Is 9 Days of "Return Received" Status Normal for IRS Refund Processing? (Tax Topic 152)

My return was accepted on the 7th and I'm still seeing the "We have received your tax return and it is being processed" message in the IRS2Go app. The app shows the "Received" status bar filled, but "Approved" and "Sent" are still empty. The app literally says "We have received your tax return and it is being processed. If you filed a complete and accurate tax return, your refund should be issued within 21 days of the received date. However, processing may take longer under certain circumstances. Please check here or visit IRS.gov/Refunds, to check on your refund status." When I check the Refund Status section on IRS2Go, I can clearly see the progress bars showing "Refund Received" is complete, but "Refund Approved" and "Refund Sent" are still empty/unfilled. Below this status information, it displays: "Please read the following information related to your tax situation: Tax Topic 152, Refund Information" It's been 9 days now since my return was accepted on the 7th, and nothing has changed in the status. I'm starting to worry since I expected to see some movement by now. Is this normal? How long does it usually take to see an update after acceptance? The app mentions that "processing may take longer under certain circumstances," but I'm not sure what that means for my situation or what circumstances might be delaying my refund. Should I be concerned at this point, or is this timeline still within normal processing times?

0 coins

15 comments

Hattie Carson

The IRS2Go app display shows you're in the first stage of the three-step refund process: Received → Approved → Sent. Your return is currently at the "Received" stage, which means the IRS has accepted your filing and begun processing it. The presence of Tax Topic 152 alongside this status is standard and simply means your return is following the normal refund path. The 21-day processing timeframe mentioned in your status message is the IRS's standard commitment period. Your current wait of 9 days falls well within this window. Most taxpayers see their status update to "Approved" between days 5-15, though this can vary based on filing complexity and current IRS workload. The empty progress bars for "Approved" and "Sent" will fill in sequentially as your return moves through the process. Once your return reaches "Approved," the final "Sent" status typically follows within 24-48 hours, as this indicates the release of your refund to your bank or the mailing of your check. Keep monitoring the app - the system updates its status information once every 24 hours, usually overnight.

0 coins

- 1M