If your return was accepted less than 21 days ago, hang in
there. It can take anywhere from a few days to 3 weeks to go from
acceptance to approval.
For the most up to date information on your refund, you can
track your federal refund here: Where's My Refund? which
provides your current status and a specific, personalized date for your tax refund once available. You
may also download the IRS2Go
app to check your Federal refund status.
Even though the IRS issues 9 out of 10 tax refunds within 21 days, it's possible your return may require additional review and take longer to process.
For some taxpayers, PATH Act requirements and other identity-protection safeguards implemented by the IRS may account for longer wait times.
Other things that can delay your refund include but are not limited to:
- Liens, back taxes, or refund offsets;
- Errors, inconsistencies, or missing information;
- Identity fraud;
- Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which can take 11-14 weeks to process.
Also, if you chose direct deposit, your financial institution may need up to 5 business days to post the refund to your account, so keep that in mind. Mailed checks can take approximately 3-5 business days once the Where's My Refund? site shows it has been sent.
Here is the general timeline of e-filed returns:
Transmission > Acceptance > Processing > Approval >
Refund.
If it has been more than 21 days since your return was accepted, you can call the IRS directly to check on your refund status.
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