How to check the status of your Tax Refund Online

So, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that you are getting a tax refund. Congratulations! The question for most taxpayers expecting a return is: "Where's my refund?"

Check your refund status online

The easiest way to verify the refund is to ask the IRS through IRS.gov. On the home page of the site, you will see a "Where's my refund?" links. Using the service is quite easy. You will need a copy of your tax return to provide the information necessary to obtain the status of the refund. In particular, you must provide your social security number, is the state tax filing and the exact amount of the refund. The reason the IRS requires all of this information is purely for safety reasons, ie, the agency wants to make sure it is giving access only to the taxpayer. Again, all this information should be on your return. If not, something is very wrong!

After submitting the requested information, the IRS will provide online results typically showing:

1. That the return was received and is being processed;

2. The date of shipment or the date the direct deposit refund, or

3. If the refund could not be released because of a delivery problem.

In some cases, the results may alert the user that the IRS is considering a tax return because of errors or questionable entries. In this case, it is highly recommended to review your return with a qualified tax professional and absolutely sure that the return will stand up to examination.

How long should one wait before you check?

If you have submitted your tax return electronically, you should be able to access the status of refunds within 48 to 72 hours. Since the return is in the electronic database, must be treated in the system quickly enough. If you do not submit the return electronically, you are going to wait three weeks or more before the status of your return can be controlled. As you can imagine, the IRS is receiving an enormous amount of paper tax returns and it takes time to organize and enter the returns into the system.

How long does it take to receive the tax refund?

If you expect a refund, the time to issue the refund will depend on how the return filed. If you have submitted a paper statement by mail, you refund should be issued in six to eight weeks from the date of receipt by the IRS. Alternatively, if the return is filed electronically, you should expect to receive your refund in three or four weeks. If you choose to have your refund directly deposited into your bank account, you should take a week off of the estimates above ....