If you haven’t yet received your income tax refund, you are not alone. The team at The Royce CPA Firm has all the information you need to help you track it down. Read through this post, and if you have any questions regarding your tax refund, or anything else tax related, feel free to give us a call!
How You Filed Matters
There are a few different ways to file and receive a refund. By far, the fastest method is electronic filing and direct deposit. If you choose to e-file, you can begin tracking your refund within 24 hours of the acceptance of your return by the IRS. However, if you’ve elected to paper file your return, you will not be able to begin to track the refund until four weeks after mailing. Likewise, a check refund will be subject to US postal service delays.
The “Where’s My Refund?” IRS Tool
Available on the IRS website (irs.gov), the “Where’s My Refund?” tool is one of the fastest ways to check on the status of your income tax refund. The tracker shows status updates through three phases: Return Received, Refund Approved, and Refund Sent. The tool updates once every 24 hours, and will require the taxpayer’s social security number, tax filing status, and the exact amount of the refund claimed on the return to access the tracking information. Visit https://www.irs.gov/refunds to use the “Where’s My Refund?” IRS Tool.
IRS2Go Mobile App
Keeping up with the times, the IRS has launched a new mobile app, available in both English and Spanish, called IRS2Go. You can check the status of your refund, make tax payments, and access IRS tax tips through the app. It links to the same database as the “Where’s My Refund?” Tool, so it’s subject to the same, once daily updates, but it’s arguably the most convenient option. IRS2Go is available through Google Play, Amazon, and Apple’s App Store.
The IRS Tax Help Hotline
Potentially the most time-consuming option to check the status of a refund is via the IRS tax help hotline. It is not recommended to call the hotline unless you meet one of these three criteria:
- It has been 21 days or more since the tax return was e-filed
- It has been six weeks or more since the return was mailed
- The “Where’s My Refund?” tool instructs the taxpayer to contact the IRS
The tax help hotline is available Monday through Friday from 7am – 7pm: 800-829-1040
Whether you received a refund or were expected to pay, contact The Royce CPA Firm if the dollar amount differed from the number on your filed tax return. Call today to request an appointment or use our online scheduling tool.