How Do I Check If My Refund Has Been Sent?
If you are one of the lucky few who considers tax time to be fortunate because you usually receive a refund, you’re probably anxious to know when yours will arrive. The IRS allows you to check the status of your federal tax return. You will need to submit some identifying personal information to the IRS to verify who you are. The IRS will then let you know if your return has been entered into its system and approximately when you might expect to receive it.
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Things You'll Need
- Social Security Number
- Filing status of your federal return
- Exact refund amount
Instructions
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How Do I Check If My Refund Has Been Sent?
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Go to the Internal Revenue Service website at IRS.gov (see Resources for link). On the right side of the screen there is a section titled "Filing and Payments." This section covers IRS-related information on all the questions and considerations for people or businesses filing their tax returns.
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Click on the first item in the filing section: Where's my refund? The page that opens displays information you need to know when trying to determine the status of your federal return. In general, if you filed electronically, status reports will be available after 72 hours from when you submitted your return. If you sent your information through the mail, it could take anywhere from three to four weeks for your status to be updated in the system.
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Click on the "Where's My Refund?" hyperlink. Enter your Social Security Number, filing status and exact refund amount, then click on the "Submit" button.
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Read the information the IRS has displayed. If you entered your personal details correctly, and enough time has lapsed since you filed your return, you will see the date on when you can expect your refund to be mailed or deposited, depending on which option you elected when you filed your return. If you entered identifying information incorrectly, you will get an error message; it may say that not enough time has elapsed since you filed your return. Repeat the process with the correct information.
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Tips & Warnings
To locate the status of your return, you must enter the specific whole dollar amount as you reported it on your tax return. You will not be able to determine the status of your return by guessing within a range of possible numbers.
Never give any one any of your confidential information.
It is not advisable to complete this search at a public computer.
The IRS will never try to contact you through email. If you receive an email that claims to be from the IRS, it most likely is a scam. The only way the IRS will contact you regarding your tax return is through an official letter.
