- Check E-File Status
Check the Status of Your E-filed Return
After you've e-filed your return(s), you'll receive a notification e-mail within minutes from the Intuit Electronic Filing Center that lets you know if your tax return was transmitted successfully.
You'll still need to wait the recommended period of time after e-filing until you can go back and check the e-file status of your return:
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*Some states may take longer than 5 days
How to check e-file status
You can check the status of your e-filed income tax return using one or all of these options:
Within minutes after e-filing your tax return, you'll receive an e-mail from the Intuit Electronic Filing Center that notifies you whether or not your e-filed tax return has been transmitted successfully.
In addition, you'll receive a follow-up notification e-mail when your income tax return(s) have been ACCEPTED or REJECTED.
In all instances, you'll be given clear instructions in the e-mail about what to do next to complete the filing of your tax return.
Here's an example of a notification e-mail:
If you don't have access to an e-mail account, you can also check the e-file status of your tax return within the TurboTax program. Don't forget you'll need to wait for the recommended period of time after e-filing to get your tax return's status.
When you return to the TurboTax program, you'll see that the Interview screens will guide you step-by-step to complete the e-filing process including printing any forms you may need to sign and copies for your records.
Checking e-file status in TurboTax
To check e-file status of your tax return in the TurboTax product , select the Print & File tab, then select Check E-file Status. Make sure that you follow the on-screen instructions.
You can also check the e-file status of your income tax return using one or both of these methods:
- Call the TurboTax Electronic Filing Information Center hotline toll-free at 1-800-780-9247.
- Call the IRS directly toll-free at 1-800-829-1040 for individuals, or 1-800-829-4933 for businesses or specialty tax.
Select the links below to learn about what you need to do after you check the e-file status of your tax return.
- What do I do if my tax return is ACCEPTED?
- What do I do if my tax return is REJECTED?
- Will you refund my e-filing fee if my return is REJECTED?
- What do I do if my tax return status is PENDING?
- What if I find a mistake in my tax return after I e-filed it?
- What do I do if the e-file status check is not working in the TurboTax desktop program?
- When will I receive my tax refund?
- Where do I find my Declaration Control Number?
- What if I e-filed my income tax return(s) but the IRS or my state tax agency says they never received it?
- Can I e-file a income tax return for a previous tax year?
- Can I check the e-file status of a prior-year income tax return?
Follow the on-screen instructions in the TurboTax Interview to complete the tax return filing process. You're almost finished with filing your income tax return.
If you chose to sign your e-filed tax return on paper rather than provide an electronic signature, you'll need to complete an additional e-file signature form, e.g. Form 8453-OL for your federal return. You may also need to send a state e-file signature form when you e-file your state tax return. TurboTax Interview will help you with this last step in the e-filing process.
Again, don't worry. E-file rejections are common and in most cases, can be easily resolved.
If you're checking the e-file status in the TurboTax program, select the Fix button for the return then follow the on-screen instructions in the TurboTax Interview. You can then e-file your return again. You will not be charged twice for e-filing the same tax return. See Resolve an E-filing Rejection for additional information about rejected tax returns.
Tip: There is a small chance that you might not be able to resolve the reason your tax return was rejected. In that case, you can print the return and mail it in. No. Although you are not charged twice for e-filing the same tax return, if your return is REJECTED and you cannot or (choose not) to re-transmit your income tax return, we do not refund the TurboTax e-filing fee in TurboTax Desktop.
Circumstances beyond our control, such as incorrect information, IRS or state requirements not met, or a malfunction of the taxing authority's system, can cause an e-filed tax return to be rejected. These rejections are not related to our e-filing service and we still incur the cost of the e-filing transmission.
Here's what you can do for your federal or state income tax returns.
Federal returns
A federal tax return takes anywhere from 24 to 48 hours after you transmit your return before it is accepted or rejected. In some instances, it could take longer depending on the volume of tax returns that the IRS is processing. Until the IRS accepts or rejects your tax return, the TurboTax program displays a Pending status which is normal.
State returns
State tax returns usually take about five days after you transmit your state tax return before they are accepted or rejected. During this time, the TurboTax program displays a Pending status. This is normal. Some states are taking longer to acknowledge e-filed tax returns. If your tax return is not acknowledged after five days, contact your state taxing authority.
Don't worry. If you discover that you made a mistake in your income tax return(s) after it was ACCEPTED, you can still fix the error in your tax return and then simply re-file it with the IRS, or your state tax authority.
You'll need do what's known as amending your tax return by filing Form 1040X for federal tax returns, or file the state-equivalent form to amend your state tax return. TurboTax Interview will walk you through the steps for amending your returns.
If your tax return was REJECTED, you can fix the error then re-transmit your tax return.
Here's what you can do to troubleshoot an e-file status error:
Update the TurboTax desktop program
- Download the latest TurboTax desktop program updates. See Update TurboTax Desktop.
- Save your return, restart your computer, and then try to check your tax return's e-file status again.
- Check your Internet connection. See Check Your Internet Connection.
- If you're still having trouble checking the e-file status of your return, try the troubleshooting steps below.
Other troubleshooting tips
- Make sure you are using the correct version of TurboTax.
- 2007 should appear in white letters at the top of the screen in TurboTax for Windows and 07 should appear at the top of the screen in TurboTax for the Macintosh's EasyStep Interview screens.
- Select Back to Interview from the EasyStep menu to go back to the Interview.
- Make sure you have opened the correct tax return file.
- You notice that primary taxpayer's name appears at the top of the screen along with the tax year (for Macintosh computers, you must be in the TurboTax Interview to see this).
- You can also verify the return by selecting Open a Form from the Forms menu and double-clicking Federal Information Worksheet.
- If the correct tax return is not open, select Open Tax Return from the File menu, browse to the correct tax return, open it, and then check the status.
Federal refunds
When your tax return is accepted, you can refer to the IRS Refund Cycle Chart (IRS Publication 2043) to check the estimated date that you will receive your federal refund.
If you don't receive your refund within 28 days from the date your return was accepted by the IRS, you can check the IRS Web site's Where's my Refund? feature.
State refunds
For individual state tax refunds, contact your state for information about when to expect your tax refund.
If you've successfully e-filed your tax return and your return was ACCEPTED, you should see your tax return Declaration Control Number in the e-file acceptance message within the TurboTax program. In addition, you'll receive an e-mail from the Intuit Electronic Filing Center that contains your DCN.
TurboTax automatically inserts your DCN into your federal and state e-file signature forms (ex. Form 8453-OL for federal returns).
To view your DCN in Form 8453-OL of your federal return, go to the Forms menu, select Open a Form, scroll down the list and select Form 8453-OL: Tax Declaration for On-Line Electronic Filing, and then select Open. Your DCN is located in the top left corner of the form.
For more information about e-file signature forms including how to print Form 8453-OL, see Signing Your Tax Return After You E-file.
You may not have completed the all of the steps required to e-file your income tax return. Whenever you successfully e-file a tax return, you should receive an e-mail confirmation from Intuit that notifies you that your tax return was received.
In a few cases, we've noticed that some customers using TurboTax Online do not transmit their tax returns to the IRS or state tax authority when they think they have.
The reason for this issue is due to some confusion during the TurboTax Interview when a customer pays for TurboTax Online. Some customers think that they've e-filed their tax return at this point in the TurboTax Interview, when in fact, they have not. After transmitting the registration and credit card information for payment, the TurboTax program displays the customer a confirmation number e.g. TTW00012345. This number is not an e-file confirmation number or declaration control number (DCN).
The TurboTax Interview screens that follow the credit card payment portion of the Interview will instruct you to e-file or print your tax return. In addition, the TurboTax program will notify you if you have not finished your tax return.
If you think this issue applies to you, log on to your TurboTax Online account, and then continue going through all the Interview screens until you see the Interview screen that instructs you to print or e-file your tax return, then follow the on-screen instructions.
No. You must print and mail your income tax return that's for a previous tax year.
No. You cannot check the e-file status within the TurboTax product of an income tax return that was filed for a previous year.
You can only check the e-file status of a current year tax return within the TurboTax product. For example, you can't check the status of your 2006 income tax return using the TurboTax 2007 product.
To find out the status of any prior-year income tax return you've filed, you'll need to contact the IRS directly.
