Here's how to track your tax refund
If you're one of the millions of Americans who waited until the final week of this year's tax season to file your return, you may be wondering if you can determine when the money will hit your bank account.
For many Americans, the payout is their biggest check of the year, helping them pay down debt, start an emergency fund or make a special purchase. Refunds for the 2022 tax year are averaging just shy of $2,900, or roughly $300 less than the previous year.
Conveniently, there are three easy ways to track the status of your refund: Either via the IRS' "Where's my refund?" website, through a mobile app or via an IRS phone line. The agency says the vast majority of refunds are sent within 21 calendar days of filing. Here's how to keep tabs on your refund.
"Where's my refund?" page
You can check on your refund through the "Where's My Refund?" page on the IRS website as soon as 24 hours after your return was filed electronically.
To use the tool, you'll have to provide a few basic pieces of information: Your Social Security number, filing status (such as single or married filing jointly) plus your exact refund amount. The site will provide a "personalized refund date" after the IRS processes your return and approves your refund.
The tracker will tell you:
- When the IRS receives your return, which means the agency is processing your tax forms.
- When the refund is approved, which means the IRS is preparing to send your the payment to your bank or mail a check to you.
- When the refund is sent.
IRS2Go mobile app
The IRS also has an app for mobile phones where people can track their refund status. The app is called IRS2Go, and like the "Where's My Refund?" website, it will provide info on your refund status within 24 hours after you file.
Like the website, the app (available for both Apple and Android phones) asks for your Social Security number, filing status and refund amount. It will then tell you where in the process your filing stands, such as whether it's been processed and when your refund will be sent.
IRS refund telephone hotline
Not everyone has internet access or a mobile phone, so the IRS also offers a toll-free number where people can call to check on their refund status. The hotline number is 1-800-829-1954.