In the following article, Optima Tax Relief reviews new strategies from the IRS for checking tax refund status.
For expedited responses to common – and uncommon – tax refund questions, the Internal Revenue Service recommends using the online “Where’s My Refund” resource rather than calling the toll-free helpline. This tool is available through the IRS.gov website. Filers may also elect to download the IRSGo app to their smartphones.
Refunds are disbursed, on average, in under 21 days, though electronic filing and selecting direct deposit guarantees the fastest results. The wait times for telephone assistance generally become longer as the filing deadline approaches.
Refund status is only available to IRS customer service representatives 21 days after electronic filing (and six weeks after mailed returns). The only information available to filers before that time is confirmation that the return has been received, which is available 24 hours after the receipt of an electronic return.
To use the “Where’s My Refund” tool, taxpayers will need to enter their Social Security number, their tax filing status, and the refund amount. After the return has been processed, the tool will provide the date when the filer can expect the return to be issued.
Taxpayers who have included a Form 8379 Injured Spouse Allocation into their returns might not receive a refund during the 21-day window, since Form 8379 can take approximately three months to process. Taxpayers who have not filed Form 8379 yet are experiencing a delay in receiving their refund may have had their return flagged for the following reasons:
- The tax return contains errors
- The tax return is not complete
- There is another tax return using the same taxpayer identification number, or there is other evidence of identity fraud or theft
- The tax return requires additional review
For more tax refund and filing information, please visit the IRS.gov website.
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