Most taxpayers who file online can expect to receive their refund within three weeks of the IRS accepting their tax return. That timeline goes up to four or more weeks when you file your return through the mail. Unfortunately, just because you’re anticipating your refund, that doesn’t mean you’ll be seeing it right away. There are a few different ways that tax refunds can get delayed. If you know what you’re up against, then you’ll be better prepared for this year’s refund—and the ones to come!
The Common Reasons Why Refunds Get Delayed
There are a handful of situations that can cause your refund to be delayed, and the IRS has identified some of the most frequent issues. To start, there could have been an error with the Social Security number listed on the taxpayer’s refund, or a mismatch in the name. Making sure the name you have recorded on your Social Security card is consistent with how you’re filing is critical for keeping your refund processed on-time.
A more complicated reason for having a delay in your refund would be an issue related to identity theft or fraud. Unfortunately, these problems can be more common than you might think. A thief may have already filed a return using your personal information, all in the attempt to secure the refund first. In these instances, the IRS might be marking your return as “needs further review” in order to get your details squared away.
Certain credits can also lead to delays. The IRS is known for taking longer to process returns with the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. These credits can often contain errors in the calculations that need to be reviewed and corrected. The same goes for returns that include Form 8379 for an injured Spouse Allocation, which according to the IRS can have you looking at a 14-week waiting period to receive your refund.
How to Check the Status of Your Expected Tax Refund
Obviously you want to receive your refund sooner than later, and the waiting game can be hard! If the standard timeframe is starting to go longer and your return doesn’t relate to one of the factors listed above, then your next step might be to visit the IRS website and head to the “Where’s my refund?” webpage. Once there, you can check on the status of your refund in a more concrete way.
Typically the IRS will make your refund status available online within one to two business days of accepting your tax return. The tool gets better every year. To check your refund status, you’ll need your Social Security number, your filing status, and the exact refund amount you’re expecting. Hopefully then you’ll be able to get some answers. But if your tax return isn’t found in the system, that might be an indication that you need to do a separate follow-up with the IRS. In an ideal world it won’t come to that. But whatever comes up, you don’t have to face the next steps alone!
Want Help? Reach Out to NSO & Company
The online “Where’s my refund?” tool is a reliable source for information about your tax refund. Yet it can’t exactly answer all of the questions you might have about navigating your refund—especially if the IRS is flagging errors with your return.
No matter where you’re at in the filing process or however many days you’ve been waiting for your refund, please know that our team is here to answer your questions and offer the support you need to get your records in order. If you need help with any aspect of your tax preparation, we’re just a phone call away! Feel free to reach out to our office: (317) 588-3131.