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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. I filed on 1/23/ and it was excepted the same day! Then two days later started saying still processing. It’s been like this for a month now. I finally got a hold of a live person and she told me there was nothing wrong.That it is simply proccessing! She didn’t give me a date or anything, just told me to continue checking!it was a relief to know there is nothing wrong, I really hope it comes soon!!! …(To talk to a person press two and keep pressing the number that says you need more questions! Call exactly at 7 !!!!! )

  2. Hi I filed my taxes and it got. Accepted it says the its approved and sent my mo ry to my bank account on the 24 but It didn’t come I notice I made a mistake and put the wrong account number I put the last digit wrong . How do I fix it or what would the irs do now will they send a paper check out

    • Corey same thing happened to my father all you have to do is call the santa barbarba tax group…(the website you use to check if the bank recieved your refund) and you tell them whats wrong and they are going to tell you how to fix it and you will get your money in 1-2 business days. Promise this will work good day.

  3. I filed on 2/4. Was accepted same day. It has now been 21 days and not past the accepted bar on the where’s my refund app. I have attempted to call with no prevail. Cannot get ahold of a live rep. Finally got one who was an operator and she sent me back to the automated. It says call if it has been 21 days or more. But how do I speak to somene?!”

  4. Hi i filled on feb 16 and my friend filed on feb 20 i DD and she recieved paper check. We filed at tge same place and she already recieved hers why does my statues still say recieved?

  5. I filed Feb 8 and still nothing. . Where is my money?
    For real I should have chosen a different tax company. People saying u guys are good but I rate u at a 1.

  6. Hi lisa i had a question i check the website they sent my tax check on friday 2/20/15 how long will it take to get in my mail is already 2/25/15 or should i call the irs to report it.

  7. My status was updated “sent refund” on Feb 20th to direct deposit in my bank account but here its is its Feb 26th and its still not in my account can anyone help me? im worried

  8. my fiance refund has been approved and ddd of 2/25 and the money was not in the bank account it is his bank account alone.he does owe back child support but on wmr it says it was reduced for that so where is the money please help.

  9. I filed my taxes on 2/05/2015 and both my federal and state got accepted on 2/06/2015! I received my state first on 2/23/2015 and according to “check my refund” on IRS.gov, my federal was sent on 2/23/2015! I’m getting a paper check! I’ve looked up how long it’ll take for my federal come in since it was finally send out And everyone has different answers! So my question is when will I receive my federal? I am so stressed out because I need it! Please help me and help me get relaxed! Thank you

    • Stacy,

      I filed on 1/20 and my refund was mailed on 2/23, I still have not received it. Although I have not checked the mailbox today it has ran yet

  10. I e-filed on February 2, 2015 and was accepted by the IRS the same day and still have not received my refund via direct deposit. So I just now called the IRS and actually got a hold of a live person, she said I have to wait 21 business days, not actual days. So that puts me at 17 days today. Can’t they post that somewhere? Silly.

    • I’m in the same exact situation with 2/23/15 that a paper check was sent. It should be here this week. My dad worked at the post office for 30 years and he said today or tomorrow.

    • I filed the same day as yu and im still waiting too. They should have made it known that its business days and not calender days smh. I’m hoping it comes soon

    • Michelle,

      I believe you are being fed something that perhaps doesn’t appear as it should. Read my entries below. There are problems that no one is addressing. Hopefully the information in my posts will shed some light.

  11. I did my taxes on Feb. 9 2015 since then I have received nothing I have been trying to contact IRS I can’t talk to a human being what else can I do to check on why I have not received my returns thanks

  12. Hello. I filed my tax return on February 3, 2015. I finally saw the status of my refund approved this past Friday. It continues on saying that I will receive my check via mail. I am wondering why I would receive my federal income tax return via mail instead of it being sent to my bank account. I never got a message stating my information was incorrect, from either the IRS nor Turbo Tax, so I am a bit confused as to why this would happen. I´ve never had this issue in the past. Also, when I log into Turbo Tax, it only shows the date the IRS received my information, but does not state that it was approved. Why am I getting my return via mail and why does Turbo Tax not have accurate information? Thank you.

    • Hi Mel,
      There are a few reasons the IRS will send you a check instead of direct deposit.
      1) If the account indicated on your return is closed or not a good account number
      2) New this year the IRS will deposit no more than 3 times to the same account number, after that they will send a check.
      3) They will not deposit to an account that is not in your name.

      TurboTax does not approve and deposit your tax refund so we don’t know if there is an issue with the account you requested your funds to be deposited.
      Thank you,
      Lisa Greene-Lewis

      • Actually…TurboTax returns are being reviewed by the IRS because of fraud concerns and transmittal problems by TurboTax. It has nothing to do with the IRS

      • Hi Chris,
        This is false information.
        The IRS works hard to issue refunds as quickly as possible, but some tax returns take longer to process than others for many reasons, including when a return:
        – includes errors,
        – is incomplete,
        – needs further review,
        – is impacted by identity theft or fraud,
        – includes Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation,
        which could take up to 14 weeks to process. In addition there are new forms being reviewed related to health care this year. These issues can affect taxpayers no matter how they prepare their returns.
        Thank you,
        Lisa Greene-Lewis

      • #3not true mine deposited to my fiancé account but his is almost 30days after accepted and webs9s website it hasn’t changed 🙁

  13. Has anyone yet received there refund after using turbo tax? seems like no has and it makes me wonder whether I should use turbo tax this year or not?

    • Hi Karla,
      There are many TurboTax customers who wrote on this post that say they have received their tax refunds or they have a direct deposit date. The IRS still states that they will issue 9 out of 10 tax refunds within 21 days after receipt, but there may be some cases where the IRS has to review returns more closely.
      Thank you,
      Lisa Greene-Lewis

      • There are TurboTax filerd from January still waiting for refunds. I’m sure these people who used your service deserve a little more honesty and transparency than your pat answers

    • I received my fed refund on 2/25 via direct deposit and i used turbotax. I filed head of household with student loans, child credit, earned income tax credit ( not sure if these make a difference). I filed on 2/5 accepted 2/6 got DDD of 2/25. Hope this helps!

      • I had to amend my return because I messed up due to first time filing by myself. When can I expect my return? I did my amended return on Feb 28 2015

  14. Hi what should I do about my tax refund I didn’t know that my bank account was close and The irs try to deposit the money but like I my account was canceled what should I do now please help

      • How long does it usually take if they send a paper check? My husband and I were to get our money direct deposited only to find out that our bank account was closed!!!!

  15. I did my taxes on 1/20/15 by mail. And I received my tax refund on 2/4/2015. I had it direct deposit. Everything I did them efile they would take up to 4 weeks to get them. That’s why I decided to mail them and it was faster.

    • How did you get yours back so fast I sent mine on the 9th and it was just received today..how much longer will I have to wait if I requested direct deposit?

  16. My taxes were done on Feb 4 by turbo and accepted on the same day turbo gave me a date of the 26 Feb that I should receive my refund but when checking the site where’s my refund it’s still saying processing so what does this mean

    • Hi Madison,
      There are a few reasons that your refund may be smaller.
      1) If there was a Treasury offset due to outstanding amounts owed for
      -Past-due child and parent support;
      -Federal agency non-tax debts;
      -State income tax obligations; or
      -Certain unemployment compensation debts owed to a state. (Generally, these are debts for (1) compensation paid due to fraud, or (2) contributions owing to a state fund that were not paid due to fraud).
      2) Previous federal tax debt
      3) Tax deductions or credits were not approved
      The IRS will send a notice to you regarding the adjustment.
      Thank you,
      Lisa Greene-Lewis

      • Lisa,

        I notice you are avoiding the topic of….e-filed using turbo tax / approved / then out of no where…, “your tax return is still being processed, a date will be provided when available…” Most of the people in this category filed a 1040ez with one income yet we (including myself) are literally in the dark on this. The IRS phones are shut down because they are receiving too many calls about this issue. When the phones were working I was transferred to a recording that said, “We are receiving an EXTREMELY high call volume about your specific type of tax issue and cannot take your call at this time.” Something is up and I find it hard to believe that we are all got our bank account info wrong on our returns. I have never had a return take this long and quite frankly the only reason I used Turbo Tax this year was because of a referral and it was free. Which now, in looking back, isn’t worth it. My fed and state (already received state back not federal which is crazy and backwards) were both accepted on Jan 30th. The only variable here is the elephant in the room of which you are dancing around. Can you please address that without repeating, “some of our clients already got their returns (or if you do please provide a percentage). We need a real answer here. After all we all count on our returns as income as lets face it – it’s our money! Hence the word tax “return.”

      • Hi Archie and others concerned about your refund,
        The IRS works hard to issue refunds as quickly as possible, but some tax returns take longer to process than others for many reasons, including when a return
        – includes errors,
        – is incomplete,
        – needs further review,
        – is impacted by identity theft or fraud,
        – includes Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation
        which could take up to 14 weeks to process.
        These issues can affect taxpayers no matter how they prepare their returns.
        Thank you,
        Lisa Greene-Lewis

      • Yep, Lisa is the expert and she is absolutely correct. My issue is an off set due to bankruptcy I filed in June of last year. Thanks Lisa!

  17. What is going on turbo tax. Y’all playing with people money. Then y’all dont give out information about what’s going on and how people comitting fraud and yall not giving up ay udates of whats going on.

  18. I filed my taxes January 31st it shows that it is still in processing I haven’t received a notice that anything is wrong and I cant get through on the telephone number to talk to anyone

  19. Hi Lisa,

    I filed a short form, via Turbo Tax, on Feb 4th, today is Feb.25th. My refunded is to be directly deposited into my prepaid card card (which is where my payroll is also directly deposited — so there be no problem. I selected to receive text messages when my refund status changes.

    The most confusion I have is that my text messages say one thing and on the IRS refund status section, it says something else! Which is more accurate?

    The same day I filed online, I received both a text message & checked my online status, both said “tax refund accepted”. About a week later, I received a text message stating “Your refund has been approved. Two weeks later it was still the same online, it never changed to “approved” even though I received the text stating that it was approved!

    Now it is over 3 weeks since I filed online and I haven’t received any more texts and online it now states, “Your tax return is still being processed. A refund date will be provided when available.”

    A penny for your thoughts?????
    0.12122

    • PS – I know of 2 people who filed in January and received their refund, via direct deposit, a week later! I’m 3 weeks in now.

      Sorry for typos in my message, I was rushing.

    • I have the same message the tool bar went away. I filed on 2/3 accepted on 2/3 lTe night. But I went to the IRS, thus all gas to do with affordable care act, and they are actually reviewin the returns now instead of just accepting the $ that stated on the return. Thus us according to the tax advocate I spoke with at the IRS. She said they used to just accept the amount and process the return without doing much. That has changed especially because of the affordable care act, because of penalties etc.. so I haven’t gotten mine either. She told me to give it another couple weeks. I’m trying to be patient. I encourage you to do the same. Hope that helped!!!

  20. So, I filled my taxes on Feb 5, they were accepted Feb 5, and now it is 1 day before 21 days and I cant get anyone at the IRS to talk to me. One guy even told me that it is not there job to keep track of my refund. Why can I not get answers on MY refund? What happens when my kids and I get kicked out of our house because I cant pay rent. Or loose all of our utilities and I cant tell you how long it has been since I have actually eaten, but thank god the IRS is being so useful. Between Medicaid coming in and take everything from my dads estate after I had to sink all our savings into his house to sell it and now my ray of sunshine has just been put out! Thanks Turbotax and the IRS!

  21. Hello, I was told that my refund will be given me today and I still haven’t received it. Also its been pass 24-48 hours that the IRS received my my turn how come i can’t never get the information from where’s my refund. Every time I checked the website it always telling me to wait til 24-48 hours its now been 10 days and still didn’t get any information.

  22. My income tax said would be sent on 2/25 still have not recieved still saying its accepted just not sent? what time does this usally happen?

  23. I requested my money be automatically deposited into my bank account but my refund status says my refund will be mailed by 27 Feb. will it be automatically be deposited or will it be maile

  24. The account number filed has 4 additional digits than my 12 digit account number even though I am using the same information from last year. How should I correct this?

  25. Hi i e filed with turbo tax and both federal and state got approve I’m waiting for my refund amount to be approved if your state and federal was approved does that mean i will get my refund it still in the we are processing your refund status Is there a live opeoperator i can talk to about this

  26. I was told by TurboTax that I need to mail in one of my state returns so I printed out what TurboTax provided me and am mailing it in. Whats the next step and how do I track the status of my return when it was mailed in? Will it still show up on my TurboTax account?

  27. I filed my taxes on jan 30 and they were accepted. A week ago I received my state but it had been almost a month and I am still waiting for my federal. I have not received anything from the irs but just wondering what is taking so long.

  28. I was supposed to get my tax return refund on feb 4 ,2015 direct deposit . Still not deposited into my account as of today 02/25/15 . Irs phone you can never get threw to anyone. What is going on ?

  29. Today marks 21 days since I have filed for my tax and persons who file after have received theirs before me. What’s the hold up on my refund

  30. State said our state tax return was deposited into mouraccount. And it still hasn’t showed up in our account. How do I find our money??

  31. I mail my tax return jan 28, I check Irs keep said have not receive yet not show bar yet . Should I worry for they not receive my tax return in mail?

  32. I filed my taxes 25 days ago I get online to the IRS.gov && only see this when I check my tax status ******Your tax return is still being processed.

    A refund date will be provided when available”**** nothing else no date nothing!! & the phone lines are always so full!!!

    • I filed mine on the 30th of Jan. I got the text messages that stated my taxes were accepted the next day. Then one week later my bars disappear and now shows exactly what you posted above ever since… still waiting….

  33. I did my taxes with turbo tax on Feb 14 and everything said it was good to go but it is Feb 25 and now the status bar at irs.gov is not even showing and it says.my stuff is still being processed. ..why is it still being processed after over a week, my friends said they got there return back in a week and mine is still being processed. ..what should.i do, should I get a hold of a tax advocate?

  34. I did my taxes with turbo tax on Feb 14 and everything said it was good to go but it is Feb 25 and now the status bar at irs.gov is not even showing and it says.my stuff is still being processed. ..why is it still being processed after over a week, my friends said they got there return back in a week and mine is still being processed. ..what should.i do

  35. Hello my name is Antoniette Rouse and I been waiting since the last week of January to get my taxs why is it taking so long and it was supposed to be on my debit card weeks ago im pass the 21 days.

  36. hi my refund says it was sent to my bank but my bank never Received it. Every number i tried with the irs will not let me speak to a live person. Turbo tax still has my refund as accepted even though the wheres my refund tool has it as sent To my bank. What do I do?

    • Hi Darwin,
      Keep checking with your bank. It can take up to 5 days for your bank to post the deposit.
      Thank you,
      Lisa Greene-Lewis

  37. I submitted my taxes on 2/15 its still been in “processing ” but it says 81% have already received theirs. when should i be expecting mine to be switched from processing to approved?

  38. Hello, I was given the return expectancy date from turbo tax from Feb 5th- Feb 25th. I have not received my return as of yet. I also received a msg stating that my return was approved by the irs but when logging on to IRS.gov to the “where’s my return” it says it’s still processing. Can you please help?

  39. I am stressing out soooo badddd!! I did my taxes on Feb. 7 and I’ve been checking my refund status since last week and this is what it comes up:
    “Refund Status
    You may not have entered your information correctly. Please verify your personal tax data and try again.” I did type the information correctly.. And I e-filed.. I don’t understand whats going on.. I also had a pin number because I was a victim of identity theft in 2011.. Every year they give me a new pin. I really don’t understand..
    Is there anyone with the same situation?

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