How Long Will My Tax Return Take

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Exact Answer: Up To 9 Weeks

Why is your tax return taking so long?

The Internal Revenue Service aims to process most returns within 24 hours of receipt, but it can take up to three or nine for a tax refund after identity verification. The IRS advises that if you expect a return and have not received your funds, you should first verify your identity with the IRS before contacting them.

The IRS will need one or more documents proving who you are and where you live before they can process any refunds. After verifying your identity with the IRS, contact them to inquire about your refund status.

Lets see in detail whats all the fuss is about:

Why Is My Refund Different Than The Amount On The Tax Return I Filed

All or part of your refund may have been used to pay off past-due federal tax, state income tax, state unemployment compensation debts, child support, spousal support, or other federal nontax debts, such as student loans. To find out if you may have an offset or if you have questions about an offset, contact the agency to which you owe the debt.

We also may have changed your refund amount because we made changes to your tax return. This may include corrections to any incorrect Recovery Rebate Credit or Child Tax Credit amounts. Youll get a notice explaining the changes. Wheres My Refund? will reflect the reasons for the refund offset or different refund amount when it relates to a change in your tax return.

Tax Topic 203, Refund Offsets for Unpaid Child Support, Certain Federal and State Debts, and Unemployment Compensation Debts has more information about refund offsets.

How Long Does It Take To Get A Tax Return In Canada 2022

Youve diligently gathered your tax slips, tallied up your deductions, and even painstakingly calculated your work from home tax credit.

Youve filed your taxes, either online or in person, and now youre waiting for your return. But just how long is that going to take?

If youre waiting on a large refund, the time between filing and receiving your refund can seem like an eternity.

In this Wealth Rocket article, weâll take a look at how long youre going to have to wait to receive your tax return in Canada this year.

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How Returns/refunds Can Be Delayed

The quickest way to get your tax return processed is to file it electronically. Even so, your refund can be delayed for a number of reasons, including:

  • Your contact information has changed. If the CRA needs to get in touch with you to verify some information on your return and does not have your up-to-date contact information, it will take longer to process your return.
  • Errors on your return. Misreporting income or expenses can delay your return and put you at risk of an audit by the CRA.
  • Your return was randomly chosen for an audit.
  • You have large year-over-year changes in your deduction claims.
  • If you have been previously reassessed or penalized.
  • You have a balance owing from previous years.

Does Still Being Processed Mean Audit

How Long Does It Take To Process An Electronic Tax Return

If my refund on the IRS website says still processing does it mean I will be audited? There’s absolutely no reason to necessarily think that you’re under review or that an audit is pending, so please don’t worry. The “processing” message you see is perfectly normal. In fact, the messages and bars on the IRS.

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Check The Status Of Your Return

The fastest way to check the status of your return or refund is through your CRA My Account. You can find your most recent tax return status on the Overview page.

You can see more details by clicking Go toTax returns. If you click this link, make sure youre looking at the correct row . The CRA My Account system also displays the status of your 2022 return.

You can also check with the CRA, or you can see if youve successfully submitted your return using Wealthsimple Tax.

Note:

Irs Tax Tracker: How Long Does It Take For Irs To Approve Refund

All the key information you need to know

Tax season remains in full swing in the United States, but for anyone who might be expecting a tax refund this year, you might be wondering when the Internal Revenue Service give the green light for you to receive this money.

Once you have filed a complete paper tax return that contains no errors, you can expect your refund to be issued by the IRS roughly six to eight weeks from the date that they receive your return.

For anyone who filed their tax return electronically, however, you can expect your refund to be issued in less than three weeks. If you chose direct deposit, this can be even faster.

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Some Tax Returns Take Longer To Process Than Others For Many Reasons Including When A Return:

  • Is filed on paper
  • Needs further review in general
  • Is affected by identity theft or fraud
  • Includes a claim filed for an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit. See Q& A below.
  • Includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse AllocationPDF, which could take up to 14 weeks to process

For the latest information on IRS refund processing during the COVID-19 pandemic, see the IRS Operations Status page.

We will contact you by mail when we need more information to process your return. If were still processing your return or correcting an error, neither Wheres My Refund? or our phone representatives will be able to provide you with your specific refund date. Please check Wheres My Refund? for updated information on your refund.

Filing Taxes Yourself: Pros And Cons

How long do you need to wait for your tax refund?

To file taxes yourself, you will need to gather all of the necessary paperwork, download the tax forms from the IRS website, fill them out in their entirety, and submit them yourself. You dont need to submit a paper tax return, however. You can choose to e-file through the IRS website, as well. E-filing through the IRS website is free for everyone, and those with qualifying income below a certain threshold can even receive free tax help.

Pros:

  • This method saves money because you dont need to pay a tax preparer or spend money on tax preparation software.
  • This method also keeps you in the drivers seat and provides you with complete control over your finances.
  • You are on your own schedule when you file your taxes , meaning you can work on your taxes all at once or over several days and dont need to coordinate schedules with a tax professional.

Cons:

  • It almost certainly takes more time on your part to complete your tax filing on your own.
  • Interpreting tax instructions and documentation can be challenging, and filing your own return requires a great deal of comfort with personal finance.
  • You carry all the error risk yourself, whereas accountants often offer guarantees against potential audits.
  • You may also miss certain tax credits if youre not aware of them, which could end up costing you more in the end, even though you didnt have to pay to have your return prepared.

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How Long Does It Take To Get Your Tax Refund

Many Americans look forward to receiving their tax refund each year to help make important personal finance decisions, and you may be wondering how soon youll get yours. The time it takes to receive your tax refund can vary based on several factors, including when and how you file your tax return.

According to the IRS, the best way to avoid delays on your tax refund is to file an accurate tax return using e-file software to file electronically and opting to receive your refund via direct deposit. Most filers who use this method should receive their refunds within 21 days of submitting their return online.

If you mail your return, you can expect to receive your refund in about six to eight weeks from the date the IRS receives your return. You can choose to receive your refund as a check in the mail, but keep in mind that you will likely receive your refund anywhere from a few days to a few weeks later than you would have with direct deposit due to transit time.

Whether filed electronically or on paper, all returns are opened and processed by the IRS in the order they are received, so the earlier you file your taxes, the earlier youll receive a refund.

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Why Is It Taking So Long

If youre expecting to receive a tax refund and over 21 days have passed since the initial filing, then its likely your return is taking longer to process.

The IRS aims to have returns sent within 21 calendar days of receiving, but they also note that refunds can be delayed due to issues with processing.

Your refund may be delayed due to an error in application, or an incomplete tax return. In this scenario, you are likely to receive further instructions from the IRS, detailing how to proceed.

Additionally, a refund may be delayed if youve claimed for Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit .

These returns are unable to be issued until mid-February, and have to be held by the IRS until then under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 .

If you have claimed these refunds, then the IRS expects them to be available by early March. However, any other issues with the application might further delay a refund.

Check Wheres My Refund?, which should provide details related to ACTC or EITC returns.

A refund may also be delayed if the IRS suspects possible identity theft or tax fraud. You can expect to hear from the IRS directly if this is the case.

Alternatively, if you have filed a paper return, you may be stuck in a backlog. If you want a speedy return, its better to file electronically.

These tend to be processed quicker, allowing you access to your refund faster.

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Investigations Take Time And Your Tax Refund Might Follow Suit

If youve ever suffered from that sinking feeling after carefully preparing to e-file your taxes only to be told by the IRS website that you have, apparently, already filed a return, then youre not alone. Unfortunately, while the IRS continues to make significant progress in reducing tax identity theft , many of us are still affected by this hugely stressful occurrence.

The reason is that criminals will often have gotten hold of your Social Security number and subsequently use it to file a fake tax return in your name. The outcome is that they may be able to claim the tax refund that should have been coming your way. While you miss out on the money, youre also left with the resulting administrative mess to clear up.

Whats more, despite this situation, youll still be required to let the IRS know of the problem, although they may have contacted you already in some cases. On top of that, youll still need to file your genuine tax return. Finally, youll be back in the queue waiting for your tax refund if theres one due to be paid. Its a hassle, for sure.

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Why Is Your Refund Different Than You Expected

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Errors or missing information

If your tax return had one or more errors, we may need to adjust your return leading to a different refund amount than you claimed on your return. We will send you a letter explaining the adjustments we made and how they affected your refund. If you have questions about the change, please call Customer Services.

Tax refund offsets – applying all or part of your refund toward eligible debts
  • If you owe Virginia state taxes for any previous tax years, we will withhold all or part of your refund and apply it to your outstanding tax bills. We will send you a letter explaining the specific bills and how much of your refund was applied. If you have questions or think the refund was reduced in error, please contact us.
  • If you owe money to Virginia local governments, courts, other state agencies, the IRS, or certain federal government agencies we will withhold all or part of your refund to help pay these debts. We will send you a letter with the name and contact information of the agency making the claim, and the amount of your refund applied to the debt. We do not have any information about these debts. If you think a claim was made in error or have any questions about the debt your refund was applied to, you’ll need call the agency that made the claim.

If you have a remaining refund balance after your debts are paid, we will send a check to the address on your most recent tax return. We cannot issue reduced refunds by direct deposit.

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Can You Still Apply For The Employee Retention Credit In 2022

Yes, you can still apply for the ERC in 2022 and 2023 by submitting an amended payroll tax return claiming the Employee Retention Credit for the specific quarters in which your company qualifies. You must file your amended 941-X tax return within three years of the date you filed your original 941 payroll tax document.

Common Reasons For A Tax Refund Delay

While its your tax agents job to help you check, maximise and lodge your tax return to the ATO in a timely manner, there are some reasons out of our control that may cause a delay in your tax refund.

For example, if you:

  • didnt include all your income sources,
  • added unusual deductions for someone in your industry,
  • have an insolvency account and owe money,
  • owe money to child support or another government agency,
  • have an outstanding ATO debt,
  • were just unlucky and the ATO decided to audit returns in your industry or with your type of deductions. .

Note: Tax returns are only ever held up by the Australian Tax Office, not your tax agent. At Etax we want you to get your tax refund as quick as possible, so its never in our interest to slow things down. Rather, its our job to work with you to overcome any delays caused by the ATO and get your tax refund back and into your bank account.

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Amended Returns Must Be Filed By Paper For The Following Reasons:

  • Only Tax Year 2019, 2020, and 2021 1040 and 1040-SR returns, and Tax Year 2021 Form 1040-NR and 1040-SS/PR returns can be amended electronically at this time. Amended/Corrected Returns for any other tax years or tax types must be filed by paper.
  • If amending a prior year return, and the original return for that year was filed on paper during the current processing year, then the amended return must be filed by paper.
  • Im Counting On My Refund For Something Important Can I Expect To Receive It In 21 Days

    Here’s how long it will take to get your tax refund

    Many different factors can affect the timing of your refund after we receive your return. Even though we issue most refunds in less than 21 days, its possible your refund may take longer. Also, remember to take into consideration the time it takes for your financial institution to post the refund to your account or for you to receive it by mail.

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    Is There A Deadline For Erc Submission

    There is a sunset style deadline to submit the ERC that begins closing on a rolling basis starting March 31st, 2023. After this date, you can no longer claim the ERC tax credit for quarter one of 2020. Thats because you have three years to file an amended tax return, starting from the date you filed your 941 for that quarter. This means you can look back up to three years and retroactively claim an ERC refund check on taxes you paid during the pandemic. After March 31st, 2023, the ERC sunset begins, and each quarter that goes by is another quarter you lose a potential ERC credit. Your last chance to submit an ERC claim would be September 30th, 2024 at which point you can only make a claim for quarter three of 2021.

    While the ERC is scheduled to sunset throughout 2023 and 24, the U.S. Congress can also choose to end this special tax refund at any time. Thats why its critical to file your amended payroll tax return claiming the ERC as soon as possible.

    What To Do Once Your Refund Arrives

    For many people, their IRS tax refund is the biggest check they receive all year, the IRS says. In anticipation of your windfall, its wise to have a plan for how youre going to use your windfall. Deciding how to spend, save or invest the money in advance can help stop the shopping impulse from getting the best of you.

    Your refund is yours to use how you see fit and can be used to help pay for day-to-day expenses or invested for long-term financial stability.

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    Why Would An Amended Tax Return Take So Long

    There are a few reasons why it might take a long time for the IRS to process an amended tax return.

    One possibility is that the IRS may need to contact the taxpayer or their representative for additional information. Another possibility is that the IRS may need to review prior tax returns to determine how the amendment affects the taxpayers overall tax liability.

    Finally, another reason it may take a long time for an amended return to be processed is the high volume of returns received by the IRS during tax season.

    The best way to ensure that ones amended return is processed as quickly as possible is by following the instructions carefully. Be sure to include all necessary forms and documents, and double-check ones work before submitting it. If one has any questions, be sure to contact the IRS directly.

    Filing an amended tax return can have several benefits, including:

  • Updating ones income and deductions to reflect actual amounts
  • Claiming additional credits or deductions a taxpayer may be eligible for
  • Receiving a refund if one underpaid taxes due to incorrect information on the original return
  • Restoring ones eligibility for certain tax breaks or credits that were reduced or eliminated due to errors on the original return.
  • Consult a tax professional to learn more about the specific benefits of filing an amended return for ones situation.

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