Where Is My Tax Refund? How To Check When You Will Get Yours

If you filed your 2021 tax return prior to the April 18 deadline, you may start to wonder when you will receive your refund, if you are due one.

While the Internal Revenue Service has said it is backlogged with returns due to being short-staffed, it has already processed over 118 million returns and issued over 78 million refunds as of April 15.

The agency has already received over 122 million returns this year, up from nearly 111 million at this time in 2021. The average size refund from the IRS was $3,103 thus far, which could increase or decrease as time goes on.

The IRS says that nine out of 10 refunds are issued within 21 days, with most delays occurring due to missing or incomplete information, forms that may require further review, or possible identity theft or fraud issues.

However, there are ways to check to see how much longer you will have to wait to receive your refund from the IRS. The agency offers an online tool called “Where’s My Refund?” that allows taxpayers to check the status of their tax refund.

The tool allows taxpayers to see where their tax return currently is in the review process with the IRS – return receipt, refund approved, and refund sent. It also provides an estimate of when a refund will be deposited into your bank account.

Similar status features are available on the IRS app - IRS2Go app – where you can also check on your tax refund by downloading the app directly to your electronic device.

The IRS recommends checking the status on “Where’s My Refund?” and the IRS2Go app for four weeks after mailing your return and 24 hours after the IRS receives your electronic return. The site and the app are typically updated overnight with new information.