Could My Tax Refund Be Held Up
The IRS has a list of reasons your refund could potentially be delayed.
- Your tax return has errors.
- Its incomplete.
- Your refund has been affected by identity theft or fraud.
- You filed for the earned income tax credit or additional child tax credit.
- Your return needs further review.
- Your return includes Form 8379 , injured spouse allocation this could take 14 weeks to process.
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Got More Tax Refund Questions We Have Answers
One way is to qualify for more tax deductions and tax credits. They can be huge money-savers if you know what they are, how they work and how to pursue them. Here’s a list of 20 popular ones to get you started.
But beware of big tax refunds. They’re a direct result of overpaying your taxes all year, and that often happens because you’re having too much tax withheld from your paychecks. Get that money in your hands now by adjusting your Form W-4 at work. Here’s how to do it.
Yes. Simply provide your direct deposit account information on your Form 1040 or 1040-SR when you file. If you file IRS Form 8888 with your tax return, you can even tell the IRS to split the money up and deposit it into as many as three different investment accounts. Here’s how to do it.
Yes. Simply provide your direct deposit account information on your Form 1040 or 1040-SR when you file. If you file IRS Form 8888 with your tax return, you can even tell the IRS to split the money up and deposit it into as many as three different investment accounts. Here’s how to do it. Note that you’ll need to have an IRA account first. Here’s how to do that, too.
If you’re behind on your taxes, the IRS will withhold what you owe from your federal tax refund. You’ll get a letter from the IRS explaining what it adjusted.
You can fix it by filing an amended tax return using IRS Form 1040X. Here’s how to do it.
How To Check The Status Of Your Coronavirus Stimulus Check
If you’re trying to find out the status of your coronavirus stimulus payment, go to the IRS’s Get My Payment page. You can learn whether your payment has been issued, and if it’s coming by direct deposit or mailed check.
Learn more about the stimulus payments, including whether you qualify for one and what, if anything, you may have to do to get yours.
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Tracking Your Tax Refund Online
What If You Filed An Amended Return

You might have to amend your tax return if you overlooked a key income statement or forgot to claim a valuable deduction. Amending your return might be necessary to calculate the correct amount of taxes owed or the refund that’s due to you. You can still track the refund’s status through the IRS website if you file an amended return.
Just plug in your Social Security number, your date of birth, and your ZIP code. An amended return can take up to three weeks to show up in the IRS system after you send it, and another 16 weeks to process, so you might need to be patient as you wait out the arrival of your refund.
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Why Would My Tax Refund Come In The Mail
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. Some are noticing that like the stimulus checks, the first few payments for the child tax credit were mailed. Just in case, parents should sign in to the IRS portal to check that the agency has their correct banking information. If not, parents can add it for the next payment.
For more information about your money, here’s the latest on federal unemployment benefits and how the child tax credit could affect your taxes in 2022.
Are You Entitled To Receive Interest On Your Refund
Yes, the Canada Revenue Agency will pay you compound daily interest on your tax refund. The CRA will start paying refund interest on the latest of the following 3 dates:
- the date of the overpayment
- the 120th day after the end of the tax year if the return for the year is filed on time
- the 30th day after the date the return was filed if it is filed late
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Uncle Sam Expects You To Pay Your Taxes On Time Every Year But If The Federal Government Owes You A Refund Youd Probably Like To Get It Sooner Rather Than Later
Once youve filed your federal income tax return and know youre expecting a refund, you can track it through the Wheres My Refund tool from the IRS.
But before you log in to check on your money, there are some things to know about federal refunds, including how long it can take to get one, what might slow yours down and why the amount you ultimately get can differ from what you expected.
How Long Will I Have To Wait For My Federal Refund Check To Arrive
The IRS usually issues tax refunds within three weeks, but some taxpayers have been waiting months to receive their payments. If there are any errors, or if you filed a claim for an earned income tax credit or the child tax credit, the wait could be lengthy. If there is an issue holding up your return, the 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 its website.
The date you get your tax refund also depends on how you filed your return. For example, with refunds going into your bank account via direct deposit, it could take an additional five days for your bank to post the money to your account. This means if it took the IRS the full 21 days to issue your check and your bank five days to post it, you could be waiting a total of 26 days to get your money. 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.
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Ways To Get Your Refund Faster
Theres no magic wand that will make your refund arrive instantly. But there are a few steps you can take to potentially speed up the process.
How To Track An Income Tax Return
It takes about 48 hours for the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, to receive an electronically filed return, and two to three weeks before IRS begins processing a mailed-in return. After both respective time frames have elapsed, it is fairly easy to determine the status of your income tax return. You can use two techniques to obtain updates on submitted income tax return.
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Undelivered Federal Tax Refund Checks
Refund checks are mailed to your last known address. If you move without notifying the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service , your refund check may be returned to the IRS.
If you were expecting a federal tax refund and did not receive it, check the IRS’Wheres My Refund page. You’ll need to enter your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund. You may be prompted to change your address online.
You can also to check on the status of your refund. Wait times to speak with a representative can be long. But, you can avoid waiting by using the automated phone system. Follow the message prompts when you call.
If you move, submit a Change of Address – Form 8822 to the IRS you should also submit a Change of Address to the USPS.
Use The Irswheres My Refund Online Tool

Since 2003, the IRS has provided an online tool that lets you track the status of your refund electronically. You can access the tool, called Wheres My Refund?, as soon as 24 hours after you e-file your tax return . You can also download the IRS2Go app to track your tax refund on your mobile device.
Youll need the following information to check the status of your refund online:
- Social Security number or ITIN .
- Filing status .
- Exact amount of the refund listed on your tax return.
Once you input the required data, youll encounter one of three status settings.
The IRS updates refund status once a day, usually overnight.
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Tracking Refunds From Amended Tax Returns
Refund information for an amended federal income tax return on Form 1040X isn’t available on “Where’s My Refund” portal. But there is a resource you can use to track the status of an amended return for the current tax year and up to three prior tax years. Not surprisingly, it’s called the “Where’s My Amended Return” portal.
To access the tool, you’ll need to provide your Social Security number, date of birth, and zip code. It can take up to 3 weeks after you mailed it for an amended return to show up in the portal. Processing an amended return can take up to 16 weeks. The “Where’s My Amended Return” tool will let you know if your amended return is received, adjusted, or completed.
Tracking Amended Tax Returns
Filing an amended tax return can be a pain. Yet, if you do have to file an amended return for any reason, the good news is you may still be able to track its status online using the Wheres My Amended Return tool. But be patient, as the IRS says an amended return can take three weeks after you mailed it to show up in their system and processing can take up to 16 weeks.
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What Edition Of Turbotax Is Right For Me
Answer a few simple questions on our product recommender and we can help guide you to the right edition that will reflect your individual circumstances.
You can always start your return in TurboTax Free, and if you feel the need for additional assistance, you can upgrade to any of our paid editions or get live help from an expert with our Assist & Review or Full Service. But dont worry, while using the online version of the software when you choose to upgrade, your information is instantly carried over so you can pick up right where you left off.
With more than 20 years experience helping Canadians file their taxes confidently and get all the money they deserve, TurboTax products, including TurboTax Free, are available at www.turbotax.ca.
Checking The Status Of A Federal Tax Return Online
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Heres How Taxpayers Can Track The Status Of Their Refund
COVID Tax Tip 2021-39, March 30, 2021
Tracking the status of a tax refund is easy with the Where’s My Refund? tool. It’s conveniently accessible at IRS.gov or through the IRS2Go App.
Taxpayers can start checking their refund status within 24 hours after an e-filed return is received.
How To Track Your Federal Tax Refund If It Hasn’t Arrived Yet
If you just filed recently, you should know your federal tax refund check could take up to 120 days to arrive. Here’s what else we found.
If you see “IRS TREAS 310” on your bank statement, it could be your income tax refund.
Whether you’ve already filed your taxes or you’re planning to do so by the final due date — that’s Oct. 15 if you file a tax extension — you’ll need to know how to track your refund. Be aware that the IRS is still facing a backlog of unprocessed individual returns, 2020 returns with errors and amended returns that require corrections or special handling. And while refunds typically take around 21 days to process, the IRS says delays could be up to 120 days.
The tax agency is also juggling stimulus checks, child tax credit payment problems and refunds for tax overpayment on unemployment benefits. The money could give families some financial relief but an overdue tax refund could also be a big help. If you don’t file your 2020 tax return soon, you’ll likely owe late fees or more interest — and you could be missing out on your tax refund, stimulus checks or child tax credit payments, which you may only be eligible for with your 2020 tax return.
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What Do The Tax Return Status Messages Mean
Both the IRS tools 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 youre owed one.
- Sent: Your refund is now on its way to your bank via direct deposit or as a paper check to your mailbox.
How Can I Get My Refund Faster

Filing a complete, error-free return can make it easier for the IRS to process any refund youre owed in a timely manner. If the IRS needs additional information or to communicate with you about a mistake on your return, your refund could be delayed. Also, e-filed returns tend to get faster refunds than paper returns mailed to the IRS. So if you want your refund as soon as possible, e-filing an accurate return is probably the way to go.
Whether you mail or e-file, the IRS also recommends choosing to have your refund directly deposited into your bank account, rather than requesting a paper refund check. The IRS calls direct deposit the safest, fastest way to receive your refund.
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