This story is part of Taxes 2022 , We coverage of the best tax software and everything else you need to get your return filed quickly, accurately and on-time.
If you filed your tax return electronically by the April 18 deadline and are expecting a refund, the IRS says you should expect it within 21 days. That means you should have received it by May 9. If you filed late or there were errors — or you didn’t set updirect deposit — you should expect a delay, the agency said.
Read:Eight Reasons Your Tax Refund Might Be Delayed
You can track your federal refund using the IRS tax refund tracker, which will also let you know if your return has beenrejected by the IRS because of errors .
Read on to see how to use the agency’s tools to track your tax refund and how to access your online IRS account to get more information.
How long does it take to get a tax refund?
The IRS usually issues federal tax refunds within three weeks. Some taxpayers may have to wait a while longer, especially if there are errors in your return.
When an issue delays your return, its resolution “depends on how quickly and accurately you respond, and the ability of IRS staff trained and working under social distancing requirements to complete the processing of your return,”according to the IRS website.
The date you receive your tax refund also depends on the method you used to file your return.
If your tax refund goesinto your bank account via direct deposit , it could take an additional five days for your bank to put the money in your account. This means if it takes the IRS the full 21 days to issue your check and your bank five days to deposit it, you could be waiting a total of 26 days to get your tax refund. Online services like Venmo and Cash App can deliver your tax refund a few days sooner since there’s no waiting period for the direct deposit.
If you submitted a tax return by mail, the IRS says it could take six to eight weeks for your tax refund to arrive once it’s been processed.
What might delay my tax refund?
Here’s are some typical reasons whytax refunds are delayed :
Intestimony to the House Ways and Means Committee, IRS Commissioner Charles P. Retting said that the agency received “far more than 10 million returns” last year in which taxpayers failed to properly reconcile their received stimulus payments with their recovery rebate credit, which required a manual review and resolution.
If the delay is due to a necessary tax correction made to a recovery rebate credit, earned income tax or additional child tax credit claimed on your return, the IRS will send you an explanation. If there’s a problem that needs to be fixed, the IRS will first try to proceed without contacting you. However, if it needs any more information, it will write you a letter.
If you’ve requested a paper check for your tax refund, it’ll take longer, too — about six to eight weeks, according to the IRS.
How to track your refund using the IRS’ Where’s My Refund tool
To use theIRS tracker tools, you’ll need to provide your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number; your filing status (single, married or head of household); and your refund amount in whole dollars, which you can find on your tax return. Make sure it’s been at least 24 hours before you start tracking your refund, or up to four weeks if you mailed your return.
Go to theGet Refund Statuspage on the IRS website and enter your personal data, then pressSubmit. You should be taken to a page that shows your refund status. If not, you may be asked to verify your personal tax data and try again. If all the information looks correct, you’ll need to enter the date you filed your taxes, along with whether you filed electronically or on paper.
What if I’m looking for return info from a previous tax year?
The Where’s My Refund tool lists the federal refund information the IRS has from the past two years. If you’re looking for return details from previous years, you’ll need to check yourIRS online account .
From there, you’ll be able to see the total amount you owe, your payment history, key information about your most recent tax return, notices you’ve received from the IRS and your address on file.
How to use the IRS2Go app to track your return
The IRS2Go app is available for both iOS and Android.
The IRS also has a mobile app,IRS2Go, which checks your tax refund status. It’s available for both iOS and Android and in English and Spanish. Using it, you’ll be able to see if your return was been received and approved and if a refund was sent.
To log in, you’ll need your Social Security number, filing status and the expected amount of your refund. The IRS updates the app overnight, so if you don’t see a status change, check back the following day.
What do these IRS tax return statuses mean?
Both IRS tools (online and mobile app) will show you one of three messages to explain your tax return status.
Why do I see a “Tax Topic 151,” “Tax Topic 152” or IRS error message?
Although the Where’s My Refund tool typically shows a status of Received, Approved or Sent, there are a variety of other messages some users may see.
One of the most common is Tax Topic 152, indicating you’re likely getting a refund but it hasn’t been approved or sent yet. The notice simply links out to an informational topic page on the IRS FAQ website explaining the types and timing of tax refunds.
The delay could be an automated message for taxpayers claiming the child tax credit or earned income tax credit sent because of additional fraud protection steps.
Tax Topic 151means your tax return is now under review by the IRS. The agency either needs to verify certain credits or dependents, or it has determined that your tax refund will be reduced to pay money that it believes you owe. You’ll need to wait about four weeks to receive a notice from the IRS explaining what you need to do to resolve the status.
There are other IRS refund codes that a small percentage of tax filers receive, indicating freezes, math errors on tax returns or undelivered checks. The College Investor offers alist of IRS refund reference codes and errorsand their meaning.
Can I call the IRS to get answers?
While you could try calling the IRS to check your status, the agency’slive phone assistanceis extremely limited.
The IRS is directing taxpayers to theLet Us Help You page on its website and to get in-person help at Taxpayer Assistance Centers around the country. You cancontact your local IRS officeor call to make an appointment: 844-545-5640. You can also contact theTaxpayer Advocate Service if you’re eligible for assistance by calling: 877-777-4778.
Though the chances of getting live assistance are slim, the IRS says you should only call the agency directly if it’s been 21 days or more since you filed your taxes online, or if theWhere’s My Refundtool tells you to. You can call 800-829-1040 or 800-829-8374 during regular business hours. If you have not received a refund yet, you shouldn’t file a second tax return.
Why do I see “IRS TREAS 310” in my bank statement?
If you receive your tax refund by direct deposit, you may seeIRS TREAS 310listed in the transaction. The 310 code simplyidentifies the transactionas a refund from a filed tax return in the form of electronic payment. You may also seeTAX REFin the description field for a refund.
If you see a449instead of310, it means your refund has been offset for delinquent debt.
Why was my refund mailed instead of being deposited in my bank account?
There are a couple of reasons that your refund would be mailed to you. Your money can only be electronically deposited into a bank account with your name, your spouse’s name or a joint account. If your bank rejected the deposit for some reason, it may be the next best way to get you your refund.
In addition, the IRS can only direct deposit up to three refunds to one account, so if you are getting multiple refund checks they will have to be mailed. If you are receiving a refund check in the mail, learn how totrack it from the IRS to your mailbox .
It’s important to note that direct deposit isn’t always automatic for refunds. To be certain, sign in to your IRS account to check that the agency has your correct banking information.
How do I track my refund if it’s coming in the mail?
The US Postal Service’sInformed Deliveryservice is a free mail-tracking program that scans incoming letters and sends you an image when they are about to be delivered.
Informed Delivery has free apps forAndroidandiOS.
