Once the tax deadline has passed, you may eagerly await your refund. Many people receive their refunds within three weeks of filing, but some returns can take much longer to process. If you’re still waiting for your tax refund, here’s what you need to know.
How Long Does It Take to Receive Your Refund?
If you file electronically, you’ll usually get a refund deposited directly into your bank account within 21 days if there aren’t any issues with your return. Because the IRS is phasing out paper check refunds for the 2025 tax season, it could create delays for people who had been used to getting their refunds by snail mail.
“We’re hearing tax refunds are being delayed when people are not providing their direct deposit information to receive their refund electronically,” Melanie Lauridsen, vice president for tax policy and advocacy for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, says.
Taxpayers are also receiving notices explaining that they need to provide their direct deposit information to get their refunds promptly, she adds. “The best thing to do to avoid delays in receiving your refund is to provide that direct deposit information.”
Your refund time frame can expand significantly if you file a paper return or if the information on your return doesn’t pass through IRS electronic filters — if, for example, the income you reported doesn’t match up with the W-2s or 1099s the IRS received for you, or if you made mistakes on your return.
“Anything that requires the IRS to manually look at that return is going to create a delay,” Lauridsen says.
For example, if you’re claiming an earned income tax credit, your refund may be delayed because the IRS must verify it before issuing the refund.
How to Check the Status of Your Refund
You can use the IRS Where’s My Refund? tool to check the status of your refund within 24 hours of e-filing. If you filed a paper return, you may be unable to check on the status until four weeks after filing.
To check your refund’s status, you need to input your Social Security number, filing status and exact dollar amount of the refund from your tax return. The tool will let you know if your return has been received, approved or sent. The IRS updates the information daily.
Note that calling the IRS won’t give you any additional information since the person at the IRS answering the call has the same information available as you do.
[See: 10 Best Tax Software Companies of 2026]
Why Is Your Refund Delayed?
Your refund may be delayed for several reasons. In some cases, you’ll just get the money later than expected. In other cases, the IRS may send you a letter.
“The IRS will not contact you if the refund is delayed unless for a specific reason like ID verification, explanation for any item on the return,” Jeffrey Schneider, a principal at SFS Tax & Accounting Services, says.
Remember: The IRS will never call you if it has issues with your return — that’s usually a scam.
If you do receive a letter from the IRS about your return, take action right away. If you delay, it will hold up the processing of your tax return and prevent you from receiving any refund due.
Here are seven reasons tax refunds might be late:
1. There Are Errors on Your Return
Your refund may be delayed if you made math errors or if you forgot to sign your return or include your Social Security number. It may also be late if your dependents’ information doesn’t match IRS records or if you left out a corresponding schedule or form to support a deduction or credit.
The IRS may correct a small math error and send you a notice of the change. You may need to respond to an IRS request for more information for larger issues. See the U.S. Taxpayer Advocate Service website for more information about the notices you may receive from the IRS.
One common era to avoid: Not answering “yes” or “no” to the question on Page 1 of Form 1040 regarding digital assets, since leaving it blank can delay processing. If you had no transactions for 2025, just check “no.”
[See: 6 Best Mobile Tax Apps of 2026]
2. Your Reported Income Doesn’t Match IRS Records
When you receive W-2s or 1099s reporting income, the IRS gets copies, too. If the numbers you report don’t match the information the IRS receives, your refund could be delayed while the IRS reconciles the discrepancy.
“If data on your tax return doesn’t match data in the IRS systems, it goes to the error resolution path,” Mark Steber, chief tax officer for Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, says. Make sure you don’t leave out any income when you prepare your return, especially if you have several side gigs.
3. Your Direct Deposit Accounts Don’t Match Up
Your refund may be delayed if you chose direct deposit, but the bank account owner information doesn’t match the filing status on the return.
For example, you might have requested that the refund be deposited into an account held by just one spouse, even though you filed jointly. In that case, the refund could be delayed.
4. The IRS Suspects Fraud
If the IRS suspects fraud, it does not contact the taxpayer at the return level, Schneider says.
“If the IRS feels there is fraud, there is a very complicated process. Different eyes review it, and then it goes to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and they make the decision,” he says.
5. You Double Dipped on Dependents
Since it’s easy to use tax-filing software, some young adults file their own tax returns. But if they don’t coordinate with their parents’ returns, it can throw things off. That’s because dependents have a limited standard deduction and are barred from certain tax breaks.
For example, if a parent claims a child as a dependent, the younger filer must check the box in the standard deduction section on Form 1040 saying, “Someone can claim you as a dependent.”
If the child and parent don’t coordinate their responses, the IRS could put any refunds on hold until they resolve the issue with an amended tax filing.
6. You Need to File an Old Return
The IRS can use any refund you’re eligible for this year to settle your back taxes first. Even if you plan to pay what you owe, you must file any missing returns. Filing ensures the IRS knows your full tax picture and prevents additional penalties or delays in processing future refunds.
7. You Mailed Your Return
It always takes longer for the IRS to process paper returns than electronic returns. If you file a paper return, you can expect a few weeks’ delay, Lauridsen says.
Processing can take even longer if a paper return contains errors or inconsistencies, especially when the back-and-forth goes through regular mail. Consider switching to e-file –it not only speeds up your refund but also helps catch common mistakes you might make by hand.
More from U.S. News
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2026 Guide: When to Worry if Your Tax Refund Is Delayed originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/03/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
