California State Refund Status

Taxpayers in California who have filed tax returns and are now expecting the tax refund can check their tax refund status. The state tax refund is different from the federal tax refund. Here’s what you need to know about tracking California State Refund Status.

The tax season has started and brought the excitement of tax refunds among the taxpayers. The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has started the tax season, and April 15 is the last date for taxpayers to file their state tax returns.

Generally, it takes 21 days for FTB to process your state tax refund, if you have filed your tax refunds online. Taxpayers who have filed tax returns through paper checks can get their tax returns in 3 months.

Many taxpayers who have filed early and are expecting their state tax refunds can track their state tax refund easily on the FTB website or other ways to inquire about the state refund status.

But before you track your state refund status, you must have the following information in hand to check the refund status:

ZIP Code
Social Security Number
The refund amount you filed in the tax return.
Your mailing address numbers. For Instance, you have a mailing address 5647 Main Street, the numbers will be 5647.

How to track the California State Refund Status on the FTB website?

The FTB has an easy way for taxpayers to get information about the status of their state refund. Taxpayers can use the “Where’s My Refund” tool available on the official website of the FTB and track their state refund status.

Follow the below steps to track your California State Refund Status:

Go to the official website of the FTB. https://www.ftb.ca.gov/
Navigate to “Check your refund status”
When you click on “Check your Refund status,” a new page of “Where’s My Refund?” will open on your screen.
Now, find the “Check Refund” button in blue and click on that button.
After that, a new page will open on your screen, where you have to fill in the required details, such as numbers in the mailing address, ZIP code, social security number, and refund amount.
When you enter all the required details carefully, click on the “Check your Refund” button in blue.

After that, the FTB will show your state refund status on the screen.

How to check your state refund status via call?

The taxpayers can contact the FTB via call, and MyFTB chat to inquire about their refund status for the following reasons:

To check the status of the previous year’s refund.
Your refund amount is different. The FTB will send you a letter for the change in refund amount.
You haven’t received the refund amount even when in status it’s showing your refund is sent.
You have lost or damaged your refund check.

You can contact the FTB through a call at 800-852-5711 on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

For outside the US, you can call 916-845-6500 on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

You can mail a letter for refund status inquiry at:

Franchise Tax Board
PO Box 942840
Sacramento CA 94240-0040.

How to check your state refund status via MyFTB chat?

The FTB has a mobile app MyFTB, where taxpayers can access many tax services, which includes tax refund status inquiries via MyFTB chat.

The taxpayers can check their state refund status in the following steps on the MyFTB app:

Go to and download the MyFTB app on your smartphone.
Create your account on the MyFTB app using your tax return information.
Go to the chat of the MyFTB app and inquire about your refund status.

Apart from refund status, you can check other information as well, such as account balance, bills and notices, etc.

Tips for this Tax season from the FTB

The agency suggested a few tips for taxpayers to follow an accurate tax return and the fastest state tax refund:

The agency urged taxpayers to avoid phones and use website or app services to avoid any delays in contacting the FTB officials.
Taxpayers should file tax returns electronically and choose faster refunds with the Direct deposit method.
There can be delays in some tax refunds that need extra time to review like CalEITC, YCTC, etc.
The taxpayers in California can access free Tax Help and FTB service through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).
The agency suggested taxpayers gather all their documents and carefully fill in all the details to avoid any errors.

The California FTB has many ways for you to track your state refund status, so utilize them and easily track your state refund status.

California State Refund Status – Steps to check online @ftb.ca.gov