Why is my return stuck in "Processing" for several days?

Last updated: April 7, 2026

If your return has been stuck in Processing for an extended period of time, this is usually caused by one of a few common issues depending on your tax software and setup. Here's how to diagnose it:

1. Filed Sync App (On-Premise Software: Drake & UltraTax)

If you are using Drake or UltraTax, Filed relies on the Filed Sync App (device agent) installed on your local machine to automatically handle the backup file transfer process. Without the Sync App, users would need to manually download a backup file after completion and import it into their software — but the Sync App handles this automatically.

A return can get stuck in Processing if:

  • The Filed Sync App is not running or has been closed on the machine where it was installed.

  • The machine running the Sync App is offline or asleep.

  • The Sync App encountered an error and needs to be restarted.

What to do: Open the machine where the Filed Sync App is installed, make sure it is actively running, and check for any error messages within the app. Once confirmed, the return may resume on its own, or you may need to click Re-run Tax Prep to re-trigger the process.

2. Missing Prior Year Return

In some cases, Filed requires the prior year tax return to be uploaded before it can complete processing. If the prior year return is missing from the client's documents, the return may stall in Processing.

What to do: Upload the prior year return to the client's document folder and then click Re-run Tax Prep to restart the process.

3. Re-triggering the Process

Sometimes a return gets stuck due to a temporary system hiccup, and all that is needed is a manual re-trigger.

What to do: Navigate to the return and click the Re-run Tax Prep button to restart the processing workflow from where it left off.

4. Deeper System Issue

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, the root cause may require further investigation by the Filed engineering team.

What to do: Please contact Filed support so we can schedule a debugging session to investigate the issue further.