When your tax refund is marked as "accepted," it means the IRS has received your return and has begun processing it. However, acceptance does not mean the refund has been approved yet. The IRS typically processes and approves most refunds within 21 days of acceptance. After approval, the refund is usually issued and should arrive in your bank account shortly thereafter, often within a few days. To summarize the timeline:
- Your tax return is acknowledged within 24 to 48 hours of e-filing.
- Refund processing and approval usually take up to 21 days from the acceptance date.
- After approval, the refund can show in your account within a few days, depending on bank processing times.
You can track your refund status using the IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool starting 24 hours after e-filing to get updates on approval and payment status. So, if your refund was just accepted, expect the approval within about three weeks, but often it can be sooner, sometimes as quickly as 8 days depending on circumstances.
