Track Your Tax Refund and Check Its Status

To track your tax refund, use the official refund-status tool for the tax agency that received your return. Enter the filing and identity details exactly as they appeared on the submitted return, then review the status shown by the agency.

Federal and state refunds are tracked separately. A federal tracker cannot show a state refund, and a state tracker cannot show a federal refund.

What information do you need to track your tax refund?

Before checking your tax refund status, open a copy of the return you actually filed. Do not rely on estimates, draft returns, or figures from a different tax year.

For a federal refund, have these details ready:

• The Social Security number or taxpayer identification number used on the return.
• The filing status selected on the return, such as single, married filing jointly, or head of household.
• The exact whole-dollar refund amount reported on the filed federal return.
• The tax year for the refund you want to track.

For a state refund, requirements vary by state. The official state tracker may ask for an identification number, filing status, tax year, exact refund amount, or another item taken from the state return.

Only enter taxpayer information into an official government tool. This page does not need or collect your return details.

How do you check your federal tax refund status?

The Internal Revenue Service, commonly called the IRS, provides the official federal tax refund tracking tool. Follow these steps to check your federal refund:

1. Open {site} and find the federal refund-status feature, usually labeled “Where’s My Refund?” or “Check Your Refund.”
2. Select the tax year requested by the tool.
3. Enter the taxpayer identification information exactly as it appears on the filed return.
4. Choose the same filing status shown on that return.
5. Enter the exact whole-dollar federal refund amount from the return.
6. Submit the form and read the status or instructions displayed on the screen.

If you filed jointly, use the information requested by the tracker and match the filed return exactly. Do not enter a state refund amount when checking a federal refund.

How do you track a state tax refund?

To track a state tax refund, use the official website of the tax, revenue, or finance agency for the state where you filed the return. Each state operates its own tracker and decides which details are required.

1. Search for the state name followed by “official tax refund status.”
2. Check that the result belongs to the state government. Government pages commonly use an address ending in .gov, but you should also confirm that the page identifies the correct state tax agency.
3. Avoid advertisements, tax-preparation pages, and sites that describe themselves as third-party refund trackers.
4. Open the refund-status feature on the state agency’s site.
5. Enter the requested information exactly as shown on the filed state return.
6. Review the result and any next step provided by the state agency.

If you filed returns in more than one state, check each refund separately with the relevant state agency.

What does your tax refund status mean?

Refund wording differs between tax agencies, but common stages have similar meanings:

• Return received: The agency has a record of the return, but review or processing is not complete.
• Return being processed: The agency is working on the return. This status does not promise a payment date.
• Additional review or information needed: The agency may be checking the return or may need a response. Follow only instructions shown in the official account, tracker, or agency notice.
• Refund approved: The agency has approved a refund. Approval alone does not guarantee when a bank, card provider, or mail carrier will make it available.
• Refund sent or issued: The agency reports that it released the refund using the delivery method on file.
• Refund adjusted: The issued refund may differ from the amount claimed. Look for an official explanation or notice before taking action.

A status can remain unchanged while the agency handles the return. Do not treat a general status label as tax, legal, or financial advice.

What should you do if the tracker cannot find your refund?

If tax refund tracking shows no match, first check the information you entered. A small difference can prevent the tracker from finding the return.

• Confirm that you selected the correct tax year.
• Use the filing status from the submitted return, not your current marital or household status.
• Enter the exact refund amount from the federal or state return being checked.
• Make sure you are using the federal tracker for a federal refund and the correct state tracker for a state refund.
• Confirm that the return was successfully submitted. For an electronic filing, review the filing provider’s acceptance or rejection notice. For a mailed return, use only records already available to you.
• Check whether the official tool says that recently filed returns may not yet appear.

If the return was rejected, it was not accepted for processing. Follow the filing provider’s or tax agency’s official instructions rather than repeatedly checking the refund tracker.

How do you contact the tax agency about a refund?

Contacting the official tax agency may be appropriate when the tracker specifically tells you to call or respond, an agency notice requests action, your information remains unavailable despite correct entries, or the displayed status requires clarification.

Before contacting support, prepare the tax year, filing status, a copy of the filed return, any official notice, and the status message shown by the tracker. Keep sensitive information private until you are communicating through a verified government channel.

Use contact details displayed on the official tax agency website or on a notice you have independently verified. Do not use a phone number, email address, or message link supplied by an unexpected caller or sender.

Tax agencies do not need remote access to your phone or computer for routine refund tracking. Treat demands for passwords, verification codes, immediate payment, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or banking credentials as warning signs of a scam.