How to Check the Status of Your Tax Refund

Co-authored by Cassandra Lenfert, CPA, CFP®

Last Updated: March 29, 2019

If you are due money back on your federal or state taxes, you'll want to know when you can expect that refund check or direct deposit to arrive. If asking about a tax return filed with the United States federal government, you can check either online (www.irs.gov/refunds), via an IRS smart app (IRS2Go), or by phoning the IRS refund information hotline directly (800-829-1954). Similar services are available for gathering information about your state taxes, but each U.S. state operates a separate website for handling taxes and refunds.^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source
Internal Revenue Service
U.S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code
Go to source} In all cases, you will need to have specific information about your tax filing handy in order to get information about the status of your refund.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Checking the Status of a Federal Tax Return Online

1
Give the IRS time to receive and process your return. It takes time for the IRS to process your taxes. Give them adequate time before checking on the status of your refund.
- If you e-filed your taxes, you should be able to get a refund status within 24 hours.^{[2]
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- If you mail your taxes, you will have to wait 4 weeks after mailing in your tax information.^{[3]
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2
Have the necessary information ready. When you go on the IRS website to get your tax return, the system will ask you for a variety of information. Have a copy of your federal tax return on hand so you can enter the information easily. The system will ask for the following:
- Your Social Security Number, or your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
- Your filing status (Single, Married Filing Joint Return, Married Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er))
- The exact whole dollar refund amount shown on your tax return^{[4]
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  U.S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code
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3
Use the "Where's My Refund?" tool. When you go to irs.gov, there will be an icon that says "Where's my Refund?" When you click on this tool, it will ask for information about you and your tax return and give you a response based on that information. Possible responses may include, but are not limited to:
- An acknowledgement that your return is processing, meaning you'll have to wait a big longer to get any further information.^{[5]
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- The mailing or direct deposit date when your refund is scheduled to arrive.^{[6]
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- A notice that your address was incorrect, so your refund could not be delivered. You may be able to correct this issue by updating your address through the Where's My Refund? Tool, or you can call the IRS and get it straightened out.^{[7]
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4
Customize your search if necessary. The "Where's My Refund" tool may be limited for some. If you need to customize your search, there are options.
- Visually impaired individuals can access the site via a speech screen reader or Braille display.^{[8]
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- If it's more than 28 days since the IRS mailing date, there are options within the "Where's My Refund?" tool that allow you to track your refund and see where and why its delivery is delayed.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Checking the Status of a Federal Tax Return over the Phone

1
Call the toll-free number. If you do not have access to the Internet or simply prefer doing things over the phone, there is a number you can call to check on your tax refund.
- The IRS has 2 toll-free numbers you can call. The first is the IRS Refund Hotline, which can be reached at 800-829-1954. This number, available 24/7, is specifically for calls regarding tax refunds. If you don't have other questions regarding your taxes, try this number first.^{[10]
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  U.S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code
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- The TeleTax system at 800-829-4477 provides general tax information as well as your current refund status. It is also available 24/7.
2
Get your information ready. The automated system or the representative you speak to will need certain information in order to help you. Have a copy of your federal tax return on hand. You will be asked for the following:
- Your Social Security Number, or your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
- Your filing status (Single, Married Filing Joint Return, Married Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er))
- The exact whole dollar refund amount shown on your tax return
3
Use a mobile phone app if you prefer. You can also use your mobile phone to check the status of a tax return. Recently, the IRS released IRS2Go, a smart phone application that allows you to handle taxes online.
- If you are an Apple user, you can download IRS2Go from the Apple App Store. If you have an Android, visit the Android Marketplace.^{[11]
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- You will still need to enter some basic information into your phone when using the IRS2Go app, but you may be able to preload and save information in the app to speed up the process.^{[12]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Checking the Status of State Tax Return

1
Make sure your state collects a state income tax. Not every state collects a state income tax. If you live in any of the following states, your state does not collect income taxes and therefore does not provide tax refunds:
- Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming do not have an income tax. You do not need to file a tax return in these states and you will not receive a refund.^{[13]
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- New Hampshire and Tennessee do collect an income tax, but only tax dividends and not wages or earnings. If your dividends do not exceed a certain amount, you will not be taxed. Visit the New Hampshire or Tennessee tax division website for further information on whether or not you will be taxed.^{[14]
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2
Visit your state's tax division website. Each state has different means of providing information on tax refunds. In order to find out how to locate information in your state, you'll need to visit your state's tax division website. This can usually be found through an internet search engine. The site should provide a number you can call to talk to a representative if you have any questions.
3
Gather the necessary information. The information you need varies from state to state. You should have a copy of your state tax return on hand, in case you need to enter the exact dollar refund amount. Be prepared to enter your social security number or individual tax ID number, as well as your filing status.

Expert Q&A
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Question

I've been waiting longer than three to four weeks on federal return and has been saying processing the whole time. Is there any way to find out why?

Cassandra Lenfert, CPA, CFP®
Financial Advisor & Certified Public Accountant
Cassandra Lenfert is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) in Colorado. She advises clients nationwide through her tax firm, Cassandra Lenfert, CPA, LLC. With over 15 years of tax, accounting, and personal finance experience, Cassandra specializes in working with individuals and small businesses on proactive tax planning to help them keep more money to reach their goals. She received her BA in Accounting from the University of Southern Indiana in 2006.

Cassandra Lenfert, CPA, CFP®

Financial Advisor & Certified Public Accountant

Expert Answer

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If you electronically filed your return and it has been longer than 3 weeks since you filed, you can call the IRS to speak with a representative to help identify what the hang up is for your refund. If you filed your return on paper, you will need to wait until it has been 6 weeks to call the IRS to follow up.
Question

How do I find out if someone has fraudulently filed my taxes?

Darron Kendrick, CPA, MA
Financial Advisor
Darron Kendrick is an Adjunct Professor of Accounting and Law at the University of North Georgia. He received his Masters degree in tax law from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2012, and his CPA from the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy in 1984.

Darron Kendrick, CPA, MA

Financial Advisor

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The IRS will typically notify you that a return was already filed after you file yours.
Question

How do I find out my refund amount?

Darron Kendrick, CPA, MA
Financial Advisor
Darron Kendrick is an Adjunct Professor of Accounting and Law at the University of North Georgia. He received his Masters degree in tax law from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2012, and his CPA from the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy in 1984.

Darron Kendrick, CPA, MA

Financial Advisor

Expert Answer

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The refund amount should be the amount calculated on your return, unless you elected to have the preparer's fees deducted electronically.

Warnings

Entering private information into a public computer may expose you to risk of identity theft. On any computer, log out of the IRS website and close your browser after you are finished. Only access the IRS website through an ethernet cable or a password protected wi-fi network.

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