How long until IRS accepts e-filed return? First time filer needs timeline
Just e-filed my federal return for the first time and wondering how long until the IRS accepts it? My tax preparer said 24-48 hours but its been 3 days now and still nothing. Getting kinda nervous about it tbh.
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Maya Lewis
The IRS typically accepts e-filed returns within 24-48 hours, but during peak filing season it can take up to 5 business days. As long as your tax software or preparer gave you a confirmation that it was transmitted, you should be fine. Check the Where's My Refund tool on IRS.gov using your exact refund amount, filing status, and SSN to track acceptance.
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Benjamin Carter
•Thanks! Just checked wheres my refund and it shows accepted! What a relief 😅
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Maya Lewis
•Awesome! Now the real waiting game begins lol
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Isaac Wright
Pro tip: instead of checking wheres my refund every 5 mins like I did last year 🤡, use taxr.ai - it analyzes your transcript and tells you exactly where your return is in the process and when to expect your refund. Its only $1 and totally worth it https://taxr.ai
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Lucy Taylor
•is this legit? sounds too good to be true
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Isaac Wright
•100% legit! Used it last week and it predicted my DDD perfectly. Way better than the vague WMR tool
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Lucy Taylor
•just tried it - holy cow this thing is amazing! 🙌 way more detailed than anything ive seen before
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Connor Murphy
mine took like 2 weeks to get accepted last year during peak season... its brutal out here
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KhalilStar
make sure u used the right filing status and SSN when checking WMR. I was freaking out for days until I realized I typed my ssn wrong lmao
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Benjamin Carter
•omg thank you!!! this was exactly my problem 🤦♀️
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Amelia Dietrich
First time filer here too! We're all in the same boat fam 💯
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Kaiya Rivera
anybody else remember when this used to take like 5 minutes back in the day? irs systems are so behind the times fr fr
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Katherine Ziminski
•facts 💯 my grandpa talks about getting his refund in like a week back in the 80s
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PrinceJoe
Welcome to the e-filing anxiety club! 😅 As a first-time filer myself a few years back, I totally get that nervous feeling. The good news is that once it's accepted, you're pretty much in the clear - rejection usually happens within the first 24-48 hours due to obvious errors like wrong SSN or duplicate filing. Since you're past that window and it got accepted, you should be golden! The processing time for refunds is typically 21 days from acceptance date, but can be faster depending on your situation.
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Andre Moreau
•This is so reassuring to hear from someone who's been through it! That makes total sense about rejections happening early - I was worried there might be some hidden error that would pop up later. Really appreciate the timeline breakdown too. 21 days seems reasonable, just gotta be patient now 🙏
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Natasha Volkova
Just wanted to add that if you're using tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block, they usually send you an email confirmation once the IRS accepts your return. If you haven't gotten that email yet, check your spam folder! I almost missed mine last year because it ended up there. Also, don't stress too much - the IRS is dealing with millions of returns right now so delays are totally normal. You did everything right by e-filing! 👍
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Keisha Jackson
•Great tip about checking spam folders! I actually just found my acceptance confirmation there from 2 days ago - guess I was worrying for nothing 😂 Thanks everyone for the helpful advice, this community is awesome for first-time filers like me!
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