# How long to accept tax return ?



## pink19 (May 29, 2018)

I sent off my us tax return in early march and when i checked a the end of march on the irs check your refund website it said it had been received, i just checked again now and it says it is still being processed, is this a usual amount of time or could something be wrong? its only been a few weeks but i really am not sure if its meant to take that long.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

It all depends on your timing. Right now is the Great Rush. Tax returns are due today (or tomorrow for those in two states with holidays today), so the great mass of returns are just hitting the processing centers.

What takes 3 or 4 weeks early on in the tax season can take a month or two the closer you get to the deadline. The IRS is understaffed and underfunded as it is.


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## pink19 (May 29, 2018)

Thanks for your reply ! when i check the status on the website it still inst giving me a date, just saying that it is still being processed. I suppose i will just have to keep checking it weekly and assume everything is okay with it. Thanks!


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## pink19 (May 29, 2018)

it has now been probably 8 weeks since the irs received my tax tax return, when i check the status it still just says my return is processing and just to keep checking the status, i am just very concerned because its been quite a while, this is my first time doing my taxes from the uk so i dont really know what to expect so this might be normal for it to take longer for some, it just has me very worried.


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## byline (Dec 5, 2011)

I mailed my return (from Canada) on Feb. 23. I kept checking the "check your refund" site, but didn't get a notification that it was being processed until April 5. And then I was able to request a transcript on April 9.

So two months is definitely within the normal turnaround time. Especially since, as Bev points out, now is when all the tax returns are coming in. So naturally that's slowing everything down.


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## pink19 (May 29, 2018)

Thanks for the reply! sorry i am not the best when it comes to taxes, but when you say on the 9th you were able to request a transcript does that mean on the 9th they completed your taxes officially? or are you still waiting? If they did finish them did the irs refund checking service update to say that? Sorry, this is my first year doing my taxes on my own and on top of that out of the country, so i am just very concerned i have done something wrong


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## byline (Dec 5, 2011)

pink19 said:


> Thanks for the reply! sorry i am not the best when it comes to taxes, but when you say on the 9th you were able to request a transcript does that mean on the 9th they completed your taxes officially? or are you still waiting? If they did finish them did the irs refund checking service update to say that? Sorry, this is my first year doing my taxes on my own and on top of that out of the country, so i am just very concerned i have done something wrong


When we're able to request a transcript, that means our tax return has been processed. Oddly enough, if I go to the "check your refund" site, it still says "Your tax return is still being processed" (even though I know it has been completed, because I have the transcripts saying so).

So, if you go to the transcript site, see if it will let you request a transcript for the current tax year (2018). If it will, then your return has been processed.

Once I became aware of the option of requesting a transcript, I have been requesting them ever since. It's just nice to have that piece of paper on file. You can actually get two different transcripts: one that shows a summary of the tax return, and actions taken, the other a more complete transcript showing most of the information from your tax return. I request both.


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## pink19 (May 29, 2018)

Thank you so much !! i just tried this and it says i have requested the transcript and to wait 5-10 days? So i am assuming my return was complete and i should be receiving a transcript to my U.K address within a week or 2? That's such a relief !


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## byline (Dec 5, 2011)

pink19 said:


> Thank you so much !! i just tried this and it says i have requested the transcript and to wait 5-10 days? So i am assuming my return was complete and i should be receiving a transcript to my U.K address within a week or 2? That's such a relief !


Yes, if they can send you a transcript, then my assumption is that your return has been processed. (I can't imagine that they would be able to send you a transcript on a return that had not yet been processed.)

However, I'm pretty sure that "5- to 10-day" delivery time is for someone living in the United States. Since you're overseas, I'm betting it will take longer. Seems to me it took about a month, from the time I requested them, for the transcripts to reach me, thanks to the "Pony Express" speed of mail crossing the U.S./Canadian border.


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## H1ghpass (May 23, 2019)

In my case it took about 20 days.


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## shony (Jun 13, 2019)

I filed online. It took couple hours.


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