If you ever want to\u00a0check your IRS refund status<\/a>, you have several options available to you. Thanks to technology, taxpayers can now go online to check the status of their federal tax refund. Of course, you can still choose to go the traditional route and check the status of your refund by phone.<\/p>\n Depending on how you\u00a0file your federal income tax return<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 electronically or by paper mail \u2014 you will need to wait a certain amount of time for the IRS to process your return before you can expect to receive your federal tax refund.<\/p>\n >><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Start Your FREE E-file<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The IRS offers a standard response to taxpayers who inquire about when they should expect to get their tax refund: \u201cThe IRS issues more than 9 out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days. However, it\u2019s possible your tax return may require additional review and take longer.\u201d This means that you will probably receive your federal refund within 3 weeks of\u00a0filing your tax return<\/a> \u2013 as long as your return doesn\u2019t raise any flags that would cause the IRS to take extra time to review it.<\/p>\n The IRS says that most refunds will be issued in less than 21 days. Keep in mind, this is not a guarantee by the IRS that you will get your refund within that time frame, and it also assumes there are no mistakes or delays with your return.<\/p>\n If you file a paper tax return, the IRS will likely be able to issue your tax refund within 6 to 8 weeks after receiving your return. If you\u00a0file your tax return electronically<\/a>\u00a0(also known as \u201ce-file\u201d), it will be processed faster in the IRS system, which means you can expect to receive your tax refund faster as well \u2014 usually within 3 weeks.<\/p>\n RELATED: Mistakes to Avoid When You E-File Taxes<\/a><\/p>\n There are 3 main methods you can use to check the status of your federal tax refund:<\/p>\n Gone are the days when taxpayers had to estimate the date for receiving their\u00a0federal tax refunds<\/a>\u00a0using the IRS Refund Cycle Chart. Advancements in technology have allowed the IRS to offer taxpayers the use of the \u201cWhere\u2019s My Refund?\u201d online tracker tool.<\/p>\n The Where\u2019s My Refund? tool<\/strong><\/a> tracks the status of your tax refund, providing simple alerts based on 3 basic stages of the tax return and refund process:<\/p>\n If you filed a paper tax return, the \u201cWhere\u2019s My Refund?\u201d tool will declare your status as \u201cReturn Received\u201d within 4 weeks after you\u2019ve mailed your paper return. The online tool is much faster if you filed your return electronically, allowing taxpayers to check on the status of their federal refunds within 24 hours of e-filing.<\/p>\n RELATED: E-File Taxes Online for Free<\/a><\/p>\n In order to use the \u201cWhere\u2019s My Refund?\u201d tool, you should be ready to enter your personal information \u2014 including your Social Security Number (SSN),\u00a0filing status<\/a>, and tax refund amount (in exact whole dollars).<\/p>\n Another option for checking the status of your refund is to call the IRS Refund Hotline at:<\/p>\n Make sure you are prepared to provide your Social Security Number (SSN), filing status, and tax refund amount (in exact whole dollars).<\/p>\n Note that the IRS says you should only call if it has been 21 days or more since you e-filed your tax return, or 6 weeks or more since you mailed your paper return. There is also an IRS phone number for general individual taxpayer assistance, 800-829-1040, if you need additional assistance.<\/p>\n If you have a smartphone, you can download the free \u201cIRS2GO<\/a>\u201d mobile app. This app program allows you to communicate with the IRS and check the status of your tax refund using your mobile device. Note that you will need to enter your Social Security Number (SSN), filing status, and tax refund amount (in exact whole dollars) to access your information.<\/p>\n Apple customers can download \u201cIRS2GO\u201d from the Apple App Store. Android customers can download \u201cIRS2GO\u201d on the Android Marketplace.<\/p>\nHow Did You File Your Income Tax Return (Form 1040)?<\/h3>\n
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1. Check the Status of Your Federal Tax Refund Online<\/h3>\n
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2. Check the Status of Your Federal Tax Refund By Telephone<\/h3>\n
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3. Check the Status of Your Federal Tax Refund via Mobile App<\/h3>\n