How Long Does It Take for My Refund to Hit My Bank Account?

So, you’ve hit the submit button and finished filing your tax return. Now comes the waiting game — when can you expect to have your tax refund in hand?

Several factors determine how long it takes for the IRS to issue taxpayers a tax refund. Here are our answers to some common questions, such as when tax returns can hit your bank account.

When will I get my IRS tax refund?

Wondering, how long does it take to get your tax return? Well, if you e-filed your income tax return with us at TaxAct® or another tax software provider, you can typically expect to see your tax refund within 21 days. To kick things off, the IRS must first accept your return. Once they’ve done that, the refund processing and 21-day countdown begins.

How can I track my tax refund?

You must wait 24 hours after e-filing to check the status of your refund. You can then start tracking it using the IRS’s Where’s My Refund? tool. Here you’ll be able to view the status of your refund. Be sure to have your Social Security number, filing status, and exact refund amount handy. You can also check the status of your tax refund with TaxAct.

If you are a paper filer, you should wait four weeks before attempting to check the status of your tax refund.

If preferred, you can also use the IRS2Go mobile app to check the status of your 2023 tax season refund or call the automated refund hotline at 800-829-1954.

Why haven’t I received income my tax refund within 21 days?

Some tax returns take longer to process than others. Here are a few reasons why it may take longer than 21 days to process your refund:

• You mailed in a paper tax return
• You made an error on your tax return
• Your tax return was incomplete
• You were a victim of fraud or identity theft
• You claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC)
• Your return needs further review
• You filed Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which can take up to 14 weeks to process

All of these scenarios can slow down IRS processing times and subsequently delay your tax refund.

How can I receive my tax refund faster?

The fastest way to receive your tax refund is to e-file your income tax return and choose direct deposit as paper checks can take longer to issue. You also want to make sure that there are no typos in any names or numbers and that all the information on your tax return is accurate and complete.

Check out TaxAct’s income tax refund guide for a complete picture of how tax refunds work.

This article is for informational purposes only and not legal or financial advice.

All TaxAct offers, products and services are subject to applicable terms and conditions.