Are you expecting a tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service this year?
If you file a complete and accurate paper tax return, your refund
should be issued about six to eight weeks after the IRS receives your
return. If you file your return electronically, your refund is issued
in about half that time — even faster if you choose direct deposit.
You
can check on the status of your refund 72 hours after you e-filed your
return or four weeks after mailing your return. There are several ways
to check the status of your refund. You will need your Social Security
number, filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund
to use these applications.
- Where's My Refund:
The fastest, easiest way to find out about your current year refund is
to go to the IRS.gov Web site and click on the "Where’s My Refund" link
available from the home page.
- Refund Hotline: Call the IRS Refund Hotline at 800-829–1954.
- TeleTax:
Call the IRS TeleTax System at 800-829-4477. If you do not get a date
for your refund, wait until the next week before calling back.
In
some circumstances, you may not receive your refund as quickly as you
expected. Refund delays can be caused by a variety of reasons. For
example, a name and Social Security number listed on the tax return may
not match the IRS records. You may have failed to sign the return or
include a necessary attachment, such as Form W-2, Wage and Tax
Statement. Or you may have made math errors that require extra time for
the IRS to correct.
For more information on how long it may
take the IRS to process your federal tax refund, visit Frequently Asked
Questions at IRS.gov.
