If you have done your taxes and wish to know your 2011 IRS refund status, here’s now to find out. There’s only one place on the internet to get up to date, accurate information on the status of your IRS refund check, and that’s the government’s website at www.IRS.gov.
How long must you wait before the IRS can give you a status on your refund? Well it depends on how you filed your taxes. If you did it the old fashioned way and mailed in the paper form, you will have to wait three weeks after you put it in the mail. The IRS’s automated systems will not acknowledge your tax return until the IRS has had time to process the paperwork. For mailed in paper forms, this takes up to three weeks.
If you filed electronically then you will be able to access your 2011 IRS refund status much more quickly. Allow 72 hours (that’s three days) after your submit the returns. The automated systems obviously can process digital information much faster than humans are able to process paper tax forms.
There is a set IRS refund schedule which allows you to figure out when you will get your refund money. The timing of your IRS refund depends mainly on three things:
when you submitted your taxes
how you submitted your taxes
what form of payment you chose for your your refund
What is the IRS Refund Schedule?
Usually your refund will be in your bank account in one to three weeks if you chose direct deposit. That’s one to three weeks after the IRS acknowledges that they received your tax forms, not after you put it in the mail or submitted it online. If you chose to receive a paper check, the IRS will mail it to you anywhere from 3 days to 21 days after they receive your tax forms.
If you filed through the mail, don’t even start checking the IRS refund schedule until about a month after you mailed the forms. It takes much longer to process the paper forms!
Direct deposit is faster and of course it’s very secure. There are cycles, however, and sometimes you will receive your refund much faster. In general, the turnaround time for most taxpayers is three weeks.
Where do I Find the IRS Refund Schedule?
To check your IRS refund status go here and enter your personal information at their government’s secure website. Do not enter this information on any other website!
For your 2012 IRS Refund status, the only place to go is the IRS website. There, you will find the most up do date information on your IRS refund status. Most IRS tax refunds are issued within three weeks but they are always improving on that estimate. Some people can expect their 2012 IRS refund status to be updated to show a ten day window. Don’t forget, the refund status is an estimate. Bank processing and mail delays are just some of the reasons why your 2012 IRS refund status can show the money is on its way but you haven’t received it yet.
Protect Your Personal Info
You will be asked to enter personal information, so make sure you’re at the government’s Where’s My Refund? site, and not someone else’s. You’ll have to enter your social security number, which is always something to safeguard on the web. The other information you’ll be asked to provide isn’t exactly going to make a hacker’s day, but still you want to be cautious. This would be the exact amount of refund you are expecting based on calculations done when you did your taxes. You’ll also be asked to enter your filing status, too:
married
single
divorced
The IRS Refund Status Does Not Provide an Exact Date
So of course the mail can slow down your paper check, and banking procedures can delay posting of a direct deposit of your IRS refund. But did you know that the IT department at the IRS can slow things down by doing maintenance on their computer systems? In fact, there are so many things that can affect your 2012 IRS refund status that you really have to be flexible about the dates.
Your 2012 IRS Refund Status Can Change from Time to Time
If you are checking back from time to time, you will notice that your refund status and estimated date of arrival can change. That’s because sometimes certain tax returns get flagged and have to be double checked. That does not mean you did something wrong. For example:
It could mean a simple random audit is being done.
It could mean there was a math error on your IRS return
It could mean there’s something more complex on your return than the average return: bankruptcy for example.
Just remember: there are a lot of factors determining when you will get your 2012 IRS refund. Calling the IRS will not speed things up but you can ask questions if you want. Don’t make vital financial plans based on receiving your tax return by a specific date. Remember: the 2012 IRS refund status will show an estimated date, not a promise.
Or call (800) 829-1954, the IRS toll free number for tax refund status
There, you will enter some basic information about yourself and get access to your 2012 IRS refund status 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
When to Check Your IRS Refund Status
If you e-filed your taxes, the refund status will be up on the IRS website 72 hours after the IRS gets the file. E-filing means you submitted the tax return online rather than sending a paper copy.
If you filed a paper copy by sending your taxes through the US mail, you will have to wait three to four weeks to check the status of your refund.
The IRS updates the website every Wednesday.
What Information do I Need to Check the Refund Status Online?
The IRS website will ask you to enter the following information:
Your Social Security Number
Your Filing Status (single, married, etc)
Your Refund Amount as shown on your tax return
Can I Call to Get My IRS Refund Status?
Yes, you can call the IRS to get your 2012 tax refund schedule. The number is (800) 829-1954.
