KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Internal Revenue has started accepting individual 2024 tax returns.
- Most refunds will be issued less than three weeks after a return is filed.
- Taxpayers can track their refund status using the IRS’s online tool or app a day after filing their return.
- The tracking tool will tell taxpayers when the IRS has received their return, approved their refund, and sent it.
The Internal Revenue Service has started accepting individual 2024 tax returns, and taxpayers should receive their refund within a few weeks after submitting their returns.
This year, the IRS expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by its April 15 deadline. However, some taxpayers who reside in a federally declared disaster area will have an extended deadline.
Most refunds are issued in less than three weeks after a return is filed, and the IRS typically issues refunds quicker if you file online. The IRS said refunds earned through Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) cannot be issued before mid-February, and many will receive their EITC and ACTC refund by March 3.
Taxpayers will be able to check their refund status within 24 hours of filing their 2024 return online and about four weeks after mailing in a paper return.
How to Track Your Refund
The IRS offers several options for tracking the progress of your refund, including its online “Where’s My Refund” tool and a mobile app called IRS2Go.
To track your refund, you will need your Social Security or individual taxpayer ID number, filing status, and the exact refund amount on your 2024 return.
From there, you will find three status updates about your refund:
- Return Received: The IRS is processing your return.
- Refund Approved: The IRS is preparing to issue your refund by the date shown.
- Refund Sent: The refund may take five days to show up in your bank account or several weeks for a check to arrive in the mail, depending on which option you chose.