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.
How To Check The Status Of Your Tax Return
You should be able to check IRS tax refund status roughly 24 hours after you receive confirmation from the IRS that they have received your tax refund via e-File. You will need to wait at least four weeks if you mailed in your tax return.
The best way to check the status of your federal tax refund is to visit the Wheres My Refund page at the IRS website.
What you will need:
- Exact refund amount
You can also call the IRS at 1-800-829-1954 or 1-800-829-4477 or 1-800-829-1040 and inquire about your tax return status with an IRS customer service representative. Note that the IRS only updates tax return statuses once a day during the week, usually between midnight and 6 a.m. They do not update the status more than once a day, so checking throughout the day will not give you a different result.
Should I call the IRS to check my federal tax refund status?
The IRS has stated you should only call them if it has been:
- 21 days or more since you e-filed
- Six weeks or more since you mailed your return, or when
- Wheres My Refund tells you to contact the IRS
How Much Will My Tax Refund Be
The money will be returned to eligible taxpayers by the state Department of Revenue in proportion to their personal income tax liability in Massachusetts incurred in the immediately preceding taxable year — Tax Year 2021. The administration said eligible taxpayers will receive a credit in the form of a refund that is approximately 14% of their Massachusetts Tax Year 2021 personal income tax liability.
As an example, a person who made $50,000 last year, and paid the state back $2,500, could get about $350 back.
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How Much Interest Does The Irs Owe Me
If you filed a proper return on time and the IRS does not issue your refund within 45 days after accepting it, the agency is required to start paying interest on your refund amount.
As of July 1, the interest rate rose from 4% to 5% as a result of the Federal Reserve’s recent decision to raise the federal funds rate. If you electronically filed on time, the 45-day period started on April 18. If you filed a paper return, it began the day that the IRS marked your return as “accepted.”
Of course, any IRS interest you receive with your refund is considered taxable income.
What Is Happening When Wheres My Refund Shows My Refunds Status As Approved
Weve approved your refund. We are preparing to send your refund to your bank or directly to you in the mail. This status will tell you when we will send the refund to your bank . Please wait 5 days after weve sent the refund to check with your bank about your refund, since banks vary in how and when they credit funds.
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What If I Haven’t Recieved My Refund Yet
Refunds will not go out in a particular predictable order, so if you haven’t received yours yet, don’t worry. Eligible taxpayers who have already filed their 2021 tax return and had a tax liability will automatically receive their refund by Dec. 15.
Direct deposits will be labetleed “MASTTAXRFD,” and refunds mailed as checks will include several sentences on the check explaining Chapter 62F and why the recipient is receiving the refund.
How Long Does It Take The Irs To Approve A Refund
The IRS reports that most returns are processed and approved within a few days of when they are received, and most refunds are issued less than 21 days after the return is received.
If you filed weeks ago and still havent received your return, there could be several reasons why youre experiencing a delay. The most common causes for tax refund delays include simple math errors, inaccurate or missing information and missing signatures or attachments.
Tax returns with errors involving the third stimulus check, which was issued in early 2021, or returns that are missing information or have been flagged as suspected fraud or theft could be delayed for up to 90 to 120 days.
Taxpayers who claim the earned income tax credit or the child tax credit may also experience delays in receiving their refunds, even if their returns were filed accurately. Claiming these credits will slow down the processing of your return because of regulations designed to give the IRS time to deal with fraudulent returns. Even if you filed your return before Jan. 24, the first day the IRS began processing returns, you may not receive your refund until early March.
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How To Use Irs2go To Check The Status Of Your Tax Refund
The IRS also has a mobile app called IRS2Go, available for both iOS and Android, that checks your tax refund status. Its available in English and Spanish. Youll be able to see if your return has been received, approved and sent.
In order to log in, youll need your Social Security number, filing status and expected refund amount. The IRS updates the data in this tool overnight, so if you dont see a status change, check back the following day. Once your return and refund are approved, youll receive a personalized date by which to expect your money.
You can check on your refund using the IRS2Go mobile app.
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Your Tax Refund Has Been Sent
If you get this status then that means your refund has been sent to you either via mail or directly deposited into your bank account.
But weve seen people get this status and they still dont have their refund. So what exactly is going on?
Two big things that we see when you have this status and you dont have your refund.
a. If You Chose to Get Your Refund Via Mail
If the IRS says your tax refund for 2021 has been sent and you filed by mail, then try to give it about 7 to 10 days to actually come to your mailing address.
Again, there have been some major mail delays that have been going on.
Now after 10 days, you still dont have it then go back to your tax return and make sure you gave the IRS the correct address.
Weve seen before with our clients that sometimes they gave the IRS an old address or a secondary address like a family members house.
If this is the case then you will want to go to the IRS website, log into your account and update your address.
If these two things dont help you then keep reading to see if it could be something else.
b. If You Chose to Get Your Refund Via Direct Deposit
If you chose to get your refund direct deposited and you dont see it in your account and your status is refund sent, heres what you need to look at.
First, and just hasnt cleared yet.
That will help a lot of the time. If it doesnt, then go back to your tax return and make sure you gave the IRS the correct bank account number.
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Your Tax Return Is Approved Or Rejected
So if the tax return was approved, then you will simply progress to the next stage which is getting your refund sent.
But if your tax return was rejected, if it was REJECTED, then you got to start all the way over.
And this is just going to make getting your tax refund in 2021 much longer.
So here are the two reasons why we see your tax return may be rejected:
a. A typo in the area of the first name, last name, date of birth, or Social Security number.
If the IRS cannot verify who you are within the tax return, it is likely going to get rejected. Well, not even likely, it will get rejected.
b. You claim something like a child that someone else has already claimed.
So if someone like a family member or a spouse claims a dependent and then files their taxes before you, then they are going to be the ones that get the tax credit or deduction.
And, you are going to get rejected.
Weve actually seen this happen before, actually many times. So, if this does happen to you, were sorry theres really nothing you can do, at least immediately.
You just have to go to the person who claimed the dependent that you were planning on claiming and then work something out between the two of you.
Or, file what is called an amended tax return.
This by the way, if you happen to have to file an amended tax return, the process for getting your tax refund in 2021 can take eight weeks or even more.
So if youre looking to get your tax refund fast, that should be your last option.
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.
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Are There Any Expected Tax Refund Delays
Yes, tax refund delays are common. The IRS is required by federal law to withhold tax refunds for taxpayers who claim Earned Income Tax Credits and Additional Child Tax Credit until at least Feb. 15, 2022. Keep in mind it can still take a week to receive your refund after the IRS releases it. So some people who file early may experience delays while awaiting their refunds. Refunds should be processed normally after this date.
Note: There may be delays for the 2021 tax year. The IRS continues to work through a backlog of tax returns , including those with errors and amended returns.
The IRS recommends filing your tax return electronically for faster processing and tax refund payments.
Also note that new identity theft protections and anti-fraud measures may hold up some refunds, as some federal tax returns may be held for further review.
What Is The Child Tax Credit
The enhanced Child Tax Credit increased this benefit as high as $3,600 a child in 2021, up from its normal amount of $2,000 per child. The tax credit is aimed at helping parents pay for the cost of raising children.
The IRS sent monthly checks to parents with eligible children for the last six months of 2021, which represented half of the annual credit. The IRS said that families can claim the other half of the credit now even if they received monthly checks in the second half of 2021.
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What Is The 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit
That’s the official name of the third round of stimulus checks authorized by lawmakers during the pandemic, providing up to $1,400 per eligible person, including qualifying children claimed on a tax return.
That means a family of four could qualify up to $5,600 in stimulus money, assuming they earn under the income limit for the program. Under the law, the full amount is available to single taxpayers who earn less than $75,000 and married couples who earn less than $150,000.
Payments are gradually phased out for people who earn above those thresholds.
One More Thing To Know About Your Tax Refund
It’s actually something you kind of want to avoid. It may seem great to get a big check from the government, but all a tax refund tells you is that you’ve been overpaying your taxes all year and needlessly living on less of your paycheck the whole time.
For example, if you got a $3,000 tax refund, you’ve been giving up $250 a month all year. Could having an extra $250 every month have helped with the bills? If you want to get that money now rather than later, you can adjust your withholdings by giving your employer a new IRS Form W-4 .
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Irs Offers Tips On How Taxpayers Can Prepare To Accurately Complete Their Tax Return Answer Tax Software Questions Or Provide Information To A Tax Professional When Filing
Get to know the IRS, its people and the issues that affect taxpayers
Planning for the nations filing season process is a massive undertaking, and IRS teams have worked non-stop getting ready for the 2022 filing season. The IRS started accepting 2021 tax returns on Jan. 24, 2022. Our filing season preparation began early last year and included extensive planning and real-time collaboration inside and outside the IRS. The efforts of our workforce, along with the important work done by our partners in the tax community and the software and financial industry, make it possible for the IRS to be ready to process 2021 tax returns and issue refunds this year.
Its important to all of us at the IRS that each taxpayers experience is one that meets their needs and preferences. We want to ensure that everyone understands the importance of filing electronically and choosing direct deposit, and we want people to know what they need to claim credits and deductions they may be eligible for when they file. Our goal is to provide information for the 2022 filing season to help people accurately complete their tax return, answer tax software questions or provide information to a tax professional when filing.
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How To Use The Irs2go App To Track Your Return
The IRS2Go app is available for both iOS and Android.
The IRS also has a mobile app, IRS2Go, which checks your tax refund status. It’s available for both iOS and Android and in English and Spanish. Using it, you’ll be able to see if your return was been received and approved and if a refund was sent.
To log in, you’ll need your Social Security number, filing status and the expected amount of your refund. The IRS updates the app overnight, so if you don’t see a status change, check back the following day.
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Whats Taking So Long To Receive Refunds
If you dont receive your refund in 21 days, your tax return might need further review. This may happen if your return was incomplete or incorrect. The IRS may send you instructions through the mail if it needs additional information in order to process your return.
You may also experience delays if you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. Under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, the IRS is required to hold tax returns for folks who claimed those credits until Feb. 15. If you claimed either of those tax breaks, a PATH Act message may appear when you use the Wheres My Refund? tool.
If you havent received your refund and youre becoming impatient, calling the IRS will likely not help. Its best to avoid contacting the IRS directly unless the Wheres My Refund? tool prompted you to do so or its been 21 days since you filed your tax return electronically .
Start Tracking Right Away
Another myth is that theres no way to tell where your refund is until you get it and you’ll be asking ‘Where’s my refund?’ for a while. Reality: You can track your IRS refund status in fact, if you file using tax software or through a tax pro, you can start tracking your IRS refund status 24 hours after the IRS receives your return. If you’re thinking ‘Where’s my state refund?’ there’s good news: You can also track the status of your state tax refund by going to your state’s revenue and taxation website.
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Why Do I See Irs Treas 310 In My Bank Statement
If you receive your tax refund by direct deposit, you may see IRS TREAS 310 listed in the transaction. The 310 code simply identifies the transaction as a refund from a filed tax return in the form of electronic payment. You may also see TAX REF in the description field for a refund.
If you see a 449 instead of 310, it means your refund has been offset for delinquent debt.