We’ll show you how to track your 2020 federal tax refund.
Sarah Tew / CNET
Unless the IRS approves a nationwide tax extension, tax returns are payable by April 15th. It gives you a little over a month to get your tax filed. This year, tax time is not only your opportunity to get back money you have overpaid during the year (such as through your company’s withholding or a quarterly estimate), but it’s also the time to missing stimulus check money you have never received by a Refund Discount Credit. As long as it’s at least 24 hours since you expired submitted your tax return, you can start tracking your refund status online. Our chart below can help you determine when your refund may come.
If you still need to file your taxes, we suggest you do so online. E-filing is easier for you as well as the IRS (the agency is asking people not to submit a paper return this year). We also recommend set up direct deposit to expedite your refund arrival.
We will explain how you can track your 2020 tax refund and what the status of your refund means. In addition, now that the new stimulus account has been signed by President Joe Biden, this tax season can mean more than just a refund and missing stimulus money. It can also determine you are eligible for a third stimulus test from to $ 1,400 (of a smaller payment). The IRS and the Treasury will start sending out the new checks to a lot of people this weekend via direct deposit. Here’s how track your new payment and how to check be even more focused, disqualification of more people. This story was recently updated.
How to track your tax refund: Use these two methods
You need several things to track the status of your tax refund: your social security number or your individual taxpayer, your filing status – for example, single, married or head of the household – and your exact refund amount in whole dollars, which is on your tax return can be found.
Use the IRS instrument Where is my refund, enter your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status and your exact refund amount and then press Send. If you have entered your information correctly, you will be taken to a page showing the status of your refund. If not, you may be asked to verify your personal tax data and try again. If all the information seems correct, you must enter the date on which you filed your tax return, either electronically or on paper.
There is also a mobile app called IRS2Go that you can use to check your tax refund status. The IRS updates the data in this tool every day overnight, so if you do not see a status change after 24 hours or longer, go back to the next day.
Look at this:
Stimulation test 3: How much money will you get
2:32
Received, approved or sent: this is what your tax return status means
Both the IRS instruments (online and mobile) will show you one of three messages to explain your tax return status.
- Receive: The IRS now has your tax return and is working to process it.
- Approved: The IRS has processed your return and confirmed the amount of your refund if you owe one.
- Send: Your refund is now on its way to your bank by direct deposit, or as a paper check to your mailbox. (Here’s how change your address now when you move.)
Look at this:
Your tax questions will be answered within 3 minutes
3:29
When will my tax refund arrive? We have some ideas below
The IRS says most tax refunds are issued within 21 days, but many people will get their refunds much sooner. If there are errors, it may take longer for the agency to process and issue your tax refund. The same goes for people who have a claim for an earnings income tax credit or the Child tax credit.
The date on which you receive your tax refund also depends on how you submitted your return.
For example, if the refund goes in your bank account by direct deposit, it can take your bank an extra five days to place it in your account. This means that if the IRS took the full 21 days to issue your check and your bank five days to mail it, you may have to wait a total of 26 days to receive your money. This is where tracking your refund comes in handy.
If sent by mail, the IRS says it could take six to eight weeks before your tax refund arrives. Here are some possible dates on which you may receive a refund, depending on when you submitted.
When can your tax refund come
|
If you serve on this date |
This is the fastest |
This is the latest |
|---|---|---|
|
February 14 |
February 21 |
March 7 |
|
March 1 |
March 8 |
March 22 |
|
April 1 |
April 8 |
April 22 |
|
April 15 (last day to submit) |
April 22 |
May 6 |
|
October 15 (last day with extension) |
October 22 |
November 5 |
This is past the ‘latest’ date for my tax refund. Do I have to call the IRS to check the status?
While you can call the IRS to check your status, the agency’s direct telephone assistance is extremely limited at the moment, so you can wait a while to speak with a representative. The IRS also says that you should only call if it is 21 or more days since you filed your tax return online, or if the tool Where is my refund you are advised to contact the IRS.
For more information on your taxes, here’s when the The deadline for 2021 is to file your tax return, how to claim missing stimulus money on your tax and the right reason to apply for direct deposit on your 2020 tax.
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