Is the IRS opening mail for prior year tax returns?
Sarah Duran
Published Feb 10, 2026
According to this IRS update as of April 16th: The IRS is now opening mail within normal timeframes. The IRS has also made significant progress in processing prior year returns. As of April 9, 2021, we had 1.5 million individual tax returns received prior to 2021 in the processing pipeline.
When did the IRS start accepting tax returns?
That’s not the case. The IRS started accepting returns January 27, 2020, and the first refunds were issued within 21 days (often within 10 to 14 days) of acceptance and that timing continues. 3 4 You should also know that there is no relationship between the amount of your refund and your stimulus payment.
When is the deadline to file your taxes?
Getty Images Although tax season started a bit later this year, you still have more time to file your taxes. Normally, taxes are due by April 15, but the IRS extended the filing deadline to May 17, 2021.
Why does the IRS take so long to process paper tax returns?
In particular, if a taxpayer filed a paper return, the processing time may be slower due to limited staffing as a result of the pandemic. As noted by the IRS: “The IRS is experiencing delays in processing paper tax returns due to limited staffing.
Is the IRS still processing your tax return?
Your Tax Return Is Still Being Processed. The IRS will issue most refunds in less than 21 calendar days. Even though the IRS will issue most refunds in less than 21 days, it’s possible that your refund has been delayed because it is stuck in processing.
What happens if my tax return is longer than 21 days?
The IRS issues refunds, not TurboTax, so we can’t say for sure why you haven’t received your refund if it’s been longer than 21 days since you e-filed. Once the IRS has accepted the return, TurboTax can’t provide updates on where your refund is at.
When do I get my tax refund from the IRS?
After the tax return has been Accepted by the IRS (meaning only that they received the return) it will be in the Processing mode until the tax refund has been Approved and then an Issue Date will be available on the IRS website.
