Before you start
- Your Social Security number or ITIN
- Your filing status
- The exact refund amount shown on your return
Use Where’s My Refund?
The tool updates once a day, usually overnight, so there’s no need to check more often.
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Step 1: Open the tool
Go to irs.gov/refunds and select Where’s My Refund?, or download the official IRS2Go app.
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Step 2: Enter your details
Enter your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status (such as Single or Married filing jointly) and the exact whole-dollar refund amount from your return.
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Step 3: Read the status
The tool shows one of three stages: Return Received, Refund Approved and Refund Sent, with a date when it’s approved.
| How you filed | Start checking |
|---|---|
| E-filed, current year | About 24 hours after the IRS accepts it |
| E-filed, previous year | About 3–4 days after filing |
| Paper return | About 4 weeks after mailing |
Why a refund can be delayed
- The return has errors or is incomplete.
- It needs extra identity verification; the IRS will send you a letter.
- It claims the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, which by law can’t be refunded before mid-February.
- Part of the refund was used to pay past-due taxes or other debts.
- You filed on paper, which takes much longer than e-filing.
Troubleshooting
The tool says my information doesn’t match
Make sure you’ve entered the exact refund amount from your return in whole dollars, the right filing status and the SSN shown first on the return. If you just filed, wait 24 hours.
It’s been more than 21 days
Check Where’s My Refund? for instructions or a message. Only call the IRS if the tool tells you to, or if it has been more than 21 days since you e-filed.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a tax refund take?
The IRS issues most refunds for e-filed returns with direct deposit in less than 21 days. Paper returns and returns needing review take longer.
How do I check an amended return?
Use the separate Where’s My Amended Return? tool on irs.gov. Amended returns take much longer to process.
Summary
Use Where’s My Refund? at irs.gov/refunds or the IRS2Go app with your SSN or ITIN, filing status and exact refund amount. Check about a day after e-filing; most e-filed refunds arrive within 21 days, and the status updates once a day.
