How to Check Tax Refund Status
You can easilycheck your federal tax refund statususing the IRS Where's My Refund tool and your state refund through your state's tax department website. In 2024, the IRS issued over 95 million refunds, with an average of about $3,200. For the 2025 tax season, most refunds are expected to follow similar timelines.
In this blog we'll go through how it works, what each status means, and how long refunds usually take.
How to Check the tax refund Status
Checking your refund statusonly takes a few minutes, but accuracy matters. Here's what to keep ready before you check:
- Your Social Security Number
- Your filing status
- The exact refund amount
Go to the IRS website, open the"Where's My Refund" tool,and enter the details carefully. Once you submit, you'll see whether your return is:
- Received – The IRS got your return.
- Processing – It's being reviewed.
- Approved or Sent – Your money is on its way.
If your refund was sent but hasn't arrived in 5 days (for direct deposit) or 3–4 weeks (for mailed checks), you can request a refund trace through the IRS.
How to Check Your Federal Tax Refund?
- Go to the IRS Where's My Refund page.
- Enter your Social Security Number.
- Select your filing status (single, married, head of household, etc.).
- Type in the exact refund amount from your tax return.
Once submitted, the tool will instantly show one of three statuses:
- Return Received – IRS has your return.
- Refund Approved – IRS has processed it.
- Refund Sent – It's on its way to your bank or mailbox.
TheIRS updates this tool once every 24 hours,usually overnight, so checking once a day is enough.
How to Check Your States Tax Refund Status?
Each state runs its own refund tracker. Visit your state's Department of Revenue website and look for a link that says "Check Refund Status"or "Where's My Refund."
You'll usually need:
- Your Social Security Number or taxpayer ID
- The tax year you're checking
For example:Florida taxpayers can visit the Florida Departmentof Revenue website, while California filers can check through the Franchise Tax Board portal.
