The IRS has already issued more than 70 million tax refunds.
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This story is part of Taxes 2022, CNET’s coverage of the best tax software and everything else you need to get your return filed quickly, accurately and on-time.
If you completed and filed your 2021 tax return by today’s April 18 deadline, you can finally relax (and check out these Tax Day deals). Now it’s time for the “fun” part: waiting for your tax refund to arrive. If you’re expecting refund money this year, it should arrive within 21 days of filing if you set up direct deposit and filed electronically.
To keep tabs on your refund, you can start tracking it to your bank account after the IRS begins processing your tax return. Tracking your refund will also ensure that your tax return has been accepted by the IRS and hasn’t been rejected because of errors.
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If you’ve requested a paper check for your tax refund, it’ll take longer — about six to eight weeks — but you can also track that check to your mailbox using a free Postal Service tool.
We’ll explain how to use the Where’s My Refund and IRS2Go tools to track your tax refund online, and how to use your online IRS account for further details. For more info, learn how you can file your taxes for free and take advantage of the biggest tax changes for this year. This story is updated frequently.
How long does it take for the IRS to send tax refunds?
The IRS usually issues tax refunds within three weeks, but some taxpayers could have to wait a while longer to receive their payments. If there are any errors in your tax return, the wait could be lengthy.
When an issue delays your return, its resolution “depends on how quickly and accurately you respond, and the ability of IRS staff trained and working under social distancing requirements to complete the processing of your return,” according to the IRS website.
The date you receive your tax refund also depends on the method you used to file your return.
If your tax refund goes into your bank account via direct deposit, it could take an additional five days for your bank to put the money in your account. This means if it takes the IRS the full 21 days to issue your check and your bank five days to deposit it, you could be waiting a total of 26 days to get your tax refund. Online services like Venmo and Cash App can deliver your tax refund a few days sooner since there’s no waiting period for the direct deposit.
If you submitted a tax return by mail, the IRS says it could take six to eight weeks for your tax refund to arrive once it’s been processed.
What money will be included in my tax refund this year?
There are several things that could be tacked on to your tax refund this year. As usual, if you overpaid your taxes in 2021, you’ll receive that money back. However, if you’re a parent, you could also expect to receive the rest of your child tax credit money, as well as a reimbursement for money you spent on child care related expenses last year.
Also, if you’re still missing your third stimulus payment, you might receive that when you get your tax refund.
What reasons might delay my tax refund?
Here’s a list of reasons why your income tax refund could be delayed:
In testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee, IRS Commissioner Charles P. Retting said that the agency received “far more than 10 million returns” last year where taxpayers failed to properly reconcile their received stimulus payments with their recovery rebate credit, requiring a manual review and resolution.
If the delay is due to a necessary tax correction made to a recovery rebate credit, earned income tax or additional child tax credit claimed on your return, the IRS will send you an explanation. If there’s a problem that needs to be fixed, the IRS will first try to proceed without contacting you. However, if it needs any more information, it will write you a letter.
How to use the Where’s My Refund tool on the IRS site
To check the status of your 2021 income tax refund using the IRS tracker tools, you’ll need to provide some personal information: your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number; your filing status (single, married or head of household); and your refund amount in whole dollars, which you can find on your tax return. Make sure it’s been at least 24 hours (or up to four weeks if you mailed your return) before you start tracking your refund.
Using the IRS tool Where’s My Refund, go to the Get Refund Status page, enter your personal data, then press Submit. If you entered your information correctly, you’ll be taken to a page that shows your refund status. 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.
Where’s My Refund has information on the most recent tax refund that the IRS has on file within the past two years, so if you’re looking for return information from previous years you’ll need to check your IRS online account for more information. Through your own personalized account, you’ll be able to see the total amount you owe, your payment history, key information about your most recent tax return, notices you’ve received from the IRS and your address on file.
How to use IRS2Go to track your tax refund
The IRS also has a mobile app called IRS2Go, available for both iOS and Android, which checks your tax refund status. It’s available in English and Spanish. You’ll be able to see if your return has been received, approved and sent.
In order to log in, you’ll need your Social Security number, filing status and expected refund amount. The IRS updates the data in this tool overnight, so if you don’t see a status change, check back the following day. Once your return and refund are approved, you’ll receive a personalized date by which to expect your money.
You can check on your refund using the IRS2Go mobile app.
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What do these IRS tax return statuses mean?
Both IRS tools (online and mobile app) will show you one of three messages to explain your tax return status.
- Received: The IRS now has your tax return and is working to process it.
- Approved: The IRS has processed your return and confirmed the amount of your refund, if you’re owed one.
- Sent: Your refund is now on its way to your bank via direct deposit or as a paper check sent to your mailbox. (Here’s how to change the address on file if you’ve moved.)
Why do I see a Tax Topic 152, Tax Topic 151 or IRS error message?
Although the IRS’ Where’s My Refund tool will generally show one of the three main statuses — Received, Approved or Sent — for your refund, there are a wide variety of messages and notices that some users may see.
One of the most common is Tax Topic 152, a generic message indicating that you’re likely getting a refund but it hasn’t been approved or sent yet. The notice simply links out to an informational topic page on the IRS FAQ website explaining the types and timing of tax refunds.
During the 2022 tax season, many Reddit tax filers who filed early say they received the Tax Topic 152 notice from the Where’s My Refund tool accompanied by a worrisome message: “We apologize, but your return processing has been delayed beyond the normal time frame. You can continue to check back here for the most up to date information regarding your refund. We understand your tax refund is very important and we are working to process your return as quickly as possible.”
The purported delay could be an automated message designed for taxpayers claiming the child tax credit or earned income tax credit. Due to additional fraud protection steps, the earliest filers with those credits could’ve received their refunds was March 1. Several Reddit users commented that the message eventually cleared and they received notifications that their refunds were sent.
Tax Topic 151 is an entirely different scenario: This means your tax return is now under review by the IRS. The agency either needs to verify certain credits or dependents, or it has determined that your tax refund will be reduced to pay money that it believes you owe. You’ll unfortunately need to wait about four weeks to receive a notice from the IRS explaining what you need to do to resolve the status.
There are a large number of other IRS refund codes that a small percentage of tax filers will receive, indicating freezes, math errors on tax returns or undelivered checks. The College Investor offers a long list of IRS refund reference codes and errors.
Can I contact the IRS to get more help with my taxes?
While you could try calling the IRS to check your status, the agency’s live phone assistance is extremely limited. You shouldn’t file a second tax return or contact the IRS about the status of your return.
The IRS is directing people to the Let Us Help You page on its website for more information. It also advises taxpayers to get in-person help at Taxpayer Assistance Centers. You can contact your local IRS office or call to make an appointment: 844-545-5640. You can also contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service if you’re eligible for assistance by calling: 877-777-4778.
Though the chances of getting live assistance are slim, the IRS says you should only call the agency directly if it’s been 21 days or more since you filed your taxes online, or if the Where’s My Refund tool tells you to contact the IRS. You can call 800-829-1040 or 800-829-8374 during regular business hours.
I see an IRS TREAS 310 transaction listed on my bank statement. Why?
If you receive your tax refund by direct deposit, you may see IRS TREAS 310 listed for the transaction. The 310 code simply identifies the transaction as a refund from a filed tax return in the form of an electronic payment (direct deposit). You may also see TAX REF in the description field for a refund.
If you see a 449 instead of 310, it means your refund has been offset for delinquent debt.
Why did the IRS send my tax refund in the mail instead of depositing it in my bank account?
There are a couple of reasons that your refund would be mailed to you. Your money can only be electronically deposited into a bank account with your name, your spouse’s name or a joint account. If that’s not the reason, you may be getting multiple refund checks, and the IRS can only direct deposit up to three refunds to one account. Additional refunds must be mailed. Also, your bank may reject the deposit and this would be the IRS’ next best way to refund your money quickly.
It’s also important to note that for refunds, direct deposit isn’t always automatic. Just in case, sign in to your IRS account to check that the agency has your correct banking information. If you are receiving a refund check in the mail, learn how to track it from the IRS to your mailbox.