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When Will I Get My Tax Refund?

Updated: 4/13/2009
Article ID: 610

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Where is my refund?

You've filed your tax return and are expecting a tax refund. Now you want to know when to expect that refund. The estimated date and the status of your refund vary depending on whether it's a federal or state refund, and whether you e-filed or sent your tax return by mail.

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When to expect your Federal tax refund

When you complete your federal tax return, the TurboTax program gives you an estimated date that you will receive your refund based on the IRS's Refund Cycle Chart.

You can track your tax refund using the IRS's Where's My Refund tool. If you don't receive your refund within 28 days from the original IRS mailing date listed, you can initiate a refund trace on the IRS Web site.

Getting refund information from the IRS

  • Online. Visit the Where's My Refund? page on the IRS web site. The IRS also provides a more general Refund Cycle Chart, which displays the expected time frame for refunds on e-filed returns that were accepted.
  • Telephone. Call the IRS Refund Hotline at (800) 829-1954 or call the IRS Automated Information Line at (800) 829-4477. See Contact the Internal Revenue Service.

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When to expect your State tax refund

State refunds are processed separately by each individual state, so processing times vary from state to state. As a general rule, you can expect your state tax refund within 30 days of the electronic filing date or the postmark date.

Note: For information on the status of your state tax refund, contact your state tax board. See 2008 State Information and follow the individual links to get contact information for your state.
 

If you haven't mailed your state tax return yet, check your contact information before you file your tax return.

Important: The #1 reason for delays in state income tax refunds is incorrect or missing address information.

 

Make sure that you double-check all of your personal information for accuracy before sending your state tax return:

  • Check your name as reported on your Form W-2;
  • Check the numbers and spelling of your street address (remember your apartment number or letter);
  • Check the spelling of your city; AND
  • Check your ZIP code.
Tip: A great tool for verifying address information (not just ZIP codes) is the ZIP Code Lookup tool at the United States Postal Service Web site.
 

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