Hi, I'm Patti, and I work for the IRS. Now that you've finished filing your tax return, you're probably wondering, when will I get my refund? More than nine out of ten refunds are issued in less than 21 days. So, how can you track the status of your refund? By using our "Where's My Refund?" tool, which you can find on our mobile app called IRS2Go or by going to our website, IRS.gov. You can start checking on the status of your refund within 24 hours after we receive your e-filed tax return or four weeks after you mail a paper return. All you need to check on your refund is a copy of the tax return you filed. That way, you will have all the information you need; your Social Security number, filing status and the amount of the refund you're expecting. Keep in mind, this tool will only give you updates as your tax return and refund move through the three steps in the refund process. So, you will receive updates when your return is received, when your refund is approved, and when your refund has been sent. The system is updated every 24 hours, usually overnight, which means you don't need to check for updates more than once a day. "Where's My Refund?" provides the most accurate and complete information available. So usually, there's no need to call us. IRS representatives can only research the status of your refund if it's been 21 days or more since you filed electronically, or more than six weeks since you mailed your paper return, or if "Where's My Refund? "directs you to contact us. Issues that can slow down a refund include errors on a tax return and returns identified for additional IRS review. If we need more information to process your return, we'll notify you. By law, the IRS cannot issue refunds before mid-February for tax returns that claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. This applies to the entire refund, even the portion not associated with these credits. Otherwise, you can usually expect the IRS to issue your refund in less than 21 days. For more information, go to IRS.gov/refunds.
