Reviewed, adapted and used with special permission from the IRS by: Brenda Procter, M.S., State Specialist & Instructor Personal Financial Planning, University of Missouri-Extension
If you already filed your federal tax return and are expecting a refund, there are several ways to check on its status.
"Where's My Refund?" is an interactive tool you can use at IRS.gov. Online instructions guide you through a process that checks the status of your refund if you provide identifying information from your tax return. Once the information is processed, you get an online response, including:
Acknowledgement that a return was received and is in processingThe mailing date or direct deposit date of your refundNotice that the refund has been returned to the IRS because it could not be deliveredThe response includes links to information related to a taxpayer's specific situation. You can go through links to the steps you need to take to resolve any issues that affect your refund.
The "Where's My Refund?" service meets stringent IRS security and privacy certifications. You enter identifying information that includes your Social Security number, filing status and the exact amount of the refund shown on your return. This specific information verifies that you are the person who is authorized to access your account.
"Where's My Refund?" is accessible to visually impaired taxpayers who use the Job Access with Speech screen reader used with a Braille display and is compatible with different JAWS modes.
For information on your refund, you also can call the IRS TeleTax System at 1-800-829-4477 or the IRS Refund Hotline at 1-800-829-1954. When you call, be ready to provide the first Social Security number shown on the return, your filing status and the amount of the refund you are expecting. If the IRS has processed your return, the system will tell you the date your refund was or will be sent. The TeleTax refund information is updated each weekend. If you do not get a date for your refund, you may want to call back the next week. |
