Where’s My Refund? How to Check the Status of My Tax Return

Find out if the IRS received your tax return and check the status of your refund. Learn why your tax refund could be lower than you expected .

Check Your Federal Tax Refund Status

If you have filed your federal income taxes and expect to receive a refund, you can track its condition. Have your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund ready.

How to Check Your Refund Status

Use the Where ‘s My Refund tool or the IRS2Go mobile app to check your refund on-line. This is the fastest and easiest way to track your refund. The systems are updated once every 24 hours.

You can call the IRS to check on the status of your refund. however, IRS live phone assistance is extremely limited at this time. Wait times to speak with a spokesperson can be long. But you can avoid the wait by using the automated call organization. Follow the message prompts when you call .

When to Expect Your Refund

Refunds are by and large issued within 21 days of when you electronically filed your tax hark back or 42 days of when you filed newspaper returns. If it ’ second been longer, find out why your refund may be delayed or may not be the sum you expected .

How to Check the Status of Your Coronavirus Stimulus Check

If you ‘re trying to find out the condition of your coronavirus stimulation requital, go to the IRS ‘s Get My Payment page. You can learn whether your requital has been issued, and if it ‘s coming by direct depository or mailed check. Learn more about the stimulation payments, including whether you qualify for one and what, if anything, you may have to do to get yours .

Find out if Your Tax Return Was Submitted

You can file your tax return by mail, through an e-filing web site or software, or by using the services of a tax preparer. Whether you owe taxes or you ’ re expecting a refund, you can find out your tax refund ’ s status by :

• Using the IRS Where ’ s My Refund tool
• Viewing your IRS report information
• Calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 ( Wait times to speak to a spokesperson may be farseeing. )
• Looking for emails or status updates from your e-filing web site or software

If you file your taxes by mail, you can track your tax return and get a ratification when the IRS has received it. To do so, use USPS Certified Mail or another mail service that has tracking or delivery ratification services .

What information should I have to get my tax return status?

If you call the IRS, you should have the follow information ready when you ask about your tax come back ’ south condition :

• Social Security number and birthdate
• Filing status: Are you single, married, or a head of household?
• Any prior communications from the IRS

What is the status of my state tax return?

To see if your submit tax reelect was received, you can check with your submit ’ mho gross or tax web site. There, you can find out if your refund is being processed. Or, you can get foster contact information to confirm that your return key was received .

Is Your Tax Refund Lower Than You Expected?

If you owe money to a federal or department of state agency, the federal politics may use separate or all your federal tax refund to repay the debt. This is called a tax refund offset .

How the Treasury Offset Program Works

here ‘s how the Treasury Offset Program ( TOP ) works :

1. The TOP will check if your name and taxpayer information are in its delinquent debtor database.
2. If there is a match, TOP will notify you that it is deducting the amount you owe from your tax refund.
3. TOP will send the outstanding amount to the government agency to which you owed the money.

If you owe more money than the requital you were going to receive, then TOP will send the stallion sum to the other politics representation. If you owe less, TOP will send the representation the total you owed, and then send you the remaining balance. here ‘s an example : you were going to receive a $ 1,500 federal tax refund. But you are delinquent on a scholar loan and have $ 1,000 outstanding. TOP will deduct $ 1,000 from your tax refund and send it to the chastise politics agency. It will besides send you a notice of its action, along with the remaining $ 500 that was due to you as a tax refund. The Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) can help you understand more about tax refund offsets .

If a Deduction Was Made in Error

If you believe that a subtraction was an error, contact the agency that said you owed money. Call the Treasury Offset Program at 1-800-304-3107 to locate the representation you need to contact .

Undelivered and Unclaimed Federal Tax Refund Checks

Every class, the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) has millions of dollars in tax refunds that go undelivered or unclaimed .

Undelivered Federal Tax Refund Checks

refund checks are mailed to your last know address. If you move without notifying the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service ( USPS ), your refund check may be returned to the IRS. If you were expecting a federal tax refund and did not receive it, check the IRS ‘ Where ’ s My Refund page. You ‘ll need to enter your Social Security act, filing condition, and the accurate whole dollar amount of your refund. You may be prompted to change your address on-line. You can besides call the IRS to check on the condition of your refund. Wait times to speak with a representative can be long. But, you can avoid waiting by using the automated phone system. Follow the message prompts when you call. If you move, submit a Change of Address – form 8822 to the IRS ; you should besides submit a Change of Address to the USPS .

Unclaimed Federal Tax Refunds 

If you are eligible for a federal tax refund and don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate file a return, then your refund will go unclaimed. tied if you are n’t required to file a render, it might benefit you to file if :

• Federal taxes were withheld from your pay

and/or

• You qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

You may not have filed a tax return because your wages were below the file necessity. But you can still file a render within three years of the filing deadline to get your refund .

State Refund Checks

For data about your state tax refund see, contact your express tax income department .
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last Updated : April 20, 2022