
We show you how to track your Federal Tax Refund for 2020.
Sarah Tew / CNET
If you haven’t filed your taxes yet, consider filing online – the IRS asks you not to file a paper return due to a backlog from last year. tax extension, a consequence of the pandemic. It is also encouraged to set up a direct deposit to speed up your refund process. Note that the IRS still can extend the deadline for tax filing this year, as requested by Congress, but there is no update on that yet.
Below are the IRS tools you can use to track your refund status for 2020. Remember this tax season more than just your refund and missing out on incentive money – it could be your eligibility status for a third stimulus check from up to $ 1,400 or if you have a smaller paymentHere is when the new stimulus payment might come and how it is likely to be be more focused disqualify more peopleThis story was recently updated.
How to Track Your Tax Refund Status With These Two IRS Tools
You need to have several things on hand to keep track of the status of your tax refund: your Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number, your filing status – for example, single, married, or householder – and your exact refund amount in whole dollars, which you can find on your tax return.
Using the IRS tool Where’s My Refund, enter your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status and your exact refund amount, then press SendIf you have entered your details correctly, you will be taken to a page with the status of your refund. If not, you may be asked to verify your personal tax information and try again. If all the information looks correct, you should enter the date you filed your taxes along with how you filed them – either electronically or on paper.
There is also a mobile app you can use to check your tax refund status called IRS2Go. The IRS updates the data in this tool at night every day, so if you don’t see a status change after 24 hours or more, check back the next day.
Your tax refund status has been received, approved, or shipped. Here’s what it means
Both the IRS tools (online and mobile) show you one of three messages to explain your current tax filing status.
- Receive: The IRS now has your tax return and is working to process it.
- Approved: The IRS has processed your return and confirmed the amount of your refund, if you owe one.
- sentYour refund is now on its way to your bank via direct deposit or as a paper check in your mailbox. (Here’s how change your address now if you have moved
When will I receive my tax refund? We have a few ideas – see below
The IRS says it issues most tax refunds within 21 days, but many people will receive their refunds much sooner. If there are errors, it may take longer for the agency to process and handle your tax refund. The same goes for people who have made a claim for an Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child tax credit
The date you receive your tax refund also depends on how you filed your tax return.
For example, if the refund goes into your bank account by direct deposit, it may take another five days for your bank to credit it to your account. This means that if it took the IRS the full 21 days to issue your check and your bank five days to post it, you will have to wait a total of 26 days to receive your money. That’s where tracking your refund comes in handy.
If it’s mailed, the IRS says it can take six to eight weeks for your tax refund to arrive. Here are some possible dates when you could receive your refund depending on when you applied.
When your tax refund might come
If you submit a file on this date |
This is the fastest |
This is the last |
---|---|---|
February 14th |
February 21st |
March 7th |
March 1 |
8 March |
March 22nd |
April 1st |
April 8 |
April 22nd |
April 15th (last day to submit) |
April 22nd |
6 May |
October 15 (last day with extension) |
Oct 22, 2018 |
November 5th |
This is when it’s OK to call the IRS to check the status of your tax refund
While you can call the IRS to check your status, the agency’s live phone assistance is extremely limited at this point, so you can be on hold for a while to speak with a representative. Also, the IRS says you should only call if it has been 21 days or more since you filed your taxes online or if the Where’s My Refund tool tells you to contact the IRS.
For more information on your taxes, here’s when the The deadline for 2021 is to file your tax return how to claim missing incentive money on your taxes and the real reason why you should sign up for direct deposit on your taxes for 2020
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