Where’s My Tax Refund?

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  • Published Jan 31, 2014 - [Updated Sep 7, 2017]
  • 3 min read

The IRS officially opened for the 2014 tax season today and a common question asked around this time is “Where’s My Refund?”

Many taxpayers also have questions about how the process of getting tax refunds and refund timing works.

We know you work hard for your money and wanted to answer some of the most common questions we see about the issuance of tax refunds.

Here is a breakdown of how your tax return will progress through 3 stages with the IRS -“Return Received”, “Return Approved”, and “Refund Sent” once you e-file and where you can go to check your refund status so you understand “Where’s My Refund?”:

Refund Process

  1. Start checking status 24 – 48 hours after e-file – Once you e-file with direct deposit, you can start checking the status of your return 24 – 48 hours after you e-file on the IRS Where’s My Refund tool.
  2. Return Received Notice within 24 – 48 hours after e-file – The IRS Where’s My Refund tool will show “Return Received” status once they begin processing your tax return.  You will not see a refund date until the IRS finishes processing your tax return and approves your tax refund.
  3. Status change from “Return Received” to “Refund Approved” – Once the IRS finishes processing your tax return and confirms your tax refund is approved, your status will change from “Return Received” to “Refund Approved”.  Sometimes the change in status can take a few days, but it could take longer and a date will not be provided in Where’s My Refund? until your tax return is processed and your tax refund is approved.
  4. Where’s My Refund? tool shows refund date – The IRS will provide an actual refund date once your status moves to “Refund Approved”.  The IRS issues more than 9 out of 10 refunds in 21 days or less.
  5. Where’s My Refund? shows “Refund Sent” – You’re now closer to your biggest tax refund! If the status in Where’s My Refund? shows “Refund Sent”, the IRS has sent your tax refund to your financial institution for direct deposit.  It can take 1 to 5 days for your financial institution to deposit funds into your account.  If you requested that your tax refund be mailed, it could take several weeks for your check to arrive.

Here are more answers to your common questions about your tax refund:

Will I see a date right away when I check status in “Where’s My Refund”? 

Where’s My Refund will not give you a date until your tax return is received, processed, and your tax refund is approved by the IRS

It’s been longer than 21 days since the IRS has received my tax return and I have not received my tax refund.  What’s happening?

Some tax returns take longer than others to process depending on your tax situation.  Some of the reasons it may take longer are incomplete information, an error, or the IRS needs to review it further.

What other sources can I use to check my refund status?

Once you have e-filed your tax return with TurboTax, you can check your status using MyTurboTax.  You can even check your status on the go from your mobile device using TurboTax free app MyTaxRefund.

If you haven’t e-filed your taxes yet, you can start today.  You may even be able to e-file your federal tax return for free and have your biggest tax refund in your pocket within 21 days.

Lisa Greene-Lewis
Lisa Greene-Lewis

Written by Lisa Greene-Lewis

Lisa has over 20 years of experience in tax preparation. Her success is attributed to being able to interpret tax laws and help clients better understand them. She has held positions as a public auditor, controller, and operations manager. Lisa has appeared on the Steve Harvey Show, the Ellen Show, and major news broadcast to break down tax laws and help taxpayers understand what tax laws mean to them. For Lisa, getting timely and accurate information out to taxpayers to help them keep more of their money is paramount. More from Lisa Greene-Lewis

Follow Lisa Greene-Lewis on Twitter.

3,444 responses to “Where’s My Tax Refund?”

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  1. Where’s My Refund Shows Refund Sent With Yellow Bar And Orange Strips @ 1:20 AM, It Was Black At 12:59 AM Does This Mean It Is Transmitting To My Bank? I Called My Bank At 1 AM And The Where Not Showing Any Pending Deposits At That Time So I’m Wondering If It’s On It’s Way Now. Thanks In Advance For Any And All Help! Hope Everyone Get’s There Monies Soon!!! 🙂

    Reply

  2. Hey guys just a quick update. My status has not change but I was just able to order transcripts. Not sure if it is true that I will get my refund soon but I will keep you all posted!

    Reply

      • I called Santa Barbara bank and was t I told the IRS didn’t send my refund until after midnight and they were closed. They didnt release my refund to my bank until 6am. And it can take up to 24 hrs. Call 18007177228 to see if the IRS to the bank. This is only if you used TurboTax. If they did, you are probably in the same boat as me. The rep said this is the case with many people. On Feb 6, 2014 10:34 AM, “Tax Break: The TurboTax Blog” wrote:

        > angeljohnson68 commented: “WMR is down I keep getting that the system > is unavailable”

  4. I have the turbo tax app and it says my refund dd date is the 20th! I sent my refund on the 26th and on the 28th got an email says that the Irs has my refund. Wmr has been on one bar since then. Is the 20th really my DDd?

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  5. Yeah I’m I’m Indy too n Im still pending. When I check the state website it says processing. This is really confusing!!

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  7. What time will where’s my refund be updated? I just checked and there is no change. It is now 11:25pm Eastern time.

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      • This is really irritating. I was accepted on the 24th and was stuck at one bar up until Monday and now I am stuck at “still processing…date will be given when available.” Why the heck are some people getting refunds that were accepted a week after I was. I get that it is a process, but why the vague messages? My taxes arent any different from any other year…

  8. My state as deposited yesterday and my federal will b deposited tomorrow. Tomorrow is the 1st DDdate. No one will get it before then. if it says the 6th. You should see it in there tomorrow morning! Mine always goes state first…federal two days later. Some banks receive it tomorrow and processit as avail. For the fowing day. So if u have a dd date of the 6th u will see it tomorrow morning or fri morning. Alwatsays check after 8am!

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  9. I filed 1/22 accepted 1/26 I know they didn’t open until 1/29 but the tax site says it was accepted thru irs yet the irs wheres my refund as of today says no information found regarding a return for me?? HELP!!!!

    Reply
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