Where's That Tax Refund?

You did your part, paying your taxes and filing that tax return. With that ordeal came some good news. The powers that be determined that you overpaid and you’re getting a tax refund. But, some time has passed, and you’re starting to wonder: where is it?

Fortunately, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a simple way to determine the status of your return. All you need are these three things.

Social Security Number or ITIN
Your filing status
Your exact refund amount

Check Your Tax Return

Naturally, you’re probably prepared to provide the first two bullet items. However, the third will require you to refer to that tax return you submitted. You need to have the exact amount of your expected return.

Once you have the above-listed items, you should visit https://www.irs.gov/refunds.

Two Avenues to Your Tax Refund’s Status

The IRS offers two avenues for determining your refund status. For instance, you can access it on your phone through their app, IRS2Go app. Or, you can use the IRS’s web application. However, it’s easy to miss on the page.

When you visit the web app, you will see something like what follows. Provided you entered the correct information, you will next go to your tax return’s status page.

Where’s My Refund? will display the status of your refund, usually on the most recent tax year refund they have on file for you. You can start checking within 24 hours of e-filing and four weeks after mailing your return. Per the IRS’s site, they make updates daily.

When To Call About Your Tax Refund

In addition to allowing you to quickly check on the status of your tax refund, the IRS also provides some guidance on when you should call the IRS. Specifically, you should call if it’s been 21 days or more since you e-filed or if the web or phone app prompts you to do so. Of course, some tax returns may take longer to process. Some examples include the tax return needing corrections or being incomplete. Likewise, you should call if other issues are found on the “Where’s My Refund?” page.

Wrapping Up

Now that you know how to check the status of your return, you can start exploring how to ensure you maximize it. Better yet, start thinking about how you can build wealth.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Did using the “Where’s My Refund?” app provide you with some interesting? Do you have any lessons learned?

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