Where is my tax refund? Here’s why it might be coming later this year
Here’s when you can expect your tax refund this year
- The IRS anticipates 164 million tax returns by the April 15 deadline, with last year's average refund of $3,167 potentially increasing by $1,000 this year due to legislative changes.
- A national taxpayer advocate has warned that the 2026 tax filing season could face significant challenges due to a substantial exodus of IRS workers since the beginning of the previous administration.
- Electronic tax refunds are typically processed within 21 days, while paper returns may take four weeks or longer, and taxpayers are cautioned against relying on specific refund dates for financial planning.
- Taxpayers can monitor their refund status using the online 'Where's My Refund?' tool, the IRS2Go app, or an IRS Individual Online Account, with updates provided daily.
- The IRS is phasing out paper tax refund checks, requiring most taxpayers to provide routing and account numbers for direct deposit, with most Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit refunds expected by March 2.
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