From the IRS directly :
How quickly will I get my refund?
We issue most refunds in less than 21 calendar days.
I’m counting on my refund for something important. Can I expect to receive it in 21 days?
Many different factors can affect the timing of your refund after we receive your return. Even though we issue most refunds in less than 21 days, it’s possible your refund may take longer. Also, remember to take into consideration the time it takes for your financial institution to post the refund to your account or for you to receive it by mail.
It's been longer than 21 days since the IRS received my return and I haven’t gotten my refund. Why?
Some tax returns take longer to process than others for many reasons, including when a return:
- Includes errors
- Is incomplete
- Is affected by identity theft or fraud
- Includes a claim filed for an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit. See Q&A below.
- Includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which could take up to 14 weeks to process
- Needs further review in general
We will contact you by mail when we need more information to process your return.
I claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) on my tax return. When can I expect my refund?
According to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, the IRS cannot issue EITC and ACTC refunds before mid-February. The IRS expects most EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on debit cards by the first week of March, if they chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return. Check Where’s My Refund for your personalized refund date.
Where’s My Refund? on IRS.gov and the IRS2Go mobile app remains the best way to check the status of a refund. WMR on IRS.gov and the IRS2Go app will be updated with projected deposit dates for most early EITC/ACTC refund filers by February 22. So EITC /ACTC filers will not see an update to their refund status for several days after Feb. 15.
Will calling you help me get my refund any faster?
No. Our phone and walk-in representatives can only research the status of your refund 21 days after you filed electronically; 6 weeks after you mailed your paper return; or if Where’s My Refund? directs you to contact us.
What information does Where’s My Refund? have?
It has information on the most recent tax year refund we have on file for you.
When can I start checking Where’s My Refund? for my refund’s status?
24 hours after we’ve received your electronically filed tax return or 4 weeks after you’ve mailed a paper tax return.
Will Where’s My Refund? show me when I’ll receive my refund?
Where’s My Refund? will give you a personalized date after we process your return and approve your refund.
Will ordering a transcript help me find out when I’ll get my refund?
A tax transcript will not help you find out when you’ll get your refund. The information transcripts have about your account does not necessarily reflect the amount or timing of your refund. They are best used to validate past income and tax filing status for mortgage, student and small business loan applications, and to help with tax preparation.
