--- title: Here's How to Track Your Tax Refund This Year description: Ahead of the April tax deadline, millions are anxiously awaiting the arrival of tax refund deposits from the IRS. Here's how to track yours. authors: - name: Adam Hardy role: Lead Data Reporter url: https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/ bio: Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers. education: University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 497 covers: - Taxes - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Technology also_seen_in: - The Penny Hoarder - Forbes Advisor - Creative Loafing - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Bloomberg - Harvard Law School - The Federal Register - National Consumer Law Center - CBS News - Becker's Hospital Review - Business Insider - Mother Jones - The Week - Fortune - The Philadelphia Inquirer - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA) - Education Advisory Board (EAB) - The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) - This Morning with Gordon Deal - Empower - Reddit social: - https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/ editors: - name: Julia Glum role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/julia-glum/ bio: A graduate of the University of Florida, Julia has more than eight years of experience in personal finance journalism. In addition to overseeing news and newsletters, she leads Money’s tax coverage, which includes extensive reporting on tax credits, policy changes and the IRS. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2018 articles: 453 covers: - Taxes - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Technology also_seen_in: - Newsweek - International Business Times - CBS News - Good Morning America - WUSA9 - Pix 11 - The New York Times - Mashable - The Washington Post - CNBC - Politico social: - https://x.com/superjulia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-glum published: '2026-04-15T14:58:22.000Z' modified: '2026-04-15T15:00:40.000Z' section: Taxes tags: - News word_count: 867 canonical: https://money.com/wheres-my-refund/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Illustration of a digital map with a track line from point A to Point B that is shaped like a dollar sign](https://img.money.com/2023/02/News-2022-Track-Your-Tax-Refund.jpg) Wednesday is Tax Day, but most U.S. taxpayers beat the deadline: As of April 3, the IRS had received nearly 100 million individual income tax returns. This year, average tax refunds are increasing due to [several tax code changes](https://money.com/tax-changes/) in President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. At $3,462, the typical refund is about 11% larger than at this point last year. As inflation climbs, many Americans are relying heavily on their tax refunds to make ends meet, making questions like "where's my refund?" all the more urgent. Luckily, there are three ways to find out. ***[Pet protection: See Lemonade's pet insurance options — save and protect your cat or dog from high vet bills.](https://money.com/pr/f23b063f8fe3?data-trk-company=lemonade-pet-review&data-trk-imp=true&data-trk-pcu-type=direct_link&data-trk-pcu-uuid=f23b063f8fe3&encoded_id=)*** ## How to track your tax refund Once you e-file your return or drop it in the mail, you can check in with the IRS for tax refund updates. Here’s how. ### 1\. Check your tax refund status on the IRS website On the IRS’s website, you can use its [refund-tracking tool](https://www.irs.gov/wheres-my-refund) to check your refund status on your smartphone, tablet or computer. To see your update, you’ll need to select the “Check your refund” button and then follow the prompts, inputting your Social Security number, tax filing status and exact refund amount. If you entered the information correctly and it's been at least 24 hours since you e-filed your return, you should see your refund status instantly. Introduced last year, the IRS offers more detailed updates about your refund on the "Where's My Refund?" page, including three main statuses: - **Return received**: The IRS received your tax return and is processing it. - **Refund approved**: The IRS approved your refund and will issue it by the date displayed. - **Refund sent**: The IRS sent your tax refund via direct deposit or mail, depending on your preferred method. Direct deposits may take up to five days to hit your bank account, while mailed options will likely take several weeks. For paper tax returns, your status should display four weeks after filing. And if you recently e-filed prior-year tax returns, it should take about four days to show your refund status. Additionally, if you've set up an IRS account, you can access more information by requesting your [tax and account transcripts](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript). Some folks swear this is a hack to find out when you'll get your tax refund — and, to be fair, your account transcript does include a log of any recent IRS action — but [the IRS says](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript-faqs) the Where's My Refund? tool is your best bet as it's updated daily, typically overnight. ### Rated A+ by the BBB ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/14979/medium_d9420f2c-6d0b-4726-b903-60fb37740830.png) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/c53749f03106?bidid=4021879594&ptid=661337606&ptoken=da0c32da8d00b1a5d7900f38c93b75a9) ### Over 15 years of Experience ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/36123/medium_d8e31451-10fb-4690-a053-85981545c371.webp) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/2b2d0b967713?bidid=4021879598&ptid=661337606&ptoken=a89e94132d919d37dc68cc53f4f502c2) ### 12+ years of tax resolution experience ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/19221/medium_21c467f5-9614-45a6-a827-5c1698cf1de6.png) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/a550eeb28d77?bidid=4021879592&ptid=661337606&ptoken=3f92f83c1f59ed6cd31bd6f5e16a25ff) ### 21+ years in service ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/37015/medium_cb5bc133-3b62-412b-9420-e17d1c5aaa63.webp) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/4bd570c255b8?bidid=4021879596&ptid=661337606&ptoken=56b1723056637e31f3e65486bfe099f4) ### 24/7 Client Portal Access ![Get Started](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/38669/medium_134094f5-0d61-4290-98dd-6ea7bc5551c2.webp) Our Partner [Get Started](https://money.com/go/011e467c5ad8?bidid=4021879595&ptid=661337606&ptoken=1d3a750963cd16eaf51e6beca300a0de) ### 2\. Use the IRS2Go app for refund updates If it’s more convenient than using the website, you can also check your tax refund status using the [IRS2Go app](https://www.irs.gov/help/irs2goapp), which is available on the Amazon Appstore, the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. This free IRS app has several uses beyond checking your refund status, but if that’s all you need to do, select the refund tab and input your personal information. Just like the IRS website, you’ll need to provide your Social Security number, filing status and refund amount. Then tap submit to see your refund status. Again, you’ll want to make sure it has been at least 24 hours since you e-filed your return or four weeks since you mailed it off. Speaking of those extra features, you can also use the IRS2Go app to pay your tax bill, review tax tips and get directions for on-site tax assistance nearby. ***[Bonus money: Deposit funds into a new SoFi Invest Account to earn up to $1,000 in stock.](https://money.com/pr/x00f9061e638)*** ### 3\. Call the IRS directly For general status updates on your [tax refund](https://money.com/small-tax-refunds-good-thing/), the IRS recommends not calling the agency unless you've been specifically prompted to do so. If there's an issue or delay with your refund, the IRS may ask you to call them via the Where's My Refund tool. In some cases, the IRS may require more information to process your return before issuing the refund, and so it will contact you by letter. Follow those instructions before calling the IRS help line on your own. The IRS also runs an automated refund hotline at 800-829-1954 if you're unable to use the website. When calling the agency, keep this information handy: - Social Security number - Birth date - Filing status - Prior year’s tax return - The tax return in question - Any correspondence the IRS has sent you ***[Save smarter: Take control of your money with the Rocket Money budgeting app.](https://money.com/pr/h160ddd2a8b2?data-trk-company=rocket-money-review&data-trk-imp=true&data-trk-pcu-type=direct_link&data-trk-pcu-uuid=h160ddd2a8b2&encoded_id=)*** ## How long your tax refund will (probably) take Generally speaking, the [sooner you file your taxes](https://money.com/why-to-file-taxes-early-2026/), the sooner you will get your tax refund. Choosing direct deposit as your refund delivery method can also speed up the process. The IRS [phased out paper checks](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-executive-order-14247-modernizing-payments-to-and-from-americas-bank-account) in 2025, but you can opt to receive refunds by payment apps or pre-paid debit cards, though this may prolong the timeline. The turnaround should be pretty fast: Through March 20, the IRS says it sent out more than 80% of refunds in less than 21 days. The vast majority of those refunds have been issued via direct deposit. If you filed a paper tax return, the agency says it may take six or more weeks to get your refund. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/wheres-my-refund/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Taxes", "item": "https://money.com/taxes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tax Refund", "item": "https://money.com/tax-refund/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Here's How to Track Your Tax Refund This Year" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/wheres-my-refund/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/wheres-my-refund/", "name": "Here's How to Track Your Tax Refund This Year", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2026-04-15T14:58:22.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/wheres-my-refund/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/wheres-my-refund/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2026-04-15T15:00:40.000Z" }, { "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "Here's How to Track Your Tax Refund This Year", "articleSection": "Taxes", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2023/02/News-2022-Track-Your-Tax-Refund.jpg", "width": 2450, "height": 1633, "caption": "News-2022-Track-Your-Tax-Refund" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Hardy", "url": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/#author", "description": "Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. 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