What information you’ll need
Information that’s typically required to check your refund status includes:
- Your Social Security number or ITIN
- Your filing status
- The exact whole-dollar amount of your expected refund
- Tax year of the return you’re checking the status of
- Zip code
When to check your state refund status
There’s no standardized guideline for state refund processing, so check your specific state’s estimated timeline. While the IRS typically issues refunds within 21 days, states move at their own pace. Some can take as few as two weeks; others take two months or more. In general, e-filed returns are processed much faster than paper returns.
If your state’s estimated processing time has passed and you still don’t see an update, contact your state’s tax agency directly.
Common reasons for a delay
A paper return, a math error, or a state’s own identity-verification review can all slow things down. If your state uses extra fraud checks (common during peak filing season), expect a longer wait even if nothing is wrong with your return. If your refund is reduced unexpectedly, it may have gone toward a debt through a refund offset.
