Where's my refund? How to track your IRS tax return

WASHINGTON - It’s officially tax season, and as millions file their 2024 taxes, refunds will also begin rolling in. 

Taxpayers can start checking the status of their refunds within 24 hours after an electronically-filed return is received, according to the IRS. 

FILE - A 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return document is seen on a desk on April 15, 2024 in North Haledon, New Jersey. (Photo illustration by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)

Here’s what to know:

IRS refund schedule 2025

Timeline:

The IRS opened the 2025 tax filing season on Monday, Jan. 27 and began accepting and processing federal tax year 2024 returns. 

Taxpayers can begin checking on their tax refund status within 24 hours after the IRS acknowledges receipt of an e-filed return or four weeks after the taxpayer mails a paper return. 

Most tax refunds are issued within 21 days, the IRS says, while noting how some can take longer "if the return requires additional review."

By the numbers:

The IRS expects more than 140 million individual tax returns to be filed ahead of the April 15 deadline. 

Dig deeper:

Research has found that a significant number of Americans are financially dependent on their tax refunds, with many citing factors like rising costs of living, inflation, and mounting debt. A recent survey from Intuit Credit Karma found that 37% of Americans depend on tax refunds to cover essentials, including 50% of millennials.

Where’s my refund? How to track

What we know:

Taxpayers can track their refund status by using the "Where's My Refund?" tool on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go app. Information is updated once a day, overnight, the IRS says.

To check a refund status, taxpayers need their Social Security or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN), filing status, and the exact refund amount on their return. 

The "Where's My Refund" tool shows the following refund statuses:

• Return Received – We received your return and are processing it.
• Refund Approved – We approved your refund and are preparing to issue it by the date shown.
• Refund Sent – We sent the refund to your bank or to you in the mail. It may take 5 days for it to show in your bank account or several weeks for your check to arrive in the mail.