Where’s My Tax Refund?

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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-fileOnce 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.

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

  1. filed on1/20 got accepted 2/2 still waiting im starting to worrie. plus i have topic 152. but i spoke to one of H&R person and said don’t worry about topic 152.but i have to file amended form after i receive my refund. how long?

  2. My taxes were accepted on Jan 28 but I’m still on the firstbar on wmr with no dd. I was able to order my account transcript by mail but not my return transcript.Is it possible that I could have a dd?? Last year I got my return with the bar still on recieved.

  3. I filed on January 28th 2014 and was accepted on January 31, 2014 and have not gotten a refund date yet. What’s going on

  4. I filed my return on the 31st and was accepted later on that day but as of today 2/8/14 it’s still on the 1st bar on WMR and i cant order a transcript either. I’m starting to get a lil nervous now b/c it has never taking this long to get approved :’ -(

  5. I requested my transcript this morning after the website was stuck on pending a few hours later I had a ddd of 2/12/2014 I was accepted on feb 1. So from the people that had ddd of 02/06/2014 when did you actually recieve the money?

  6. My dd date is 2/10 and it hasn’t been deposited yet I c alot of people on here was 2/10 and got there’s today I hope I get mine today need it 🙂 if it dont do they deposit on Sunday’s? Thanks

  7. I filed and was accepted on 2/1. Just approved this am 2/8 with a dd of 2/12. Filed hh w/child tx credit thru tax act. No money as of yet, we shall see!

  8. I was accepted on 1/28 and this morning I checked the where’s my refund site, at about 7am today ,and I was given a date for direct deposit by 2/13. I checked yesterday morning and it still said accepted without a date . Happy to have a date now.

  9. Hey i did mine 1/21 got accepted 2/3 i did mine thru H&r block wen well I get my taxes can anyone give me a guess I filed head of household

    • Elgin, I know someone who filed on the 2/3 and got their dd for the 2/10. I got accepted on 2/2 and just got a dd for 2/12. I don’t think IRS is going by any particular order. I know several people who were accepted after me that got dd before me.

    • hi call and order my transcript for the year 2013 and guess what its say can’t process at this time. so i know something is wrong big time. but the person told me wait till i get my refund then file amended form. am i suppose to wait or call or go to local office here in anchorage. i want to know whats wrong.

  10. I filed 1/29 got accepted 1/31 an got my DDD 2/10 today’s the 8th an my Federal and State was deposited to my bank acoount Yaayyy I’m so Happy 🙂

  11. How long does it take to get your mobey after the irs already approved it an gave you a date doest come onte extact date they gave you

  12. So I was accepted by irs on the 24 of January. Wmr showed one bar and the amount as of this past week. This morning it’s saying still processing and no bars are showing and no amount of money is showing.
    Has this happen to anyone. Or does anyone know what this means. Turbo tax sent my return on January 3rd.

  13. I requested for my refund to be direct deposited and I just checked Where’s My Refund and it is saying a check will be mailed to me by February 14! Does anyone have any idea why?

  14. I filed on Jan 30th, approved on the 31st and was stuck in ‘accepted’ status until yesterday when I requested transcripts through the app ‘IRS2g0’ and then this morning I got ‘approved’ with a DDD of 2/12! Maybe it was a coincidence but I’m happy that I finally have some info!

  15. Ok I filed with turbotax on Jan 19th
    IRS accepted on Jan 26th

    W2, home business, head of household, child tax credit.

    Yesterday I signed in to see my transcripts for 2013 there was no ” * ” and there was actual information to see including everything that was filed. This morning I checked online at the WMR page and finally progress I have the approved bar with a deposit date of 2/12.

    The process is completely random by all accounts, but we continue to stress ourselves out.

    Signs of progress in most cases

    No rejection notice due to errors, hopefully you would have been notified by now.

    Order and or view online your 2013 “refund transcript” if there’s a full transcript than you have been processed and most likely approved
    Expect a Refund date.

    We have to realize that technically it started Jan 31 and the IRS stats within 21 days. Hopefully everyone gets a DD soon.

    For transcript google tax refund transcript, make an account and sign in.

    If you get blocked from checking the WMR site, than call, the refund number.

    • Hey Israel did you order yours online on the phone I am locked out pn the website but I can order mine on the phone and I couldn’t do that before but I was able to yesterday but as of today still no dd or approved?

    • Yeah I am still locked out but I can order through the phone number and when I treid doing that Thursday it wouldn’t let me but I was able to yesterday and I thought I would get a dd today but I didn’t so hopefully tonight I do? I hope the phone and the online is the same with ordering them but I would have to think so for people that don’t have access to a computer. Fingers crossed and toes 🙂

  16. I did my taxes on the 24th of jan. It hasnt gave me a date or nothing. Its saying within 21 days n its still being process. I always get mines early. What do u guys think is going on..

  17. Hi I my dd today for the 2/10/14 and I got mine this morning so check your accounts I bank with Wells Fargo so it was on there tho morning

  18. Can someone help with this question please….I filed on 1/31/14 I tried using the “Where’s My Refund” but it keeps telling me I may have entered the wrong info…well I’m going off of my return.. I called the person who prepared my return he says I was accepted on 2/5/14 but log back on to the irs website but it still telling me I may have entered the wrong info to try again?? Any suggestions

  19. I wa able to order my transcripts yesterday on the IRS2GO app, but today it still says that I have a processing delay, with no DDD.

  20. We were accepted on 2/1 and our status has not moved since. Friends who were accepted after us have already got their ddd? C’mon man!

  21. I filed and sent mine on the 31st , yesterday on the WMR website it changed to ” Still Processing” … Anyone know what this means ?

  22. I filed on Jan.30 I was stuck in the refund accepted box on WMR. I came to the blog last night and came across someone saying to request my return transcript. I did that at 11:30 last night and i got a direct deposit date this morning for 2/12. Thanks for the tip!

  23. Hello All, I filed on 1/30. IRS received on 1/31. The status is now showing approved on 2/8. DD 2/12. Nothing showing at TPG or my bank as of today. Yesterday I was able to order receipts after 6pm central time.

  24. I file on 1/20 excepted on 27th. And I filed married and we r both in school and mine still says processing. I used turbo tax and I think this is part of the problem. Noone tha i know has been given a ddd yet that hav used turbo tax

  25. I filed my tax return on 2-3 accepted on the 2-3 approved on the 2-8 and DDD 2-12 I filed hoh 2 dependents…Good luck everyone I know we need our money…And I was able to order my transcript yesterday

  26. I’m reading everyone comments about Turbo Tax, acceptance message, estimated dates, transcripts, and direct deposits. I filed my taxes on the 5th of this month and it was accepted on the same day. I did direct deposit and I went to IRS. gov to make sure when will I receive my refund and it says refund processing. I decided to get my transcript, which its says that I have not filed. I have use Turbo Tax for last several years and I haven’t had a problem with this. I don’t know if I’m checking on it to early or what. I don’t file for HOH just single. I hear people don’t depend on your taxes and you still have a job and a paycheck and that is true. But the reason you get the refund to help out even more so I need mine to help out even more. I know patience is a virtue but right now my patience is thining. I just want know if I’m approved or rejected.

    • also when I check Turbo tax refund status, its says,” estimated refund is Feb.25″. The same day I was accepted. I bet the people that work for the IRS filed their taxes and received their refund on the same day.

      • You won’t get a dd on Saturday. Banks don’t process transactions on Saturdays. Bc your dd date is in the middle of the week and the day before is a regular banking day, it will most likely be the12th. The people with a date of the 10th got it on Friday bc Sunday is not regular banking day to process transactions.

      • Yes Biggmoney, there open 7 days a week during tax season. They just deposited my money and my dd was 2/10.

      • It depends if u used a net spend or something like that. Being it doesn’t held it goes straight to ur card because I gotten money on that card on a Sunday many time

        My dd is the 12 th also

      • depends I have a due date for2/10 but i still dont have mine and bank said that it will not be on my card until then. Although, if you live on the west coast i could be deposited a few hours before midnight monday.

  27. I filed hoh on the 27th. It was accepted on the 28th. And still only shows my return has been accepted thats it. I already got my state return. And that never has happened before. My state return always takes longer.

  28. Question, my 1bar went away and now says “Refund Status Results We have received your tax return and it is being processed”….is this Good news

  29. I was able to order return transcripts yesterday (2/7) at about noon. Now it’s 6am est and WMR still says processing and on the first bar where it’s been since 1/28 and still no DDD. Is anyone else having the same problem?

    • Yes I e filed 1/25 it was accepted 1/28 and I just checked. I have a dd of 2/12. Does anyone know if turbo tax delays it so that they can get their money first?

    • Also got DD date of 2/12.
      I filed on the 4th and accepted same day.
      Any chance we get refund over the weekend? Before the DD date since it says “by”?

      • i finally have a dd as well yay! by the 12th i fiked on tge 27th it was sent back to me due to error i did and it got accepted on the 29th then i just checked and i have a second bar now and a dd by the 12th i owed and didnt know it, but it wasnt much still happy with refund amt. i hope we get it early. i went through turbo and have netspend.

    • Hey Jason I was able to order mine on the phone since I am locked out the website due to many attempts I wasn’t able to order before through the phone it kept saying they had no record of me filing but I tried yesterday and was able to order transcript through the phone but I didn’t get a approval yet is ordering through the phone and online the same can u try and tell me yah or nah?

      • Yes as long as it was the 2013 transcript that you ordered then your taxes are processed you should expect a dd date very soon. I couldn’t order one Thursday but Friday I could. Then I received a dd date this morning

    • Thanks Jason yeah I was able to order mines yesterday but still no date today I am praying atleast for tommrow or sunday a date will be on mine ughh! But I was defintely able to order them on the phone Friday but Thursday i couldn’t so I hope the phone and online is the same?

  30. I finally received a DDD of 2/12 and I filed on 2/1 accepted 2/3 my bar has changed to refund approved I hope its in my account early at least by Monday

  31. I filed taxes with a cpa on the 31st and my bar isn’t moving from accepted and I still don’t have a DDD what can I do? I know several people that have already recieved there’s 🙁

  32. Where is my monies. I filed my taxes on 1/10/14, accepted on 1/17/14… Still no date, still says processing .. Turbo tax takes my monies from my return , they says 21 days.. No way, they take my monies, other people got their moneies already. Turbo tax is a fraud, they take my monies, no refund yet and they say wait… I want refund NOW… My babies need their food, and I need my freaking MONIes… Never again will I trust turbo tax I should have gone to H&r…

    • Mary first take a deep breath…

      1. Did you call the IRS to see what was happening with your return? Accepted, etc…

      2. Have you checked the IRS site to see where your refund is, usually if you are able to order a transcript it is in the process of bing refunded.

      3. Do you owe any monies to the government?
      That could cause a delay… Please be more specific so we can try to help you. I can imagine how badly you need this Money…

      • I just did this: called 800-829-1040 press 1 for English and then 2 for personal refund and then just keep hitting 0. I finally got a person. He asked me if it was for my personal taxes and then if it was for 2013. I said yes and he said he will transfer me to a person who can help. I am currently on hold and have been for 15 minutes. I will continue to hold. Hopefully I will get a person soon 🙂 My taxes were also ACCEPTED by the IRS on 1/26 and I had an anticipated ddd date of 2/21 I still have not received anything and the IRS site still says “processing”

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