In this series:
How to file your taxes: step by step
Check if you need to file
Gather your documents
Get credits and deductions
File your return
Get your refund
Pay taxes on time
Be ready to file taxes next year
How refunds work
If you paid more through the year than you owe in tax, you may get money back. Even if you didn't pay tax, you may still get a refund if you qualify for a refundable credit. To get your refund, you must file a return. You have 3 years to claim a tax refund.
Refund: Claim it or lose it (video, 2:05).
Check your refund
If you e-file your return, you can usually see your refund status after about 48 hours with Where's My Refund? You can get your refund information for the current year and past 2 years.
Check your refund on an amended return
Amended returns take up to 3 weeks to show up in our system and up to 16 weeks to process. To check on an amended return, visit Where's My Amended Return?
When to expect your refund
To process your refund, it usually takes:
-
Up to 21 days for an e-filed return
-
4 weeks or more for amended returns and returns sent by mail
-
Longer if your return needs corrections or extra review
The timing of your refund may change if you:
- Claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit
- File a paper return
- File an amended return
- Request injured spouse relief
- File a Form 1040-NR, Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return (can take up to 6 months)
- Make an error on your return
- File with an individual taxpayer ID number
- Have a refund over $2 million
Choose how to get your refund
You can get your refund by:
Direct deposit: This is the fastest way to get your refund. Deposit into your checking, savings, or retirement account. You can split your refund into up to 3 accounts.
Paper check: We'll mail your check to the address on your return. Notify us if you changed your address.
Prepaid debit card: Check with your bank or card provider to see if your card will work and which account numbers to use.
Mobile payment apps: Some apps accept direct deposits.
Traditional, Roth or SEP-IRA: Deposit into your existing IRA account.
Plan next year's refund
To get a bigger or smaller refund next filing season, adjust the taxes you pay through the year with the Tax Withholding Estimator.
Solve a refund problem
If your refund isn't what you expected, it may be because:
- We corrected mistakes on your return. You'll get a notice explaining the changes. Details are also in Where's My Refund?
- Your refund was used to pay your IRS tax balance or certain state or federal debts.
- Your refund from a joint return was applied to your spouse's debts.
If your refund is missing or destroyed, request a replacement check.
If you entered the wrong account or routing number, call us at 800-829-1040 to stop the deposit. If it's already deposited to another account, you must contact your bank to recover your funds.
If you got a paper check instead of direct deposit, it’s because:
- The account is not under your name, your spouse's name or a joint account
- Your financial institution rejected a direct deposit
- You requested more than 3 electronic refunds into 1 account
If you get a refund you're not entitled to, promptly return it to us.
Phone help
Where's My Refund has the latest information on your return. If you don't have internet, call the automated refund hotline at 800-829-1954 for a current-year refund or 866-464-2050 for an amended return.
If you think we made a mistake with your refund, check Where's My Refund or your online account for details.