If you are anticipating a federal tax refund for your 2022 tax return, you may be monitoring your mailbox daily. When the long-awaited envelope from the IRS arrives is contingent upon when your tax return was submitted, how it was filed, and what you sent.
First, if you are anticipating a paper check, you do not need to monitor your mailbox. You can verify the status of your refund at IRS.gov/refunds using the automated “Where’s My Refund?” tool. Additionally, you can use the IRS2Go app on your smartphone.
Tax Refund 2023
Include your Social Security number, filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household, Widowed, or Widowed), and the precise amount of your tax refund. The IRS modifies its database daily, typically overnight. The median tax refund was $2,878 as of April 7, 2018, a decrease from $3,175 during the same period last year.
You can begin IRS tracking as early as 24 hours after e-filing a return, or four weeks after mailing it. Whether using a computer or a mobile device, you will be able to monitor the status of your tax return as it moves through the system. You will receive an email confirming the receipt or processing of your return, and ultimately whether a refund has been issued.
The IRS asserts that nine out of ten tax returns are processed within 21 days or less. If you filed your tax return electronically and opted for direct deposit of your refund into your bank account — the quickest method to receive it — contact the IRS if it has not been deposited into your account within 21 days. If you chose to receive a paper check and mailed your tax return, it will take up to eight weeks to arrive.
Read more: Guaranteed Income Program: El Monte residents can expect a direct payment of $500 to be made soon
Why It May Be Delayed?
What might have occurred? Most likely, the income statement contains an error or is missing information. If more information is required to process your refund, the IRS will notify you via mail. (Remember that the IRS will not contact you regarding a routine tax issue. Scammers frequently contact impersonating IRS employees.)
And speaking of con artists, there is also the possibility that a con artist filed a fraudulent tax return on your behalf. Respond immediately if you receive a notice from the IRS about a fraudulent tax return. If you receive a fraudulent message through the “Where’s My Return?” system, follow the same procedure. You must submit Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit.
If you owe back federal income taxes, state income taxes, state unemployment compensation, child or marital support, and other federal nontax obligations such as student loans, the IRS can reduce your refund. The IRS will provide notification of these modifications.
If you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), which are intended for low- and moderate-income taxpayers, your refund could be delayed. The IRS cannot issue EITC or ACTC refunds until mid-February. If the taxpayer chose direct deposit, the majority of these returns will be deposited into bank accounts during the first week of March, according to the agency.