IRS returns from 2021-2023 showing as received but not approved yet - is this normal?

This is actually pretty common with the IRS these days, especially if you owe instead of receiving refunds. The "received" status just means they've gotten your return, while "approved" usually matters more for people expecting refunds. Since you mentioned you typically owe, the IRS generally doesn't prioritize "approving" those returns in their system - they're more focused on processing refunds. As long as you've paid what you owe and haven't received any notices about problems with your returns, you're likely fine. The IRS has been dealing with massive backlogs since 2020, and returns where money is owed to the IRS (rather than refunds due to taxpayers) often sit in this "received but not approved" status for extended periods. They're essentially "complete" from the IRS perspective once they've received your payment.

After spending way too many hours stressing about my taxes showing as "received but not approved" for over 2 years, I finally found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much headache. I uploaded my tax documents and transcripts from my IRS account, and it explained exactly what was happening with my returns and what each status actually meant. Turns out the "approved" status isn't as important as I thought for people who owe taxes rather than getting refunds. The system analyzed my specific situation and showed me that everything was actually fine despite what my account was showing. Highly recommend checking it out if you're concerned about your tax status!

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that someone recommended earlier. I was super worried about my returns showing as "received but not approved" going back to 2021, but the system analyzed my transcripts and showed me this is completely normal for my situation (I also owe instead of getting refunds). It highlighted specific codes in my transcript that showed everything was actually processed correctly, even though the status hadn't updated to "approved." The analysis explained that the IRS prioritizes updating statuses for refund cases and often leaves non-refund returns in this state. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the same boat - saved me from calling the IRS unnecessarily!

For anyone stressing about contacting the IRS directly about these "received but not approved" statuses - I was in the same position and tried calling for weeks. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and it was a game-changer. They got me connected to an actual IRS rep in about 30 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks with no luck. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed that for accounts where you owe money (rather than getting refunds), they often don't update the status to "approved" because it's not a priority for them. The important part is that they received your return and your payment - that's what matters for compliance. Having an actual agent confirm this gave me huge peace of mind.

Update on my skeptical comment earlier: I actually broke down and tried Claimyr after another week of failing to reach the IRS on my own. I'm honestly shocked - it actually worked exactly as described. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 35 minutes when I'd wasted hours on multiple days trying myself. The agent confirmed what others here have said - returns where you owe money often stay in "received" status indefinitely because the IRS prioritizes updating refund statuses. As long as you've paid what you owe and haven't gotten any notices, it's completely normal to see "received but not approved" for years. Apparently their systems are still catching up from the pandemic backlog, especially for non-refund returns.

Just to add another data point - I've been doing taxes for 20+ years and ALL of my returns that I owed on (instead of getting refunds) show as "received" not "approved" going back to 2018. An accountant friend told me this is totally normal and the IRS internal systems are different from what we see on the taxpayer portal. The most important thing is that you haven't received any letters or notices requesting additional info or claiming you didn't file. If you owed and paid, and haven't heard anything else from them, you're almost certainly fine.

Has anyone actually gotten a return to change from "received" to "approved" after owing money? I'm curious if this status ever updates or if it just stays as "received" permanently for returns where you owed.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stressing about my 2021 and 2022 returns showing "received" status for so long. It's reassuring to hear from multiple people that this is normal for returns where you owe money rather than getting refunds. The key takeaway seems to be: if you filed your returns, paid what you owed, and haven't received any notices from the IRS requesting additional information or claiming issues with your returns, then you're in good standing regardless of what the online portal shows. The IRS prioritizes processing refunds and updating those statuses, while returns where taxpayers owe money often sit in "received" limbo indefinitely. I think I'll stop obsessively checking my account status now and just focus on staying current with my tax obligations going forward. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!