

And if the IRS needs to update or make changes, it probably won’t make them until just before tax time. That could include updated security measures or process tweaks due to changes in the tax code. One reason for this is because the IRS may still be making changes to their processes. Filing Early or LateĮarly filers may have to wait for refunds. If you claimed those credits, have been waiting weeks for a refund and have not received a letter from the IRS, you can check the status of your refund on the IRS website through its Where’s My Refund? tool. But if you filed later than that, the hold could also be because the IRS has questions or needs more information, in which case, you should receive a letter explaining what it requires. The hold is not a result of mistakes or problems with your return. If the hold is because you filed before mid-February, there is no need to worry. President’s Day and bank processing times can slow down your refund further. 15 to issue a refund to taxpayers who claimed either of those credits. According to the law, the IRS has to wait until Feb. If you file on the early side and claim the earned income tax credit (EITC) or the additional child tax credit (ACTC), you will have to wait a bit for a refund. Below, we break down several common reasons why your tax refund could be delayed.

For example, you may have made a mistake on your return, entered the wrong bank account information for the refund, filed early or a number of other situations. Instead, a multitude of different scenarios can affect how long it takes for you to get your refund back from Uncle Sam. There’s no singular reason for a tax refund delay through the IRS. Taxpayers may need to file an amended return if they failed to submit required forms or schedules. Note that “IRS TREAS 449,” indicates that your refund has been reduced to repay tax debt.Īnd for taxpayers expecting a refund for 2021 unemployment compensation (up to $10,200 of this compensation was excluded from taxes for qualifying single taxpayers, and $20,400 for couples) the IRS said it’s correcting tax returns through the summer. Those getting tax refunds via direct deposit could get an “IRS TREAS 310” notification on their accounts, which identifies tax refunds processed through electronic payments.
#Federal tax refund status free
The app will also allow you to make tax payments and get free tax help (as long as you qualify). Taxpayers can also check their refund status on the agency’s mobile app IRS2Go. Taxpayers will need to input personal information, including their Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, as well as the filing status and the expected refund amount. If you are still expecting a tax refund, you can check the status of your 2021 income tax refund by using the IRS Where’s My Refund tool. So the earliest date taxpayers got a refund this past year was February 26 for direct deposits and March 5 for paper checks.
#Federal tax refund status manual
This backlog includes roughly 15.8 million returns pending a manual review, 16.8 million paper returns and 2.7 million amended returns.įor reference, tax season in 2021 began on February 12. But the National Taxpayer Advocate says that the IRS finished the extended tax season with “a backlog of over 35 million individual and business income tax returns that require manual processing,” which means that IRS employees have to do an additional review before a refund can be processed. And initially expected the majority of tax returns (it estimated more than 150 million) to be filed by the 2021 deadline. The agency said that the average tax return in 2020 was $2,500. The IRS hasn’t yet mentioned how long 2021 returns might take (filed in 2022). Some refunds could take as little as 14 days. This, of course, was before the coronavirus pandemic hit and health directives closed offices, including at the IRS. Check our 2022 tax refund schedule for more information or use the IRS2Go app to learn your status.įor 2020 tax returns (filed in 2021), the IRS said it planned to issue more than 90% of refunds within 21 days of e-filing. You should count another week into your time estimate if you request your refund as a check rather than a direct deposit. If you mail in your return, it can take three additional weeks (the IRS has to manually enter your return into the system first). If you file electronically, the IRS can take up to three days to accept your return. Typically, the IRS issues a refund within 21 days of “accepting” a tax return. How Long It Takes the IRS to Process a Tax Refund
