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No news is good news
With the IRS, no news is good news. By default, the IRS will not contact you with your return status unless you specifically request it.
The below information will show you how you can find the status of your return and/or get a transcript.
Ordering A Transcript
You may download a copy of your IRS tax transcript.
Ordering a tax transcript from the IRS does not mean you will get your refund faster. IRS tax transcripts are most commonly used to validate income and tax filing statuses for mortgages, student, and small business loan applications and to help with tax preparation.
There are different kinds of transcripts --- all of which are obtained via https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4506-t --- the following types of transcripts can be obtained.
Return Transcript includes most of the line items of a tax return as filed with the IRS. A tax return transcript does not reflect changes made to the account after the return is processed. Transcripts are only available for the following returns: Form 1040 series, Form 1065, Form 1120, Form 1120-A, Form 1120-H, Form 1120-L, and Form 1120S. Return transcripts are available for the current year, and returns are processed during the prior three processing years. Most requests will be processed within ten business days.
Account Transcript contains information on the financial status of the account, such as payments made on the account, penalty assessments, and adjustments made by you or the IRS after the return was filed. Return information is limited to tax liability and estimated tax payments. Account transcripts are available for most returns. Most requests will be processed within ten business days.
The Account record provides the most detailed information combining the Return Transcript and the Account Transcript. Available for the current year and three prior tax years. Most requests will be processed within ten business days.
Verification of Non-filing is proof from the IRS that you did not file a return for the year. Current year requests are only available after June 15th. There are no availability restrictions on prior-year requests. Most requests will be processed within ten business days.
Form W-2, Form 1099 series, Form 1098 series, or Form 5498 series transcript. The IRS can provide a transcript that includes data from these information returns. State or local information is not included with the Form W-2 information. The IRS may be able to provide this transcript information for up to 10 years. The current year's data is generally unavailable until the year after it is filed with the IRS. For example, W-2 information for 2011, filed in 2012, will likely not be available from the IRS until 2013. If you need W-2 information for retirement purposes, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. Most requests will be processed within ten business days.
Calling the IRS
Another option for checking on the status of your return is calling the dedicated IRS line for International Taxpayers at 267-941-1099.
Refund Process
After your return is e-filed, it goes through the following four statuses at the IRS:
Return is e-filed; acceptance pending
Return is accepted
A refund (if one is requested) is approved --- see below for checking the status of your refund.
Refund (if approved) is sent/deposited
To check the status of your refund online:
Browse to the IRS Website, then click Check My Refund Status.
Enter your Social Security number or ITIN, select your filing status, and then type your exact refund amount as shown on your tax return.
Click Submit.
The status of your state return can be checked on the website of your state tax department.
You can also check the status of amended tax returns.
Acceptance Pending
Acceptance pending means that your return has not been processed yet. Generally, it takes 24-48 hours for the IRS to accept the return. However, suppose the return was e-filed in January. In that case, its status may be pending for several days or even longer (until the IRS processes the backlog of returns).
Return is Accepted
When the status of your return changes to accepted, it means that your return has been verified by the IRS (the Social Security numbers are correct, your dependents haven't already been claimed, etc.). The government is ready to proceed with the refund.
If TFX e-filed your return, you'd receive confirmation that it has been accepted within two days. Once we receive the confirmation notice from the IRS, we'll upload it to your Client Area. To view the confirmation notice, browse Documents > Filing Instructions and Confirmations, then click Preview. You may also download files to your computer by clicking on the file's name.
If you send your return by mail, it will usually be accepted by IRS within four weeks.
Once your return has been accepted, you may track your federal and/or state returns. Please note that until your return is accepted, you may get a "No record found" error message when searching for it. Check back a day or two after your return has been received, and it should be available.
Refund is Approved
If you expect to receive a refund, the IRS usually takes around three weeks to process the return once it's accepted.
Once your return has been accepted, you may track the status of your refund on the IRS website.
After the IRS accepts your return, you may track your refund on the IRS Website. Refund information is updated daily, generally overnight, so there's no need to check more often than once a day.