Check Your Federal Tax Refund Status

Use the IRS Where’s My Refund? tool to check federal tax refund status; the result shows whether the return was received, the refund was approved, or the refund was sent.

What do you need to check your federal tax refund status?

Have the federal tax return for the year you want to check in front of you. The tracker compares your entries with that return, so details from a different year or an amended return may produce no result.

• Your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. On a joint return, use the first taxpayer identification number shown.
• The filing status selected on the return, such as single, head of household, or married filing jointly.
• The exact refund amount shown on the original return, entered as a whole number. Do not use an estimated amount, an adjusted amount from a notice, or the amount you expect after an offset.
• The tax year of the refund you want to track.

You do not need to sign in to an IRS account to use Where’s My Refund? Keep the return private and enter its details only through an official IRS tool.

How do you check your federal tax refund status online?

1. Open {site} and find the Refunds section.
2. Select Where’s My Refund? Confirm that you are using the regular refund tracker, not Where’s My Amended Return?
3. Select the tax year if the tool asks for it.
4. Enter the Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number exactly as requested.
5. Choose the filing status shown on that year’s return.
6. Enter the exact refund amount from the original return in whole numbers.
7. Submit the information and read the status, instructions, and any action requested by the IRS.

The tracker can show information for the three most recent tax years. Check the status for a federal tax refund only after the IRS has received the return. Repeated checks during the same day may not show anything new because tracker information is generally updated once a day.

How can you track a federal tax refund by phone or mobile app?

The official IRS2Go mobile app provides access to refund status information. Download IRS2Go from your device’s official app store, confirm that it is the IRS app, and enter the same identification, filing-status, and exact refund-amount details required by Where’s My Refund?. No sign-in is required for the app’s refund-status check.

The IRS also provides an automated refund hotline. Use the verified telephone contact displayed with this page instead of a number from a search result, text message, or social media post. The automated option is useful when internet access is unavailable; have the same return information ready before calling.

A telephone representative generally will not have different refund information merely because the online status has not changed. Call for personal assistance when the tracker or an IRS notice specifically directs you to contact the agency, or when your situation meets the current contact conditions stated by the IRS.

What does each federal tax refund status mean?

• Return Received: The IRS has the return and is processing it. This status does not mean the refund has been approved.
• Refund Approved: The IRS has approved the refund and is preparing to send it. Follow the tracker’s current message, but do not treat an estimate as a guarantee.
• Refund Sent: The IRS reports that it released the refund to the selected delivery method. This does not necessarily mean the deposit or mailed check has already reached you.

The tracker may also display a message about a changed refund, an additional review, an offset, or information the IRS needs. An offset means some or all of an expected refund was applied to an eligible past-due obligation. Read the complete message and keep any notice the IRS sends.

What should you do if your refund status is unavailable?

If the status of a federal tax refund does not appear, first compare every entry with the original return. A mistyped identification number, the wrong filing status, a refund amount that includes cents, or information from the wrong tax year can prevent a match.

A recently filed return may not yet be recorded in the tracker. Do not submit another return solely because no result appears. Check again after the IRS’s current waiting period for the filing method used.

Where’s My Refund? is not the correct tracker for an amended return. An amended return changes a previously filed return and must be checked through Where’s My Amended Return? That tool uses a taxpayer identification number, date of birth, and ZIP code.

If the IRS requests identity verification, follow the instructions in the official letter. Open {site} independently and locate the identity-verification information named in the letter; do not use a link supplied in an unexpected email or text.

A result may also be unavailable or delayed because the return contains an error, requires manual review, includes an injured-spouse claim, has incomplete deposit information, or is affected by suspected identity theft. The tracker or a mailed notice will explain any action required when the IRS can provide one.

When should you contact the IRS about a federal tax refund?

Contact the IRS when Where’s My Refund? tells you to call, an official notice requests a response, the return meets the IRS’s current call conditions, or a refund marked as sent has not arrived and the tracker offers a refund-trace step. A refund trace is an IRS process for locating a payment reported as sent.

Before contacting support, prepare the tax year, the filed return, your taxpayer identification number, filing status, exact refund amount, current mailing address, and every IRS notice related to the return. If filing jointly, both spouses may need to be available or proper authorization may be required.

Be cautious with unexpected messages claiming that a refund is waiting. The IRS does not use unsolicited texts, emails, or social-media messages to ask for personal or financial information. Do not disclose verification codes, return details, or bank information to an unexpected caller. Use the verified contact shown on this page and independently confirm any request through an official IRS channel.