Tax Refunds Where’s My Tax Refund? How to Check Your Refund Status Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by TurboTaxLisa Published Feb 12, 2024 - [Updated Mar 30, 2024] 4 min read 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. 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. Track your refund in TurboTax 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 Credit – Under 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 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. Track your refund in TurboTax Previous Post Can You Deduct 401K Savings From Your Taxes? Next Post What is a Tax Bracket? 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. 2,010 responses to “Where’s My Tax Refund? How to Check Your Refund Status” « Older Comments Newer Comments » I’ve been checking my refund status pretty religiously for past 4 1/2 months on the “Where’s My Refund” page. For the longest time, it just kept saying they had received my return and it was being processed. Now suddenly I go to check it this morning and it says: “We cannot provide any information about your refund. Be sure to: •verify your filing date; •check with your tax preparer or tax software provider; or •verify you received your electronically filed acknowledgement e-mail. If you filed a complete and accurate tax return, your refund should be issued within 21 days of the received date. However, processing may take longer under certain circumstances.” I know the info I put was correct because I’ve been putting the exact same stuff in over a hundred times. Is the system just down or is something else going on? Reply Hello Randall, Per the IRS; a phone representative can research the status of your refund if it’s been 21 days or more since you filed electronically or, more than 6 weeks since you mailed your paper return or if the Where’s My Refund? tool directs you to contact them. Here is more information on how to call the IRS for Refund Status: Individuals 800-829-1040 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time Have the following ready when you call: Individuals • Social Security numbers (SSN) and birth dates • Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for taxpayers without a Social Security number • Filing status – single, head of household, married filing joint, or married filing separate • Prior-year tax return • Tax return you’re calling about • Most recent correspondence sent to you (if any) Thank you Reply Ive been waiting for my taxes over 4 months now why is that can u email me an answer that Reply Hi Denise, TurboTax does not issue or track refunds. The IRS issues all refunds. If you have an IRS acknowledgement then they are processing the return. If the return has been accepted then check the status of the tax refund via IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool, https://www.irs.gov/refunds. Please note you will need the following information when checking on your refund status: Social security number or ITIN Your filing status Your exact refund amount However, per the IRS; a phone representative can research the status of your refund if it’s been 21 days or more since you filed electronically or, more than 6 weeks since you mailed your paper return or if the Where’s My Refund? tool directs you to contact them. Thank you Reply My status says ready to mail but I mailed it in the beginning of April… according to MA dept of revenue my refund doesn’t exist. What do I do? Reply Hi DeDe, TurboTax does not issue or track refunds. If the State return has been accepted, then go to the Massachusetts website using the link below. You can check the status either online or by phone. https://www.mass.gov/how-to/check-the-status-of-your-tax-refund If you are still unable to track the status of your MA state refund, then contact someone at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue directly, and see if they are able to access your information. Here is the link for more information: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-revenue Thank you Reply Filed my taxes through my CPA around February 10th. Got a letter in either late March or early April requesting me to verify my identity to make sure it was actually me doing the return. Got another letter in May saying they were still processing it. Here we are in June, nearly 120 days since I filed and still getting the same message on the refund status. I think all of us who are being made to wait this long should have some sort of interest added on to our refund or some kind of credit added for next year’s return. Reply Its been 5 months still nothing, I never waited this long with little to no info it still says its processing first I had to wait 9 weeks to verify identity then 60 days for review now they say they’re sending out a letter its going to take 30days. Really? It take 30days to send a letter Reply I filed my return with Turbo Tax on/about 28 March and received Fed, but I have not yet received State of AL. what do I have to do in order to receive state of AL? Reply Hi Buddie, For refund-related questions, contact the Alabama Department of Revenue. Statement from Alabama Department of Revenue: For the most up-to-date information concerning the status of your current year refund, call 1-855-894-7391 or check the website at https://revenue.alabama.gov, then click on “Where’s my refund?”. Return processing times vary depending on many factors, including complexity of the return and identity verification processes. Please allow 8-12 weeks to receive your refund. Thank you Reply Mine still say no information and it’s been approximately 13 weeks. Reply Mine return said accepted then got a letter to come in to prove my identity. Been 6 weeks still says no info available Reply Hi Debbie, If you received a verification request from the IRS please follow the instructions on the letter to expedite the processing of your refund. The IRS offers only two ways to verify your identity: Online at the IRS Identity Verification Service website By phone at the toll-free number listed on your 5071C Letter Only those who receive a 5071C Letter should use the verification system. The letters are sent to you via U.S. mail. They are never emailed, and the IRS does not initiate verification requests by phone. Here is more information on the subject. https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/security/tips-for-handling-identity-verification-requests-from-the-irs/L55RhaS2B Thank you Reply Yes I went to the local office on april19th with requested info. Still have heard nothing yet I filed my taxes and mailed it in sometime around march and havent gotten a rsponse back yet and every time i correct it. It still says incorrect birth date Reply Hi James, Please first, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/ If the IRS accepted it, then you can check refund status with the IRS. TurboTax does not issue the refund. https://www.irs.gov/refunds Please note you will need the following information when checking on your refund status: Social security number or ITIN Your filing status Your exact refund amount Thank you. Reply It’s been three months for me. Nobody is willing to give direct feed back on the problem. I’ve callled no refund. Be surprised if we even receive one at this point. Reply I e-filed my return through turbo tax on 22 Feb and it’s 10 May and I still haven’t received anything for direct deposit Reply Hi Gregory, Please first, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/ If the IRS accepted it, then you can check refund status with the IRS. TurboTax does not issue the refund. https://www.irs.gov/refunds Please note you will need the following information when checking on your refund status: Social security number or ITIN Your filing status Your exact refund amount Thank you. Reply Hi, its been two months since my status is aproved. I expected my money back las month bjt nothing happens. I need to know whats happening. Am i being scammed? Reply Hello Yaku, The IRS issues all tax refunds. TurboTax does not issue the actual refund. If you have an IRS acknowledgement then they are processing the return. You may also check the status of the tax refund via IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool, https://www.irs.gov/refunds. Please note you will need the following information when checking on your refund status: Social security number or ITIN Your filing status Your exact refund amount Thank you Reply « Older Comments Newer Comments » Leave a ReplyCancel reply Browse Related Articles Tax Refunds What To Expect When You’re Expecting…a Tax Refund Tax Refunds Where’s My Tax Refund?: IRS Has $153 Million in Undeliverable Tax Refunds Tax Refunds Where’s My Tax Refund? Tax News IRS Updates “Where’s My Refund?” Tax Tips Find Out When Your Tax Refund Will Be Sent Tax News IRS Opens E-file on January 23: Get A Jump on Your Tax Refund Announcements Where’s my refund? Tax Refunds 4 Steps from E-file to your Tax Refund! Tax Refunds TurboTax AnswerXchange Question of the Month: When Will I Get My IRS Tax Refund? Tax News Facts About the PATH Act and Tax Refunds
I’ve been checking my refund status pretty religiously for past 4 1/2 months on the “Where’s My Refund” page. For the longest time, it just kept saying they had received my return and it was being processed. Now suddenly I go to check it this morning and it says: “We cannot provide any information about your refund. Be sure to: •verify your filing date; •check with your tax preparer or tax software provider; or •verify you received your electronically filed acknowledgement e-mail. If you filed a complete and accurate tax return, your refund should be issued within 21 days of the received date. However, processing may take longer under certain circumstances.” I know the info I put was correct because I’ve been putting the exact same stuff in over a hundred times. Is the system just down or is something else going on? Reply
Hello Randall, Per the IRS; a phone representative can research the status of your refund if it’s been 21 days or more since you filed electronically or, more than 6 weeks since you mailed your paper return or if the Where’s My Refund? tool directs you to contact them. Here is more information on how to call the IRS for Refund Status: Individuals 800-829-1040 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time Have the following ready when you call: Individuals • Social Security numbers (SSN) and birth dates • Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for taxpayers without a Social Security number • Filing status – single, head of household, married filing joint, or married filing separate • Prior-year tax return • Tax return you’re calling about • Most recent correspondence sent to you (if any) Thank you Reply
Hi Denise, TurboTax does not issue or track refunds. The IRS issues all refunds. If you have an IRS acknowledgement then they are processing the return. If the return has been accepted then check the status of the tax refund via IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool, https://www.irs.gov/refunds. Please note you will need the following information when checking on your refund status: Social security number or ITIN Your filing status Your exact refund amount However, per the IRS; a phone representative can research the status of your refund if it’s been 21 days or more since you filed electronically or, more than 6 weeks since you mailed your paper return or if the Where’s My Refund? tool directs you to contact them. Thank you Reply
My status says ready to mail but I mailed it in the beginning of April… according to MA dept of revenue my refund doesn’t exist. What do I do? Reply
Hi DeDe, TurboTax does not issue or track refunds. If the State return has been accepted, then go to the Massachusetts website using the link below. You can check the status either online or by phone. https://www.mass.gov/how-to/check-the-status-of-your-tax-refund If you are still unable to track the status of your MA state refund, then contact someone at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue directly, and see if they are able to access your information. Here is the link for more information: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-revenue Thank you Reply
Filed my taxes through my CPA around February 10th. Got a letter in either late March or early April requesting me to verify my identity to make sure it was actually me doing the return. Got another letter in May saying they were still processing it. Here we are in June, nearly 120 days since I filed and still getting the same message on the refund status. I think all of us who are being made to wait this long should have some sort of interest added on to our refund or some kind of credit added for next year’s return. Reply
Its been 5 months still nothing, I never waited this long with little to no info it still says its processing first I had to wait 9 weeks to verify identity then 60 days for review now they say they’re sending out a letter its going to take 30days. Really? It take 30days to send a letter Reply
I filed my return with Turbo Tax on/about 28 March and received Fed, but I have not yet received State of AL. what do I have to do in order to receive state of AL? Reply
Hi Buddie, For refund-related questions, contact the Alabama Department of Revenue. Statement from Alabama Department of Revenue: For the most up-to-date information concerning the status of your current year refund, call 1-855-894-7391 or check the website at https://revenue.alabama.gov, then click on “Where’s my refund?”. Return processing times vary depending on many factors, including complexity of the return and identity verification processes. Please allow 8-12 weeks to receive your refund. Thank you Reply
Mine return said accepted then got a letter to come in to prove my identity. Been 6 weeks still says no info available Reply
Hi Debbie, If you received a verification request from the IRS please follow the instructions on the letter to expedite the processing of your refund. The IRS offers only two ways to verify your identity: Online at the IRS Identity Verification Service website By phone at the toll-free number listed on your 5071C Letter Only those who receive a 5071C Letter should use the verification system. The letters are sent to you via U.S. mail. They are never emailed, and the IRS does not initiate verification requests by phone. Here is more information on the subject. https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/security/tips-for-handling-identity-verification-requests-from-the-irs/L55RhaS2B Thank you Reply
I filed my taxes and mailed it in sometime around march and havent gotten a rsponse back yet and every time i correct it. It still says incorrect birth date Reply
Hi James, Please first, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/ If the IRS accepted it, then you can check refund status with the IRS. TurboTax does not issue the refund. https://www.irs.gov/refunds Please note you will need the following information when checking on your refund status: Social security number or ITIN Your filing status Your exact refund amount Thank you. Reply
It’s been three months for me. Nobody is willing to give direct feed back on the problem. I’ve callled no refund. Be surprised if we even receive one at this point. Reply
I e-filed my return through turbo tax on 22 Feb and it’s 10 May and I still haven’t received anything for direct deposit Reply
Hi Gregory, Please first, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/ If the IRS accepted it, then you can check refund status with the IRS. TurboTax does not issue the refund. https://www.irs.gov/refunds Please note you will need the following information when checking on your refund status: Social security number or ITIN Your filing status Your exact refund amount Thank you. Reply
Hi, its been two months since my status is aproved. I expected my money back las month bjt nothing happens. I need to know whats happening. Am i being scammed? Reply
Hello Yaku, The IRS issues all tax refunds. TurboTax does not issue the actual refund. If you have an IRS acknowledgement then they are processing the return. You may also check the status of the tax refund via IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool, https://www.irs.gov/refunds. Please note you will need the following information when checking on your refund status: Social security number or ITIN Your filing status Your exact refund amount Thank you Reply