Where’s My Refund? Track the Status of Your Tax Refund in 2023
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The IRS has a "Where's My Refund" tool that can help you check your refund status.
Your state may also have tools for tracking your refund.
Filing electronically and using direct deposit can help speed the process.
The days can seem to drag on when you're waiting for your tax refund to arrive. But there are some ways to check in on the status of your payment while your return is being processed
A good place to start is to use the "Where's My Refund" page offered by the IRS . You can track your refund using some basic information from your tax return.
» Looking for your state return? How to track your state tax return
If you haven't filed yet, there are some steps you can take to set yourself up for a faster payment.
The quickest way to get your refund is to file electronically. But if you're still wondering where your funds are after at least 21 days of filing online, call the IRS to see about your refund status.
Here's a guide to track the status of your tax refund in 2023, plus some important things you need to know about getting a faster federal or state tax refund.
Where's my refund? Track your IRS tax refund status
Click on the button to go right to the IRS's refund tracker for federal tax refunds. The IRS says it updates payment statuses once per day, usually overnight. Typically, you can start checking on your tax return and IRS refund status
24 hours after e-filing your 2022 return.
3 to 4 days after e-filing a 2020 and 2021 return.
4 weeks after mailing a paper return.
You can also check the status of your refund on your smartphone by downloading the IRS's mobile app, IRS2go.
IRS refund schedule: When to expect payment
While there's no official IRS refund calendar, the agency gives some rough estimates of when you can expect to actually see your refund.
Again, keep in mind that the IRS deposit dates are going to vary based on how and when you file your taxes.
The IRS says it issues most refunds within three weeks of receiving an electronic return, though they can take longer. However, if you file a paper return, it could be 6 months or longer before you get your money.
Where's my state tax refund? Track your state refund status
Find your state below to go right to its tax refund tracker so you can find out where your state refund is.
Track my state refund
Note: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming don't collect income tax, so they're not listed here. In New Hampshire, regular income is generally not subject to state tax, but a flat tax rate applies to dividends and interest income.
If you claimed the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit, note that under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, the IRS can't issue your tax refund before mid-February. This year, the agency is estimating that early EITC or ACTC filers could begin seeing refunds hit their bank accounts by Feb. 28, 2023.
How to get a faster tax refund
Here are five things that can help keep your "Where's my refund?" worries under control.
1. Avoid filing your tax return on paper.
You can avoid weeks of wondering "Where's my refund?" by avoiding paper. The IRS typically takes six to eight weeks to process paper returns, but in 2023, the agency is still taking up to six months to process paper returns as it continues to work through a pandemic-related backlog. If you want to avoid waiting, consider filing electronically — those returns are processed in about three weeks. State tax authorities also accept electronic tax returns, which means you may be able to get your state tax refund faster, too.
2. Get direct deposit.
When you file your return, tell the IRS to deposit your refund directly into your bank account instead of sending a paper check. That cuts the time in waiting for the mail and having to check your IRS refund status. You even can have the IRS split your refund across your retirement, health savings, college savings or other accounts.
3. Start tracking right away.
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. (On mailed returns, you'll have to wait up to six months.) 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.
4. Don't let things go too long.
If you haven't received your tax refund after at least 21 days of filing online or six months of mailing your paper return, go to a local IRS office or call the federal agency (check out our list of IRS phone numbers that could get you help faster). Taking these steps won’t necessarily fast-track your refund, according to the IRS, but you may be able to get more information about what's holding up your refund or return.
5. 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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