Where's My Refund?

Where's my Refund?

We're two months away from the April 15 tax deadline as income tax season is well underway. With the price of groceries and other daily amenities on the rise, people are ready to receive that refund to help offset some of those costs.

The Internal Revenue Service warns that President's Day weekend is the peak time for calls to the IRS. So if you're experiencing long wait times, that would be why! The agency recommends using one of its free filing options, along with a step-by-step help on filing a personal federal income tax return.

The agency says the easiest and most efficient way to file and receive a refund is through electronic filing and direct deposit. Paper refund checks are 16 times more likely to have an issue, like the check being lost, misdirected, stolen or uncashed, according to the IRS.

The IRS says that people who have claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit can expect to get their refund by March 3 as long as the tax return was filed online, the refund was selected to be distributed via direct deposit and that no issues were discovered with the tax return.

Some people may see the refund hit accounts earlier, the IRS states on their website. People can see individualized refund deposit dates through the "Where's My Refund" webpage. To use this tool, you must enter your social security number or individual taxpayer ID number, your filing status, and the exact amount of your refund provided on your tax return.

Once you file your taxes, you should be able to see your refund status 24 hours after you e-file a current-year, three or four days after you e-file a prior-year return or four weeks after filing a paper return.

When you login to "Where's My Refund," the status will either be Return Received if it is still processing; Refund Approved when the IRS is preparing to issue it on the date shown; and Refund Sent when the refund has been sent to your bank or in the mail.

It may take five days to show in your refund to show in your bank account, but the IRS says it may take "several weeks for your check to arrive in the mail."

There is also the mobile app IRS2Go that offers a way to check your refund status, make payments as necessary, and to get free tax help. The app allows taxpayers to access free tax software. The app is available to download via the Apple iOS App Store, Google Play Store, and on the Amazon Marketplace, according to the website.