Have you filed your tax returns? And now, wondering when will you receive your refund or what’s the status of your federal tax refund. Then be with us as we are going to discuss how to check the status of your tax refund, and what can impact your tax refund.
Federal Tax Refund Status
The IRS officially started the tax season on 29 January, and if you have already e-filed your tax returns then soon you can receive your tax refund.
According to the IRS, taxpayers can check or inquire about the status of their refund easily via their tool called “Where’s My Refund?” the agency has made some modifications to the tool to improve it and make it more effective so that the taxpayers can get all the information at one place.
Now, the taxpayers will get detailed information on the tool about their refund at which stage it has been processed rather than the general message it used to provide earlier.
The tool is available on the IRS official website or taxpayers can download the mobile application released by the IRS from the Google Play store or App Store. The app is titled “IRS2GO” where taxpayers get many services related to federal tax.
Taxpayers can also contact the IRS to inquire about their tax refund. However, it is suggested to use the tool as the wait time to speak to the representative could be long, so the tool is the fastest way to know or track your refund.
But if you have another inquiry or some serious issue that you can’t access through the tool, you can call for individual tax returns on the IRS contact number 1-800-829-1040 between Monday to Friday at 7:00 AM- 7:00 PM
How to know the status of your federal tax refund?
As mentioned earlier, to make it easy for the taxpayer to stay informed about their federal tax refund, the IRS has introduced a tool “Where’s My Refund?”
To check your status on the tool you will require the following information:
- Your Social Security number
- The amount of your refund on your tax return.
- Your filing status of your tax return
To check your status refund follow these steps:
- Go to the website or mobile application, choose which way suits you the best, and find the refunds section on the interface.
- Now, when you scroll down a “Check your Refund” blue button will be shown on your screen, click on that.
- Then, you will be directed to a page where you will be asked to fill in some information such as your SSN or ITIN shown on your tax return, the tax year for which you are seeking a refund, the filing status, and the exact amount of your refund.
- After you fill in all the information, submit it and you will get the message of the status of your tax refund.
What can impact your federal tax refund?
Tax refunds can get late or delayed due to some reasons. Let’s discuss these reasons, so you can avoid them.
- Your tax return filing method & timing: Taxpayers who have filed their returns electronically can expect their refund in 10-14 days or within 21 days. And if you have gone for a paper check it can take more than that as your refund check mail can take days to come to your address.
Another thing that matters is your timing of filing the tax. For instance, if you have already e-filed the tax, you can expect your tax refund today or tomorrow, or by the middle of February.
But if you filled the tax returns at the time near the deadline in April, your refunds can take time to reach you as it will be the peak time and there will be many applications to review for the agency.
- Your selection of getting your refund: Taxpayers can select the way they want to receive their refund which can impact their refund process. IRS suggests choosing direct deposit to taxpayers to get fast refunds.
- Your tax return applications: The IRS suggests always double-checking your tax return information, so there will be no chance of error or amendment in the information.
- Your extra credit claims: If the taxpayers had claimed EITC/ ACTC credits in their tax returns, their refund will be processed a little behind as the federal government has instructed the IRS to process their refunds after mid-February.
The IRS, the regulating body for taxes in the United States, has made it easy for taxpayers to track their tax refunds. The IRS is always available for taxpayers so make sure you fill your tax on time electronically and get your refund through direct deposit.