Why is the IRS taking so long to approve my tax return?

Some tax returns take longer to process than others for many reasons, including when a return: Includes errors, such as incorrect Recovery Rebate Credit. Is incomplete. Needs further review in general.

The agency is still trying to catch up on a backlog because of the pandemic. “It’s taking us longer than normal to process mailed correspondence and more than 21 days to issue refunds for certain mailed and e-filed 2020 tax returns that require review,” the agency said.

The IRS says it is prioritizing returns with refunds over those where a taxpayer owes money to Uncle Sam. But there are several reasons your refund may be delayed.

It could be stuck in a processing queue if you file a paper return. As of March 11, the IRS said it had 7 million unprocessed individual returns. The agency is still trying to catch up on a backlog because of the pandemic.

“It’s taking us longer than normal to process mailed correspondence and more than 21 days to issue refunds for certain mailed and e-filed 2020 tax returns that require review,” the agency said.