Of all the questions in our Community, "Wheres my refund?" tops the list of frequently asked questions for those who e file.
This was easy to answer when we could reference the IRS Refund Schedule. The IRS hasn't published one in years because the IRS offers no guaranteed date as to when your refund will be available in your bank account. Typically, the IRS guidelines state that there is a 21-day refund cycle for estimating when your refund will be sent to you, which begins the day your tax return was accepted by the IRS for processing. Please note that this is different from clicking the "Submit" button on your return. The countdown can only truly begin once you have received a notification the the IRS has accepted your tax return.
If you submitted your return on or before January 20, and it was accepted by the IRS for processing on January 23, your refund check should be sent to your bank sometime around February 13 - February 15.
If you e filed your return and elected to have your refunded deposited via direct deposit into your bank account, your refund may be processed faster.
State jurisdictions may take longer to accept a return for processing (usually around 5 days after you e file your return). State jurisdictions also operate on a longer refund cycle. For more information, visit your state's tax agency page. You can find your agency's page by selecting your state residence on our Tax Resources page.
For more information on how to track your tax refund status, visit our Where’s My Tax Refund? page.
Disclaimer: Every effort has been taken to provide the most accurate and honest analysis of the tax information provided in this blog. Please use your discretion before making any decisions based on the information provided. This blog is not intended to be a substitute for seeking professional tax advice based on your individual needs.