Using the IRS tool Where’s My Refund, enter your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status and your exact refund amount, then press Send. If you entered your information correctly, you’ll be taken to a page that shows the status of your refund. If not, you may be asked to verify your personal tax data and try again. If all the information looks correct, you’ll need to enter the date you filed your taxes, along with whether you filed electronically or on paper. You need several things on hand to track the status of your tax refund: your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, your filing status — for example, single, married or head of household — and your exact refund amount in whole dollars, which can be found on your tax return. Also, make sure it’s been at least 24 hours before you try tracking your refund. There’s also a mobile app, called IRS2Go, that checks your tax refund status. The IRS updates the data in this tool overnight each day, so if you don’t see a status change after 24 hours or more, check back the next day.
See our chart below to get an idea of when you could get your refund and how long it could take. We suggest filing your tax return online if you still need to submit it since e-filing is more convenient for you, and the IRS recommends you avoid sending in a paper return this year. We also recommend setting up direct deposit to get your refund quicker. (Here’s what we know so far about a potential fourth stimulus check, how to get more money with a 2021 child tax credit, who needs to file an amended tax form, and seven tax breaks for 2020.) This story is frequently updated. While the IRS continues sending out stimulus checks and “plus-up payments,” it may delay the tax return process and refund delivery. Adding to the delay is the new Tax Day deadline which is now May 17, which can also put a halt on the money arriving for people waiting for missing stimulus money as part of their refund.
2 simple ways to track your 2020 tax refund status online When it comes to your tax refund, there are a few things you’ll want to pay close attention to after filing your 2020 tax return. Check to see if the IRS has processed your return, when your money will arrive and how to track it to your bank account or mailbox. We’ll show you how to use the IRS tax refund tracker and information about your refund you can expect to see. Side note: If you paid taxes on unemployment benefits, the IRS will start refunding that money to eligible recipients in May, the agency said.
Received, approved, sent: See what your tax return status means Both the IRS tools (online and mobile) will show you one of three messages to explain your tax return status. 3:26
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