Where’s My Refund?

If you’re expecting a big refund, you want it as fast as possible. If you mail your tax return early in the tax season, you’ll receive your refund in about 4 weeks. But if you wait and file your return close to the filing deadline, it will take about 8 weeks.

To get your refund sooner, try filing your return electronically. You’ll almost always receive your refund faster than if you mailed your return.

You can check the status of your refund by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-4477. Make sure you have your tax return handy — you’ll need it to answer some questions.

Why is my refund less than I expected?

If the amount of your refund is less than you expected, you might have made a mathematical error or some other mistake on your return. You should receive a notice explaining the mistake. Since your refund check and the notice come from different IRS locations, you might receive the explanation after you receive the refund check.