The IRS will begin accepting tax returns on January 28, with nearly 155 million individual tax…
It turns out that there is no set time schedule for when refunds have to be given to people who file taxes (and who qualify). This is probably not the answer that you wanted and is slightly unsettling. The IRS doesn’t like to leave us completely in the dark; in prior years they issued a refund schedule to show how long tax returns submitted each week should be receiving their refunds (if any are due). In 2013 the tax refund schedule was updated to state that the “IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days, it’s possible your tax return may require additional review and take longer.”
However, we can look to past years to see how long it typically takes to get a refund. Typically, you will see your tax refund in three weeks if you e-filed, and in six weeks if you sent your tax return in on paper through the mail.
Tip: Realize that e-filing your tax return, and choosing direct deposit will ultimately get your refund to you more quickly than filing by paper.
There is a sort of “holding pattern” that the IRS may take before either taking your refund to satisfy delinquent debts or sending it to you. This is regardless of any imposed refund delays due to a government shutdown, congressional policy, state of the economy, etc.
Reasons why your refund may be stuck in a holding period:
If you suspect that your tax refund is delayed or withheld, check out where’s my refund to confirm its status. The three statuses that will display are
Also, be aware that the IRS is allowed to withhold your refund to satisfy certain delinquent debts, such as back child support, state or federal taxes owed from previous years, defaulted federal student loans, and/or certain debts under bankruptcy filings (Chapter 13 and Chapter 7). If you suspect this is the case, be sure to contact the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) Call Center at 1-800-304-3107.
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