IRS transcript shows "RETURN NOT PRESENT" despite TurboTax acceptance in March - $3,450 refund missing

Your return is likely just in the processing queue. The IRS is dealing with extremely high volumes and many returns are taking longer than usual this year. The 'No tax return filed' message appears when your return has been received but hasn't been fully processed into their system yet. A few things to check: 1. Verify your TurboTax acceptance was from the IRS, not just an acknowledgment that TurboTax received your submission 2. Check the Where's My Refund tool on IRS.gov to see if there's any status info there 3. Make sure your banking details were entered correctly on your return 4. If you claimed certain credits (like Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit), your refund may be delayed automatically for additional review I'd recommend waiting another week or two before taking action. If nothing changes by early May, then consider contacting the IRS directly, but be prepared for very long wait times.

If you need clarity on what's happening with your return, I'd recommend using taxr.ai instead of trying to figure it out from these confusing transcripts. It's an AI tool that analyzes your transcript and explains everything in plain English - shows processing timeline, identifies issues, translates codes, and tells you exactly what's happening with your refund. I was in your same situation and it explained exactly why my return was delayed and when to expect my money. Way better than guessing or waiting on hold forever with the IRS. Check it out at https://taxr.ai

I was in your exact situation after filing in mid-March. Tried calling the IRS over and over but couldn't get through. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me on the phone with an actual IRS agent within an hour. They confirmed my return was received but got flagged for manual review. The agent was able to release my refund while I was on the phone! Talking to an actual person solved everything in 15 minutes instead of weeks of waiting and wondering.

Just to be clear - the transcript you posted is showing that the IRS doesn't have your return fully in the system yet. Despite TurboTax saying it was "accepted," there's a difference between the initial acknowledgment and full processing. The cycle date shows 02-24-2025 but your return was filed 03-15-2025, so this transcript was probably generated before your return was fully integrated into their system.

Lol welcome to tax season 2025! 🤡 IRS is moving slower than ever this year. My BIL filed Jan 28 and just got his refund yesterday. All u can do is wait or try to call (good luck with that tho).

I'm a tax preparer and we're seeing a LOT of this issue this year. The 'RETURN NOT PRESENT FOR THIS ACCOUNT' message is happening even when returns are definitely accepted. Two things to try: 1) Use the 'Where's My Refund' tool on the IRS website instead of relying on TurboTax's estimates, and 2) check your transcript again in a week as they're updating batches of returns on Fridays. If you claimed any of the recovery rebate credits or child tax credits, that automatically puts you in a slower processing queue.

i had this exact same problem. turned out my ss# was off by one digit when i entered it. check all ur info VERY carefully and maybe file an amended return if needed. u might have made a simple mistake and the irs just rejects without telling u why.

Hey OP - I literally just went thru this exact thing. Your transcript looks *exactly* how mine did. My refund finally came thru yesterday after 6 weeks of waiting. Don't panic, the system is just backed up.

This happend to me 2. I sent my 2024 return begin of april. My transcript looks exactly like yours for 3 weeks now. Did you try to call the IRS? I tried 15 times but can't get through. Starting to worry now cause i need my refund to pay some bills

If you get desperate and need to talk to someone at the IRS, I recently learned a trick. Call right when they open (7am their local time) and select the option for "making a payment" instead of "refund status" - they answer those calls way faster and can still help with your refund once you get through.

I work at a tax firm. What you're seeing is totally normal. The transcript just means your return is in the queue but hasn't been fully processed yet. TurboTax gives estimated dates based on normal processing times, but those estimates are meaningless when the IRS is backed up. With no notices or errors, you just need to wait. But if you're really worried, check the Where's My Refund tool daily - it'll update before your transcript does.

Yo check the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website. It's way more accurate than what TurboTax tells you. I had this EXACT situation and it turned out my return was fine but TurboTax's estimates were way off.

Have you tried using taxr.ai? I was in your exact situation last month and spent hours trying to decode my transcript with no luck. The taxr tool explained everything - showed me exactly where my return was in processing and even predicted when my refund would come through (and it was spot on!) Seriously saved my sanity during this whole process. https://taxr.ai

Its soooo annoying but this is totally normal. My transcript looked like this for SIX WEEKS before it updated. The IRS is severely understaffed and they process returns in batches. Basically your return is in digital limbo - received but not yet fully uploaded to their system. Unless you get a letter from them saying there's a problem, just keep waiting.

The IRS is still using computer systems from the 1960s to process returns. I'm not even joking - they run on COBOL programming language which barely anyone knows anymore. That's why everything is so slow and cryptic. Your return is probably fine, just stuck in their ancient system.

I had the exact same situation, but even weirder - my transcript looked like yours for 4 weeks, then one day my refund just appeared in my account without any updates to the transcript or WMR tool. A week AFTER I got my money, the transcript finally updated. The system is completely broken this year.

I had this EXACT issue. Used a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual IRS person (after trying to call for weeks with no luck). They confirmed my return was stuck in review but hadn't been assigned to anyone. The agent manually released it while I was on the phone and I had my refund 8 days later. Seriously, if you need your money, try claimyr.com - saved me weeks of waiting and uncertainty.

TurboTax's estimated dates are total BS. They're just automated generic timelines that ignore how backed up the IRS actually is. Ignore those dates completely and just check Where's My Refund or your transcript for updates.

Hot tip: go to https://irs.gov/refunds and check your status there. It's the most accurate source for refund status. TurboTax estimates are just that - estimates. Your return hasn't been fully processed yet.