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Does it take a long time for refunds to come back?

 
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Does it take a long time for refunds to come back?

The IRS says 9 out of 10 filers who efile and choose direct deposit will get their refunds within 21 days. Some returns are processed fairly quickly, while others require additional processing due to specific items in the return. Some are pulled at random for more thorough investigation.  And at this time of year (February) some filers will have delays due to the PATH Act that I mention at the bottom of this posting.

 

Did you efile, or did you choose to print and mail the return?  If you filed by mail, it can take about 6 weeks to get a Federal refund.


If you efiled, double-check to be sure the return was efiled successfully and accepted.
If you used Online TurboTax, you can sign into your Online Account and check the efile status at the Tax Home.


If that showed it was accepted, you can use the tool at the IRS website below to monitor the status of your Federal refund.  
https://www.irs.gov/Refunds


NOTE: When using that tool, use only the Federal refund amount, and not any total refund amount that includes a state refund.
The amount to use is on your Federal Form 1040, Line 21a.

 

NOTE: By law (the PATH Act), the IRS will not begin issuing refunds on tax returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) until after February 15. So filers with those credits likely won't get their refunds until late February, or in some cases, early March.

 

To track a state refund:
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/refund-status/help/how-do-i-track-my-state-refund/00/25571

Does it take a long time for refunds to come back?

And here's some info if you have a state refund:

 

Some states are fairly quick with refunds, while some states can take a long time processing returns--even several weeks--as they crack down on detecting fraudulent returns.  You may be able to get an idea about how long it takes in your state from the FAQs at your state's tax agency website as I will mention below.

 

If you are sure your efiled state return was accepted  (you can check by looking in your Online account at the Tax Home), or if you printed and mailed the return, the FAQ below tells how to check on a state refund.

 

TIP:   While you're at your state's tax website, also look for a statement or FAQ that may say about how long it takes to get a refund in your state and how to long to wait before phoning them.  Many states have such information on their websites.

 

FAQ:  How do I track my state refund?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/refund-status/help/how-do-i-track-my-state-refund/00/25571

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