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Where’s My Tax Refund How to Check Your Refund Status (1440 × 600 px)
Where’s My Tax Refund How to Check Your Refund Status (411 x 600)

Where’s My Tax Refund? How to Check Your Refund Status

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The average direct deposit tax refund was close to $3,100 last tax season, and with tax season well underway, it’s no surprise that the most common tax season-related question we’re now hearing is: “Where’s my refund?”

The time it takes the IRS to process your tax refund is based on how you chose to file your tax return – either e-file or by mail.

  • E-filed tax returns with direct deposit: E-file with direct deposit is the fastest way to get your federal tax refund. Typically, the IRS expects to issue most tax refunds within 21 days after acceptance if there are no issues.
  • Mailed paper returns: Avoiding a paper return is more important than ever to avoid refund delays, if possible. The IRS cautions if you need your refund quickly do not file on paper. Usually, the IRS says to allow 4 weeks before checking the status of your refund, and that refund processing can take 6 to 8 weeks from the date the IRS receives your return.    
Close-up of a man taking a picture of a paper check to upload to the bank.

Tax Refund Processing

  • Start checking status 24 – 48 hours after e-file: Once you have e-filed your tax return, you can check your status using the IRS Where’s My Refund? tool. You will need your Social security number or ITIN, your filing status, and your exact refund amount. 
  • 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 need the following information when checking refund status: Social security number or ITIN, your filing status, and your exact federal tax refund amount shown on the tax return. You will not see a tax refund date until the IRS finishes processing your tax return and approves your tax refund.
  • 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.” The change in status can take a few days, and a tax refund date will not be provided in Where’s My Refund? until your tax return is processed and your tax refund is approved.
  • Where’s My Refund? tool shows refund date: The IRS will provide a personalized refund date once your status moves to “Refund Approved.” 
  • Where’s My Refund? shows “Refund Sent”: 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 opted to receive your tax refund via mail, it could take several weeks for your check to arrive.

 You could experience delays in receiving your tax refund if your return:

  • Includes errors – The IRS has indicated that your refund could be delayed if the information you provided on your tax return does not match the IRS records. 
  • Is incomplete – If you didn’t have all of your documents and filed an inaccurate return
  • Needs further review in general
  • Is affected by identity theft or fraud
  • Includes Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax CreditUnder the Path Act, the IRS cannot issue a refund that includes the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit before mid-February.
  • Includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation PDF, which could take up to 14 weeks to process
Close-up of a woman checking her bank account.

Tax Refund Status FAQ

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

The IRS Where’s My Refund? tool will not give you a date until your tax return is received, and 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 include incomplete information, an error, or the IRS may need to review it further.

I requested my money be automatically deposited into my bank account, but I was mailed a check. What happened?

The IRS is limiting the number of direct deposits that go into a single bank account or prepaid debit card to three tax refunds per year. Your limit may have been exceeded. In addition, for a small number of returns, the IRS decides there may be indications that the bank account on the return is suspicious and they may decide to issue a check instead.

2,010 responses to “Where’s My Tax Refund? How to Check Your Refund Status”

  1. Mine had one bar then I checked again on Saturday now it’s say it’s still being processed and will give a refund date when available what does this mean?

  2. I have a date of my tax return being mailed by Feb 6 but i chose direct deposit. Does anyone know if it will be mailed on the 6 or supposed to be in on the 6?

  3. Filed on 01/20/15 and still says processing… called IRS said that refund can not be DD b.c it is over a certain amount so a check would be mailed once refund is approved. I am wondering if anyone else has had this problem? And does the IRS notify you by mail In this case or would it still show on WMR?

  4. I filed my return on 1/20 and it says the IRS accepted it but when I look it up on where’s my refund and it still shows it’s processing and nothing new. I’ve checked my bank account and still nothing. It’s frustrating.

  5. Filed on January 24,2015 got accepted by the IRS on the same day today is February 3,2015 and it is still in processing mode. I have been with turbo tax for 5 years and have NEVER had to wait this long to get my refund back especially to get an approval status. I know there was a lot of IRS cut backs this year so that’s probaubly the reason for the delays, but come on someone from the IRS, or Turbo Tax which is what I used to E-file, should come out and give us some kind of insight of what is going on. Obviously there is something wrong it NEVER takes this long to get an approved status when u E-file your taxes.

  6. I was disappointed that TurboTax failed to update my direct deposit information so now I have to wait for a paper check which can take weeks. This will make me rethink using it next year out of fear that the same thing will happen again 🙁

    • Hi Summer,
      For your safety and security, we can not go in and update your information that you input and once you hit e-file your information is already sent electronically to the IRS. Hopefully your check will arrive soon.
      Thank you,
      Lisa Greene-Lewis

      • So explain why my refund say still processing no bars but other people said the same thing and they getting there feb 5 pr 6

  7. I e-filed our taxes on Jan. 20, and the status still says processing. I already got a date for the approved state refund which always takes a couple of weeks longer than the federal.

  8. Jackson Hewitt did my return on January 20
    Accepted on the 20th and I can’t get refund
    Info call IRS line it says they are processing
    No refund date available. Money will go
    On jhewitt card. Anyone else file on this
    Date with Hewitt if so post please?

    • I filed with Jackson Hewitt on January 14th. My refund was received on January 15th. My return has been processing since then. No approval, no odds, no tracker even on the Wheres My Refund tool.

    • My sister and her husband filed through Jackson Hewitt this was on 1/20/15, as of today 2/3/15, it still says processing. I also filed through tax act the same day 1/20/15, and still says processing. The IRS is definitely in a back lash this year, and unfortunately they do not go in order of the returns received first. Still, though it doesn’t make any of us less nervous, or anxious. I’ve been checking the website, the mobile app, and the toll number daily, even sometimes twice a day, and still the same. It sucks. I wake up almost excited to see an accepted bar, but soon become bummed out when it still says processing.

  9. I filed mine on the 29th and it told.me I should be getting mine Jan 30- Feb 19 when will I.get it? I.hate to kept checking everyday

  10. I filed the 20th still in first bar do you think something is wrong lots of other people who did there’s after have received there money is something wrong?

  11. Did mine on 1/20, accepted next day and still says being processed. Starting to worry me because I know quite a few people who used turbo tax and was accepted after me, but either got the federal return or had a dd date.

  12. E-Filed on the 29th of January accepted on the 29th of January (Both Federal & State) stills shows on both sites that they are processing!

    The process goes: E-File, then accepted, then approved then you get a direct deposit date! I have seen a few cycle charts but they are guesses as the irs no longer posts them! But the guesses range from February 6 or February 13 as a direct deposit date for mine!

    Will post when mine is approved & deposited! 🙂

    • hey I got mine and it said successful and I should be receving my refund.on the Jan 30- Feb 19 when will I.get it I did Direct deposit

    • Yes please post! I also efile and was accepted on the 29th! nothing so far in WMR or transcripts. Hopefully soon we will see the DD!

  13. any one eles try useing wheres my refund,and are being told you have to wait 24 hours after getting accepted? i filed like 5 days ago accepted same day 1/29 and are still being told to wait 24 hours but its been days. im confused the charts are saying if your accepted by 1/30 you will get yours 2/4 and its already 2/2 dosint seem right

    • Your status has to be Approved not Accepted and then the calendar will work. I also filed on the 29th and am still awaiting my “approved” status update and if we get approved on or before Feb 6th we will get our monies by Feb. 12th

      • I did mine with turbo tax was approved 1/29 and wmr shows accepted but bar hasn’t moved. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the bar moves soon. Feel like last year it was only 3 days for bar to move. This year is slow. Probably all them cutbacks at the irs

    • Mine says refund sent since Friday the 30th and there’s nothing in my bank…what’s going on? This has never happened before

      • Lambs they messed up and sent you a paper check. Or it could just be ur bank takes a couple days to post it to ur account

  14. I completed my taxes and efiled on 2/1/2015 at 1:00pm I received a text message roughly 30 minutes later that the IRS has accepted my return and my 2014 taxes are complete. Refunds are issued within 21 days.

  15. I did mines on 1/24/15 and this saturday night it said sent….whenn will i get my check? If i payed turbo tax efile to do them for me?

    • If direct deposit your bank should see it in pending if not posted status already, if you opted for a paper check in the mail it can take up to 3 weeks to arrive!

  16. I filed mind on 1/23 it got accepted in 1/26 and had been in processing mode ever since and tidy is 2/2 …7 days later. The phone system also days the same information…that it is being processed but no date of dd yet. I’m getting nervous

  17. I edited mines on Jan 30th. Still says being processed, on top of that when I go to IRS.gov website it says my info can’t be found, ill m lost.

  18. I filed on the 21st. Its feburary 1st and it still says being processed. Wheres my refund isnt showing me the tracker. Any one else having this problem

    • Yes. I am. Except I filed on the 23rd. but I dont have a tracker either and although it was accepted the same day, it seems to not have made any progress since then. let me know if you get urs lol

    • I also have this problem. I filed on the 24th and it just says still processing with no tracker as well. Makes me nervous.

    • I also have the same information. Filed and accepted on the 24th. It says processing but I have no tracker. Makes me nervous. My neighbor did his the same day and got his refund yesterday. Im so confused.

      • I’m having the same issue. Filed on the 26th and was accepted the same day. No bars on tracker, just says processing. I would really like to know what’s going on 🙁

    • Any update? I’m having the same problem right now. My return was sent and accepted on the Feb 6th. There’s no more tracking tool only states that a date will be provided when my refund is processed. I never had this problem in the past.

  19. I filed mine on Jan 24th and it still says processing. I thought it was supposed to be approved within 72 hours if there weren’t any problems. Now I’m worried. I can’t find out anything. :/

    • You Amy want to double check the program you used. There maybe something you have to fix. If your using turbo tax or tax act, its usually accepted within 6 hours. I filed mine on Friday, Jan 30. The first time o sent it through, I received a notice within 5 minutes saying it was rejected. They needed my IP pin. To be safe, sign in and double check. Or check your help email they’ll also send you an email stating it was rejected. Hope that helps you

  20. Is anyone getting where’s my refund not available after you hit submit? I hope it’s just the site is down because I got accepted on the 23rd and approved yesterday with a dd date of the 4 th

  21. I got accepted on the 23rd and approved yesterday. But I’m worried because now when I type in my info on where’s my refund it says currently unavailable? Is this happening to anyone else?

  22. My refund was accepted on jan.23rd and approved on jan.31st. Yesterday. But I checked the where’s my refund again late last night and it says it’s currently unavailable. I am freaking out… It had a dd date of February 4th. Am I still going to get it then? Is the where’s my refund. Like down right now or something?

  23. I heard that if claimed education credits it a bit of delay but the only reason I found out is because I called the IRS and asked if there was any delays on forms

  24. I got received by IRS on jam 24th still not approved while others I know filed same day and received theirs today does anyone know if deposits are only made once a week

    • Yes deposits are made every Thursday-Friday. If you search in Google. Expected 2015 federal refund payments you’ll find a chart on direct deposit and paper check dates

      • I called today, and spoke to someone. I explained my situation, that I filed on 1/20/15, and my bar still says processing. He told me not to worry, but if my status doesn’t change, or if I don’t receive my refund by the 10th of this month, I should call back, and they can access my account. I then went on to ask if they have been having issues with this, and people calling in with similar problems.. He said no, sooo

  25. I filed around 1/20/2015. Its saying processing.. I have a friend that used turbo tax also she filed after I did and already getting her 1/30/2015… 🙁 🙁 🙁

  26. I received my federal refund today!!!! I filed last Wednesday night. Quick refund!! No bs. I have used turbo tax since 2008 and last year it took 8 days as well.

    • I did mine 1/23 no transcript available and received but not approves I did a friend of mines 2 hours before I did mine and she’s been approved for ddd on 1/30 ???

    • I did mine on the same day and have the same “Return Received” status. How long before the refund is sent to they change it to “Refund Approved”?

    • No but I did mine since 1/26(it was accepted) and had been sitting in processing mode ever since. Waiting to be accepted by them. It’s 7 days later. But my co-worker used turbo tax to and she got a dd date 3 days after herd was accepted

  27. I did mine on 1/21/2015 and it says still being processed also. They said they did not start this year until 1/20/2015 and that was beginning with the taxes that came in first and had been stockpiled. Don’t know if this is the way they are really doing it then it is understandable, but they should let us all know. Keep us posted when you get approved as it always helps the rest of us and I will do the same.

  28. I filed on the 8th and was accepted on the 12th. i still have not received a DD it says processing on the WMR website. One girl, said hers says processing but her bank told her its there pending deposit for the 30th

    • I also filed on the 8th and got a text from turbo tax saying it was accepted on the 12th. I still have not received it and I am also getting the “processing” message on the WMR website. I know that’s no help, just letting you know you are not alone.

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