expect various notifications based on my specific tax situation.

0 coins

Liam Sullivan

•8M

If you're really worried and want to speak directly with the IRS, good luck getting through their phone system! I spent 3 hours on hold last week before giving up. Then I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical, but I was able to confirm that my return was in the system even though the status was still showing pending on TaxAct. The agent explained that there's often a lag between when they receive it and when the status updates in the tax prep software. Totally worth it for the peace of mind!

0 coins

Liam Sullivan

•8M

It uses an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When it reaches an actual agent, it calls you and connects you directly to that agent. No magic, just technology handling the frustrating waiting part. It's not a premium line or anything like that - just a more efficient way to deal with the standard IRS phone system. They basically do the waiting for you, so you don't have to sit with your phone for hours hoping someone picks up.

0 coins

Giovanni Colombo

•8M

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I tried Claimyr after posting my skeptical comment. I was desperate after my "pending" status changed to "rejected" just 2 days before the deadline. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes (would have been hours of hold time otherwise). The agent was able to see exactly what happened - there was a mismatch with my Social Security number format (TaxAct had added a hyphen that confused the system). She walked me through how to correct it and resubmit, and confirmed that my original submission date would still count as my filing date even though the correction would be after the deadline. Saved me from potential late fees and a ton of stress!

0 coins

Fatima Al-Qasimi

•8M

Yes, that's definitely a positive indicator! State and federal returns share most of the same basic information (SSN, income details, etc.), so if the state accepted your return, the core data is likely correct. The federal return is more complex and the IRS systems are handling a much larger volume than any individual state, which explains why your federal return might still be pending while the state is already accepted. I'd say you can relax a bit - your return is probably fine and just working its way through the IRS queue.

0 coins