When Your IRS Refund Status Shows Up
Your tax return has to reach the IRS before a status appears. E-filing (sending your return electronically) gets it there fastest.
| How you filed | When your status appears |
|---|---|
| E-filed, current-year return | 24 hours after e-file acceptance |
| E-filed, prior-year return | 3 days after e-file acceptance |
| Mailed paper return | 4 weeks after you mail it |
| How you filed | When to expect your refund |
|---|---|
| E-filed | About 3 weeks from the date you e-filed |
| Mailed | 6 weeks or more from the date the IRS received it |
Your filing method also sets the wait for your money. Our IRS refund schedule explains the stages your status moves through: “Return received,” “Refund approved,” and “Refund sent.”
Information You Need to Check Your Refund
The tracker asks for these details from your return:
- Your Social Security number (SSN) or ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number), an IRS-issued number some filers use instead of an SSN
- Your filing status, the category you chose on your return, such as single or married filing jointly
- The tax year of the return
- The exact refund amount shown on your return
If you don’t have a copy of your return, you can view your transcript (an IRS record of your return) in your online account or get a transcript by mail.
Ways to Check Your Refund Status
Where’s My Refund Tool
The refund tracker lets you check without signing in, using the four details above.
IRS Online Account
Signing in shows your refund status, tax records, and amended return status. You can also get refund email notifications.
IRS App
The official IRS app, formerly IRS2Go, is available in English or Spanish on Google Play and the Apple App Store. You can check your refund or amended return status with or without signing in.
Automated Phone Line
Call 800-829-1954 for refund status. For an amended return, call 866-464-2050.
What Can Delay or Reduce Your Refund
If your status stalls, your return may need corrections or review. Common reasons include:
- A mistake, such as a missing signature or a math error
- Claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), since by law the IRS holds these refunds until mid-February
- Claiming the Additional Child Tax Credit, which is subject to the same mid-February hold under the PATH Act
- Filing an amended return
- Requesting injured spouse relief (asking to protect your share of a joint refund from your spouse’s debts)
Offsets That Reduce Your Refund
An offset is when part or all of your refund goes toward a debt you owe. Your refund may be reduced for:
- Prior taxes you owe
- Past-due child support
- Federal agency nontax debt
- State income tax
If this happens, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service mails you a notice about the offset.
How to Track an Amended Return
An amended return (Form 1040-X) is a corrected version of a return you already filed. Its status appears in Where’s My Amended Return 3 weeks after you submit it. You can check this tax year and the 3 prior years.
You’ll need your SSN, date of birth, and ZIP code. Allow 8–12 weeks for processing, and up to 16 weeks in some cases.
What to Do if Your Refund Check Is Lost
A refund trace asks the IRS to find a missing check. Your check should arrive within 4 weeks of its issue date. If it doesn’t, your filing status determines how to start a trace.
| Filing status | How to start a refund trace |
|---|---|
| Single, married filing separately, or head of household | Use the refund tracker or IRS app (current year only), or call 800-829-1954 |
| Married filing jointly | Call 800-829-1040 or send Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund |
