You filed your tax return and expect a refund.
When can you expect to receive your tax refund?
Internal Revenue Service says 90% of all refunds are processed within 21 days. If you’re in the unlucky 10%, what do you do?
Federal Refunds
IRS has an online service called “Where’s My Refund” located on their website or on the IRS2Go mobile app. You can use this secure service to track the status of your return. To use the service you must know:
- The primary social security number (first spouse listed on the return);
- Filing status on the return (single, married filing joint, etc.); and
- The exact amount of the expected refund.
You can start tracking the status of your refund 24 hours after your e-filed tax return is accepted or 4 weeks after mailing your paper tax return.
The website also displays one of the following three statuses as your return works its way through the system:
- Return Received
- Refund Approved
- Refund Sent
IRS says calling will not speed up your refund. Phone and walk-in office representatives will not research the status of your return until at least 21 days after electronic filing or 6 weeks after mailing your tax return.
State Tax Refunds
Most states offer a service similar to “Where’s My Refund.” Check your state’s Department of Revenue website for specific information. Keep a copy of your tax return handy as each state may require different information to access the site.
Identity Theft
Identity theft will delay your refund. In some cases, IRS will delay your refund as it attempts to prescreen all refund returns for potential identity theft. If your tax account has been associated with identity theft for the current year you will find that the online services, particularly e-file, will not work. While IRS states it resolves most identity theft cases in 120 days, we find 6 months is not unusual and in one instance the refund was not paid for 18 months.
State Tax Credits
If the refund on your state tax return or an amended return is the result of claiming transferable credits such as Missouri Historic Rehabilitation or Low Income Housing credits, you should expect that your refund will be delayed until 8 to 12 weeks after the filing of your state tax return.
Contact Us with Questions
If you have questions please contact your Moneta advisor.
