When will I receive my tax refund?

After filing, taxpayers often wonder when they’ll receive their refund. The timing depends on whether you filed electronically or submitted a paper return, as well as if the IRS detected any issues with your return.

If you chose to e-file your tax return, you could receive your refund within 21 days. For example, if you filed a 1040 tax return on Jan. 27, you could receive your refund around Feb. 17, according to CBS News.

The “Where’s My Refund?” tool provides taxpayers with a detailed outline on the filing process so that they may track their refunds, according to the website:

Return Received — We received your return and are processing it.
Refund Approved — We approved your refund and are preparing to issue it by the date shown.
Refund Sent — We sent the refund to your bank or to you in the mail. It may take five days for it to show in your bank account or several weeks for your check to arrive in the mail.

For a much faster way to receive funds, the IRS launched its Free File service on Jan. 10 for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less in 2024. Those using Free File could receive their refunds by Jan. 31.

Where's my refund app

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