How to Check If Your Tax Refund Has Been Mailed
You have diligently filed your tax return. If you are due to receive a refund, it is natural to wonder when you will receive it. Wonder no more. It doesn't matter whether you have mailed the IRS a paper copy, filed your return over the Internet or hired a tax specialist file on your behalf; you have the opportunity to track the status of your refund.
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Things You'll Need
- Copy of your tax return
- Social Security number
- Whole dollar refund amount
Instructions
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Log on to the official Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website at www.irs.gov. You can track your mailed return by clicking on the link for the "Where's My Refund?" section (Note: Direct URL is provided below in the "Get Refund Status" reference).
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Submit the following three pieces of information to access the status of your return: 1) your Social Security number, 2) whether you are single, married and filing a joint (or separate) return, head of household, or widow(er), and 3) the whole dollar refund amount you ended up with on your return.
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Check your inbox for the e-mail address you provided on your return. If you filed your tax return via software programs such as Turbo Tax, you will receive an e-mail confirmation directly from that company upon receipt of your e-filed tax return. Within a week or so of submitting your return, you should receive a followup e-mail informing you whether it has been approved or whether additional information is required. When your refund has been mailed, you will receive yet another e-mail.
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Tips & Warnings
The IRS suggests that you e-file your tax return if you want to receive your refund faster. The turnaround time for e-filed returns to get processed is one to two weeks, compared to snail-mail returns, which could take up to six weeks to complete processing.
Also, you can only track the status for the current year. Unfortunately, refunds that you may have been entitled to in past years cannot be tracked.
Beware of e-mail scams claiming to have your tax refund available. Numerous spam messages are circulated during tax season. These messages include harmful links these scammers want you to click on and enter your personal financial information. When you do, you open the door to identity theft. The IRS will never ask for your financial information to access updates regarding your refund.
