How to Check on My Federal Tax Return Online
As of 2010, you can use the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website to check the status of a pending refund on your United States federal income tax return. Information is available 72 hours after the IRS acknowledges receipt of an e-filed return or three to four weeks after submission of a paper return. If you are not expecting a refund, you cannot check on your return status online.
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Instructions
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Use your Internet browser to access the IRS's "Where's My Refund?" website (see the Resources section).
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Type the Social Security number that is shown on your tax return into the first box. You do not need to press the tab key to switch to subsequent boxes because the cursor automatically moves to the next box when you've entered the correct amount of numbers. If you are married and filed your tax return jointly, you may enter either your or your spouse's Social Security number.
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Select your filing status to the right of the "Filing Status" heading. This answer must match your filing status as entered on the first page of your tax return.
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Click inside the text box to the right of the "Refund Amount" heading. Enter the whole dollar amount of your refund. For a 2009 return, this information is on line 12A on a Form 1040EZ, line 46A on a 1040A or line 73A on a 1040.
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Click "Submit." A new page appears with the status of your refund check. For security reasons, close the browser window completely when you are done viewing this status.
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Tips & Warnings
You also may use the Spanish language refund status check website (see the Resources section).
To protect your Social Security number, always make sure that you are using the IRS.gov website, prefixed by "https://," when checking on your refund status.
You cannot check the status online of an amended return, a prior year return when you have already filed a more recent return or a business return.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit tax forms image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com
