Why Haven’t I Gotten My Refund Yet
There are numerous reasons why your tax return may not have been completely processed yet, resulting in a delayed refund. Here are the most common.
- Your return had errors or was incomplete
- You owe the IRS money
- Your bank account info was incorrect
- You filed a paper return
- You didn’t properly enter your stimulus payments
- The IRS suspects identity theft
- You filed an amended return
- Your return needs further review
In testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee, IRS Commissioner Charles P. Retting said that, in 2021, the agency received “far more than 10 million returns” in which taxpayers failed to properly reconcile their stimulus payments with their recovery rebate credit, which required 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.
If you’ve requested a paper check for your tax refund, that’ll take longer, too — about six to eight weeks, according to the IRS.
Wheres My State Tax Refund Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue allows you to check the status of your refund on the MassTax Connect page. Simply click on the Wheres my refund? link. When the state approves your refund, you will be able to see the date when it direct-deposited or mailed your refund.
The turnaround time for refunds, according to the state, is four to six weeks if you filed electronically and elect for direct deposit. You can expect a turnaround time of eight to 10 weeks if you filed a paper return and chose direct deposit. If you opted to get your refund as a paper check, you can expect to wait about one week longer than the times mentioned above.
Tips For Managing Your Taxes
- Working with a financial advisor could help you invest your tax refund and optimize a tax strategy for your financial needs and goals. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free toolmatches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- Each state will process tax returns at a different pace. On the other hand, the IRS generally processes federal returns at the same pace, no matter where you live. Heres a federal refund schedule to give you an idea of when to expect your refund.
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Wheres My State Tax Refund Louisiana
The status of your Louisiana tax refund is available by visiting the Louisiana Taxpayer Access Point page and clicking on Wheres My Refund? at the bottom. You will need to enter your SSN and your filing status.
Refund processing time for e-filed returns is up to 60 days. Those who filed paper returns can expect to wait 12 to 14 weeks. As with many other states, these time frames are longer than in years past. Louisiana is implementing measures to prevent fraudulent returns and this has increased processing times.
Don’t Call With Tax Faqs Or For Help Filing
First, let’s address when it’s not appropriate to call the IRS. You can dial them up any time you like, but who wants to get put on hold if your question can be answered somewhere else?
Start by talking with your tax accountant. You’re already paying this person to prepare your return, and they have all the documentation at their fingertips to answer questions about your personal situation. If you aren’t working with a CPA, software such as TurboTax typically offers a way to chat with a specialist or have your questions reviewed.
But if you think your question is best answered by an IRS employee, visit their website before calling. Many questions can be answered through the website.
“The IRS has some interactive tools online you can try first,” says Alex Oware, a tax expert with JustAnswer, an expert-connection site.
A couple of tips: Don’t call with questions about filing dates or to get advice. That’s what your accountant and non-IRS tax professionals are for.
“The IRS usually doesn’t provide advice on the phone because they don’t want that risk,” Oware says.
And don’t call asking for updates on the status of your return. That info is easily found online through the refund status tool.
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How To Get Through To The Irs
Whatâs a taxpayer to do if you have questions and the information in your online account doesnât solve the mystery? What if the IRS sends you a billing notice for something you already paid?
Your first step should be to check your online account at IRS.gov. This free account is free to set up, and allows you to view information about your balances, prior tax records, payments and economic impact payments .
If your online account doesnât have the information you need, Bell offers a few tips for maintaining your cool as you navigate IRS systems during this incredibly trying time.
Visit The Local Irs Office
Of course, you can go to your local IRS office and speak to an IRS representative. The IRS has Taxpayer Assistance Center offices everywhere. All states have such offices.
But you must remember to book an appointment first. You cannot just go to your local IRS office unexpectedly. Call the IRS at 844-545-5640 and make an appointment early on.
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About Where’s My Refund
Use Where’s My Refund to check the status of individual income tax returns and amended individual income tax returns you’ve filed within the last year.
Be sure to use the same information used on your return: Social Security Number, Tax Year, and Refund Amount.
If you submitted your return electronically, please allow up to a week for your information to be entered into our system.
Watch Out For Irs Phone Scams
You can call every IRS phone number you want, but the IRS will rarely call you. It initiates most contacts, including demands for payment, through regular mail from the U.S. Postal Service. In special circumstances, the agency will call or come to a home or business when:
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A taxpayer has an overdue tax bill.
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To secure a delinquent tax return.
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To secure a delinquent employment tax payment.
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To tour a business as part of an IRS audit or during criminal investigations.
Avoid tax scams. The IRS does not:
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Initiate contact with you via email, text or social media.
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Ask you to pay your tax bill with prepaid cards, gift cards or wire transfers.
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Threaten to call the police, immigration officers or other people to arrest you.
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Revoke your drivers license, business license or immigration status.
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Wheres My State Tax Refund West Virginia
Check on your state tax return by visiting the West Virginia State Tax Departments website. On the right side of the page, you will see a link called Wheres My Refund? This link will take you to the refund status page. Enter your SSN, the tax year and the amount of your refund in order to check your status.
Wheres My State Tax Refund Georgia
Track your Georgia tax refund by visiting the Georgia Tax Center and clicking on Wheres my Refund? in the middle of the page under Individuals. You will be able to check returns for the current tax year and as far back as four years ago. It is possible for a refund to take as long as 90 days to process. If you have not received a refund or notification within that time, contact the states revenue department.
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Wheres My State Tax Refund Idaho
Learn more about your tax return by visiting the Idaho State Tax Commissions Refund Info page. From there you can click on Wheres My Refund? to enter your information and see the status of your refund.
Taxpayers who e-file can expect their refunds in about seven to eight weeks after they receive a confirmation for filing their states return. Those who file a paper return can expect refunds to take 10 to 11 weeks.
If you receive a notice saying that more information is necessary to process your return, you will need to send the information before you can get a refund. Once the state receives that additional information, you can expect it to take six weeks to finish processing your refund.
Identity Verification & Validation Key
In the best interest of all our taxpayers, the Colorado Department of Revenue implements measures to detect and prevent identity theft-related refund fraud. Fraud detection, along with verification that claims made on an individual income tax return are valid and the documentation is submitted with the returns, are part of the process of ensuring the return is correct and complete and that taxpayers receive the refund amount to which they are entitled. Please be aware that these measures, meant to ensure state tax dollars are going to the right person, could delay individual income tax refunds up to 60 days beyond the time frames of prior years.
To verify your identity, the Department may request the following:
- Validation Key: the Department has a “Validation Key” process where information will be requested to be entered on Revenue Online to validate their Colorado refund. Visit the Identity Verification web page for more information.
- Copy of Driver License or ID
- Copy of a document containing your name and address
- Copy of W-2 and/or 1099 claiming Colorado tax withholding
- Refund Amount
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Why Do I See A Tax Topic 151 Tax Topic 152 Or Irs Error Message
Although the Where’s My Refund tool typically shows a status of Received, Approved or Sent, there are a variety of other messages some users may see.
One of the most common is Tax Topic 152, indicating 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.
The delay could be an automated message for taxpayers claiming the child tax credit or earned income tax credit sent because of additional fraud protection steps.
Tax Topic 151 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 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 other IRS refund codes that a small percentage of tax filers receive, indicating freezes, math errors on tax returns or undelivered checks. The College Investor offers a list of IRS refund reference codes and errors and their meaning.
How Do I Reach A Real Person At The Irs
Before calling the IRS, take a deep breath with me.
Please remember that there are some wonderful people working at the IRS. They have families and souls, just like the rest of us. They pay taxes and have to follow the same laws that we do.
With that being said, here are the steps you need to take to reach a real person on the phone at the IRS.
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Keep Calling And Stay Prepared
The process of calling the IRS can be daunting. You may work your way through automated systems only to be stuck on hold for hours, taking time out of your day.
But Bell says you may need to call often to reach a representative. He recommends calling early in the morning or just before the IRS phone lines close for your time zone. You may be able to avoid crowds on the phone lines by calling first thing in the morning or as the day winds down.
But whenever you call, Bell says to be prepared so you can get the help you need when you do reach an IRS agent.
âCitizens may think that once they reach the IRS, theyâve got a live person, that the agent knows about their particular case.â But Bell warns they donât have that info in front of them instantly, so itâs important to have all your information ready to answer the agentâs questions. Have a copy of your most recent return, your previous yearâs return, and any notices from the IRS handy.
In many cases, youâll need to reference information on your previous yearâs taxes to verify your identity during your conversation, such as your adjusted gross income. If your most recent tax return is still processing, and you donât have your old return nearby, youâll have wasted your time on hold because the agent wonât be able to help you, Bell warns.
How To Contact An Irs Agent Directly
When youre having a hard time finding an IRS agent to talk to, you should follow a certain procedure to eventually connect to the IRS customer service. You must go through several steps, but fortunately, the IRS system makes it possible to use this method for now.
Over time, the system may be updated by the IRS therefore, the way you can speak with an agent directly may change too. For now, here is the one thing you can do to talk to a real person from the IRS:
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Wheres My State Tax Refund Kansas
If youre waiting for a tax refund from Kansas, simply visit the Income and Homestead Refund Status page. There you can check the status of income and homestead tax refunds. You can also check your refund status using an automated phone service.
Taxpayers who filed electronically can expect their refund to arrive in 10 to 14 business days. This is from the date when the state accepted your return. If you filed a paper return, you will receive your refund as a paper check. The state advises people that a paper refund could take 16 to 20 weeks to arrive.
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There Are Different Ways You Can File Your Tax Return
Canadians are welcome to file their income tax and benefit return using other methods, such as online with certified tax-filing software, on paper, through a tax preparer, or with the help of a free tax preparation clinic offered through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. To find out more about local clinics, visit canada.ca/taxes-help.
Wheres My State Tax Refund Utah
You can check the status of your refund by going to the states Taxpayer Access Point website. On that page, you can find the Wheres My Refund? link on the right side.
Due to identity protection measures, the Utah State Tax Commission advises that taxpayers should allow 120 days for a refund to get processed. The earliest you can hope for a refund is March 1.
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