How to Check the Status of Your Tax Refund Online

So, you were pleasantly surprised to learn that you are getting a refund on your taxes. Congratulations! The question for most taxpayers expecting a return is, "Where is my refund?"

Check Your Refund Status Online

The easiest way to check on your refund is to ask the IRS through IRS.gov. On the home page of the site, you will see a "Where's My Refund?" link. Using the service is fairly easy. You will need a copy of your tax return to provide the necessary information to get the status of your refund. Specifically, you need to provide your social security number, you tax filing status and the exact amount of your refund. The reason the IRS requires all of this information is purely for security purposes, to wit, the agency wants to make sure it is giving access only to the taxpayer. Again, all of this information should be on your return. If it is not, something is very wrong!

Once you submit the required information, the IRS will provide online results typically showing:

1. That the return was received and is in processing;

2. The expected mailing date or direct deposit date of your refund; or

3. Whether your refund could not be issued because of a delivery problem.

In some cases, the results may alert you to the fact that the IRS is reviewing your tax return because of errors or questionable entries. In such a case, it is highly advised that you review your return with a qualified tax professional and make absolutely sure that the return will stand up to scrutiny.

How Long Do You Have To Wait Before Checking?

If you filed your tax return electronically, you should be able to access the status of your refund within 48 to 72 hours. Since the return is coming into the database electronically, it should be assimilated into the system fairly quickly. If you do not file your return electronically, you are going to have to wait three weeks or more before the status of your return can be checked. As you can imagine, the IRS is receiving an enormous amount of paper tax returns and it takes time to organize and enter the returns into the system.

How Long Should It Take To Receive Your Tax Refund?

If you are expecting a refund, the time to issue the refund will depend upon how you filed your return. If you filed a paper return via regular mail, you refund should be issued in six to eight weeks from the date it was received by the IRS. Alternatively, if you filed your return electronically, you should expect to receive your refund in three to four weeks. If you elected to have your refund directly deposited in your banking account, you should take one week off of the above estimates.

About The Author

Richard Chapo is President of BusinessTaxRecovery.com. Visit BusinessTaxRecovery.com to subscribe to a free newsletter offering monthly tax deduction tips for small businesses.

---

How Likely Are You To Be Audited?

Statistics for IndividualsUnfortunately, the IRS increased its rate of auditing... Read More

Need an Offshore Sales Office in a Tax Free Environment?

The 100 year old investment-banking firm of... Read More

Small Business Tax Deduction - Write-Off Bad Debts

Practically every small business has receivables that it cannot obtain... Read More

Tax Audits: What Signs Make You More Likely to be Audited by the IRS?

It's a major fear for most Americans: A notice from... Read More

Military Reservists, Enlistees May Get Deferral of Back Taxes

Reservists called to active duty and enlistees in the armed... Read More

Back To School ? Educators Deduct School Expenses

As teachers and students head back to school following a... Read More

E-commerce Taxation

The means and types of businesses have transformed with advent... Read More

Truly Bizarre Taxes: The Tax on Illegal Drugs

One can never underestimate the enthusiasm that politicians have for... Read More

Rental Property Tax Deductions

Own residential rental properties? This article discusses how income from... Read More

Taxation of Isle of Man Companies from April 2006

At the present time a company incorporated in the Isle... Read More

10 Thoughts on Tax Offer in Compromise

Beware of advertisements that claim to settle tax debts for... Read More

Send Your Kids To Summer Camp and Write It Off

If you paid someone to care for a child so... Read More

Gambling Income and Expenses - Tax Requirements

Hit a big one? With more and more gambling establishments,... Read More

Tax Reform, My Way

We need real tax reform and we need it now.... Read More

How to Reduce the Estate Tax Using the A-B Revocable Living Trust

In a past article I relayed the plight of the... Read More

IRS Certifies 2006 Toyota Hybrid for Clean Fuel Deduction

The Internal Revenue Service has certified the 2006 Toyota Highlander... Read More

Home Based Business Tax Deductions

Running a home based business reaps many wonderful tax deductions... Read More

1031 Exchange Rules and Requirements

Following is a reproduction of the IRS's rules and requirements... Read More

Small Businesses Filing Amended Federal Tax Returns to Recover Money

Small Businesses Filing Amended Federal Tax Returns to... Read More

IRS Reports Tax Gap of $300 Billion

The Internal Revenue Service is reporting that the difference between... Read More

Understanding Marketing Tax Deductions

Marketing is a necessary expense in running practically any business... Read More

Know A Tax Cheat? Get Paid To Tell The IRS

According to the IRS, taxpayers underpay their taxes by some... Read More

Where to Find Tax Breaks for Your Home Based Business

April 15th looms in front of most people every year... Read More

Complaince of Tax Return in Electronic Commerce Taxation

Emerging Legal issues of Tax compliance of e-business Self-assessment system... Read More

SFR Substitute for Returns: IRS Action on Non-Filers

In the latest Star Wars episode, the evil empire executes... Read More

Estate Taxes - It Pays to Plan Ahead

Estate taxes. It's not enough to simply know they exist,... Read More

Employment Taxes ? Depositing With The IRS

If your business has employees, you must pay employment taxes.... Read More

Business Tax Deductions

As we enter mid-March, taxpayers begin to become very interested... Read More

Tax Time Tune Up

Excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age... Read More

What You Need To Know About Taxes If You?re Getting Married

It may not be high on the list of wedding... Read More

Tax Reduction Tips

In the rush to get tax returns prepared and filed... Read More

Small Business Tax Credit - Americans with Disabilities Act

Many small businesses complain when confronted with the expense of... Read More

Tax Secrets - How Drew Miles Helped Me

How about a Tax Tip?As we all know Taxes are... Read More