Can I track my refund?
Tracking the status of a tax refund is easy with the Where's My Refund? tool. It's available anytime on IRS.gov or through the
Check your refund status, make a payment, find free tax preparation assistance, sign up for helpful tax tips, and more! IRS2Go is available in both English and Spanish.
Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool or the IRS2Go mobile app to check your refund online. This is the fastest and easiest way to track your refund.
Where's My Refund has the latest information on your return. If you don't have internet, call the automated refund hotline at 800-829-1954 for a current-year refund or 866-464-2050 for an amended return. For prior-year refunds, check Where's My Refund.
If you file your return electronically, your refund should be issued in less than three weeks, even faster when you choose direct deposit. You can have a refund check mailed to you, or you may be able to have your refund deposited directly into your bank account.
Direct deposit to bank account: Direct deposit is when your tax refund is deposited into your bank account. This is the quickest refund method, and you might receive your refund within one to three weeks, depending on your filing method.
- Step 2: Enter the user ID and password.
- Step 3: Go to e-File tab > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns.
- Step 4: Now you can check the refund status for the desired Assessment year.
- Status 1: When refund is issued:
- Status 2: When refund is partially adjusted:
Call the IRS Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954 and use the automated system or speak with an IRS employee, or. Go to “Where's My Refund?” at IRS.gov or use the IRS2Go mobile app and follow the prompts to begin a refund trace.
Day of the week for IRS refund deposits
The IRS typically processes tax refunds and executes direct deposit transactions within 21 days after accepting your tax return. It's common for the IRS to issue them on business days, from Monday through Friday.
A tax refund could be delayed weeks or even months in some cases. The length of the delay may depend on how backed up the IRS is on processing tax returns, whether you turn around requested documentation quickly, and whether you need to file an amended return.
If the IRS is reviewing your return, it may have questions about your wages and withholding, or credits or expenses shown on your tax return. The review process could take anywhere from 45 to 180 days, depending on the number and types of issues the IRS is reviewing.
What are the stages of refund status?
Where's My Refund? has a new look this year. The tool includes a tracker that displays progress through 3 stages: (1) Return Received, (2) Refund Approved and (3) Refund Sent.
"IRS Accepted Return But Not Approved" Meaning
If a taxpayer receives the status update that their tax return was accepted but not approved, this means that the IRS has received their tax return, but they have not yet evaluated the information. Therefore, the taxpayer must wait to see if more action is required.
If you'd rather get your refund cash now, you can turn to a tax refund loan (also known as a refund advance loan). This is a short-term loan you can take against a portion of your estimated tax refund, and it's typically offered by your tax preparation service right after you file.
Assuming no issues, IRS issues tax refunds in less than 21 calendar days after IRS receives the tax return. IRS has an on-line tool, "Where's My Tax Refund", at www.irs.gov that will provide the status of a tax refund using the taxpayer's SSN, filing status, and refund amount.
| Delivery type | Estimated delivery time (date filed – receipt of tax refund) |
|---|---|
| E-file with direct deposit | 1-3 weeks |
| Paper file with direct deposit | 6-8 weeks |
| E-file with refund check in the mail | 1 month |
| Paper file with refund check in the mail | 6-8 weeks |
The IRS updates the tool once a day, usually overnight, so there's no need to check more often. This prevents individuals from having to contact the IRS for updates unless the tool requests them to call. Where's My Refund?
Tracking the status of a tax refund is easy with the Where's My Refund? tool. It's available anytime on IRS.gov or through the IRS2Go App. Taxpayers can start checking their refund status within 24 hours after an e-filed return is received.
IRS approval: The IRS works to review and approve refunds quickly and efficiently. In fact, historically, more than 9 out of 10 refunds are processed and approved within 21 days of e-file acceptance.
It can take up to 21 days after acceptance for the IRS to issue your refund, although most refunds go more quickly than that, while a small handful may take a bit longer. Track your federal refund at the IRS Where's My Refund site. For state refunds, go to your state government's refund lookup service.
- Step 1: Visit the official e-Filing portal.
- Step 2: Log in with your User ID/PAN/Aadhar.
- Step 3: Enter the 'Captcha code' displayed on the screen.
- Step 4: Click on 'efile', select 'Income Tax Returns', and then choose 'View Filed Returns'.
How can I check my refund status without refund?
If you never received your tax refund
If you were expecting a federal tax refund and did not receive it, check the IRS Where's My Refund page. You will need to enter your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.
You may call us toll-free at 800-829-1040, M - F, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Generally, if the financial institution recovers the funds and returns them to the IRS, the IRS will send a paper refund check to your last known address on file with the IRS.
The IRS can delay your tax refund until it completes any audits. This is most common when the IRS is conducting a mail audit on your EITC or ACTC return from a prior year. Normally, you'll receive IRS Letter CP88 indicating that your refund is frozen until the IRS completes the audit.
It really just depends on how fast the IRS system can process your refund. If you didn't choose direct deposit or if your direct deposit information was inaccurate, you'll typically receive your refund check within 3 to 4 weeks.
The IRS issues more than 9 out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days. Get your tax refund up to 5 days early: Individual taxes only. When it's time to file, have your tax refund direct deposited with Credit Karma Money™, and you could receive your funds up to 5 days early.
