The IRS accepts both paper tax returns and electronic filing. Bear in mind that it is only possible for the Agency to deliver your tax refund within 21 days if you meet several requirements. First of all, you must have filed electronically and requested a direct deposit. What is more, you must have submitted a complete and accurate tax return.
Any errors or missing information may result in delays because the IRS will have to review your tax return to correct it or to request additional information. The Agency is currently processing paper returns received in March. Of course, these are processed if they do not contain any mistakes or require special handling. But what could you do if you think your tax refund is late?
Check the IRS tool
In the first place, if you believe that your tax refund is late because you expected to collect it within 21 days, check the “Where is my refund?” tool. It is free and you can use it online.
This tool will help taxpayers know if their tax refund has been sent or not. The IRS updates this information daily. So, if you check it once per day, that will be enough.
In order to check the Status of your refund, you will need a Social Security Number or ITIN. Besides, the IRS will request your filing status and the exact amount of the refund on your return. Here are the possible statuses you may see:
- Return sent: Even if it has been sent, it can take up to 5 days to be in your bank account
- Refund approved: It will show the date the IRS will issue it
- Return received: The Agency received your return, and it is still processing it
Check your mailbox to see if you got a letter from the IRS
Sometimes the IRS may send you a notice or letter. This may be to inform you of some additional information they may need. For your information, the Agency reminds taxpayers that filing the same tax return again typically will not speed up your refund.
Actually, it could cause delays, so this should be avoided unless you are in this situation and all these things apply:
- You are due a refund
- You filed on paper more than 6 months ago
- The “Where’s My Refund?” tool does not show that the IRS received your tax return
Bear in mind that if you file by mail and requested a paper check, your refund can take up to 2 months. If you filed electronically and requested a paper check, it can take up to 1 month. Thus, only those who filed electronically and requested a direct deposit may collect their refund in about 8 days if it’s all correct.
