The fastest way to check your Federal refund is through the IRS Where's My Refund? tool. This secure online service allows you to track the progress of your return and see whether your refund has been approved or sent. You can also check your federal refund status by calling the IRS Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954.
Due to the large number of inquiries and to avoid service disruptions, the IRS strongly urges taxpayers to check on their refunds only once daily. IRS systems are updated every 24 hours, usually overnight, and the same information is available on the Internet, the IRS2go smartphone app, or IRS toll-free lines.
You can begin to check the status of your return within 24 hours after the IRS has received your e-filed tax return or 4 weeks after mailing your paper return. You can see your personalized refund date when the IRS processes your tax return and approves your refund.
Although the IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days after receipt, your tax return may require additional review and take longer. You should only call the IRS if it has been 21 days or more since you filed electronically, more than 6 weeks since you mailed your paper return, or the Where’s My Refund? tool directs you to contact them.
- Missing a tax refund from a prior year? Check the IRS Where's My Refund? tool from the current tax year up to three prior years.
- If you're checking on the status of your State return or refund, check out this article from TaxSlayer—the company that powers Ramsey SmartTax.
If you still have questions, reach out to our Customer Success Team. We're here to help!