Where is my refund? When the IRS can send your money and how to track it

Once you have your Tax return 2020, keep an eye on these three things your tax refund: Whether the IRS has processed your return, when your money arrives, and how to trace it to your bank account or mailbox. We’ve got the details on how to use the IRS tax refund tracker and when to expect more information about your refund. Note that if you have paid tax on it unemployment benefits, the IRS announced it will begin repaying that money to eligible recipients in May

Tax return processing and refund delivery are likely to be delayed while the IRS does send out incentive checks and now “plus-up payments. “Adding to that delay is the new thing The tax day deadline has been postponed to May 17, which can also prevent money from coming in for people waiting missing out on incentive money as part of their repayment

Our table below can give you a better idea of ​​when your refund can be made and how long it might take. We suggest submitting your tax return online if you still need to file it, as e-filing is more convenient for you, and the IRS recommends that you don’t file a paper return this year. We also recommend set up direct deposit to get your refund faster. (Here’s everything we know about a potential so far fourth stimulus control, How You Can Get More Money With One Child discount 2021 who must file an amended tax form, and seven tax breaks for 2020.) This story is regularly updated.

Two easy ways to track your 2020 tax refund status online now

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. Also, make sure it’s been at least 24 hours before trying to track your refund.

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 whether you filed electronically or on paper.

There is also a mobile app called IRS2Go that checks the status of your tax refund. 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.

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Received, Approved, Shipped: Understand what your tax filing status means

Both the IRS tools (online and mobile) show you one of three messages to explain your tax return status.

• Received: 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 if you have moved

When may your tax refund appear? We have listed a number of possible dates below

The IRS says it issues most tax refunds within 21 days, but many people usually get their refunds much earlier. However, this year, the IRS is reportedly facing delays complicated by the fact that the now send the stimulus checks (here’s more about that incentive checks and tax season 2020If there are errors, it may take longer for the agency to process and handle your tax refund. The same goes for people who have filed a claim for a payroll tax credit or the child tax credit (here is who qualifies for the CTC

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The date you receive your tax refund also depends on how you filed your tax return. For example with refunds into your bank account via 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.

If your tax return is mailed, the IRS says it can take six to eight weeks for your tax refund to arrive. That’s where tracking your refund comes in handy. Here are some possible dates when you could receive your refund depending on when you applied.

Our chart shows that it is past the ‘last’ date your refund arrives. Should you call the IRS for an update?

While you can technically call the IRS to check your status, the agency’s live phone assistance is extremely limited at this point, so you may be on hold for a while to speak to 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 everything you need to know about the third stimulus check