Where is my 2020 tax refund?!?!
We know it’s frustrating to file your return and to feel stuck as you wait for your refund to come. As of today, the IRS has a backlog of 24 million returns that have yet to be processed, so unfortunately it will likely take a few weeks before you receive your refund. Here’s some info to help you know where you can track that payment, understand what may be causing the delays, and access support if there is a problem with your refund.
Where can I track my refund?
As soon as 24 hours after your return is e-filed you can check for it online via the Where’s my Refund tool on the IRS website or on the IRS2GO app, where the information is updated every day. You will need some info from your tax return (the 1040) so make sure you have the following handy:
- your social security number or ITIN
- your filing status
- your exact refund amount
If you’ve entered the info correctly it will ask for the date you filed and the method (electronically or paper).
It says “We have received your tax return and it is being processed”. What does that mean?
When you log in there are three options for the status of your tax return. The message you see helps you know whether the IRS has reviewed your return yet or not.
After you file your taxes the IRS first must process your return. This is the message that means your refund has been “received”, but that the IRS hasn’t yet checked it. Once they check it they then move it to the “approved” status, which means that they confirm that your refund amount is accurate and that there aren’t any errors with your refund. Finally they then change it to “sent” to help you know that your refund is on its way!
I feel like my refund has been being processed for forever! What may be causing the delay?
As we shared, the IRS is currently working to process a backlog of 24 million returns! Unfortunately just because you filed when it opened, that doesn’t mean you are first in line to get your refund processed.
If any of the following applies to you it is completely normal that your refund is taking some extra processing time by the IRS.
We know it’s frustrating, but hopefully you can rest assured that the delays are because they need more time, and not because something is wrong with your return.
- First time filing taxes? — If it’s your first time filing taxes by yourself, the IRS will need a little more time to process that. Think about it — it’s the first time you are giving them your address, income information, and bank account information so they need more time to get you into the system. We are so glad you filed, as we know that many people who don’t file miss out on money, but unfortunately this first year it takes a little more time.
- First time filing taxes with a child dependent — Again, for similar reasons listed above, if it’s your first year filing with a child the IRS needs to enter that child’s information into the system. They may already know you, but it’s their first time meeting your little one! But again, we know there are thousands of dollars of credits out there for people in this situation, so we are so glad you filed!
- Claiming stimulus check money on your 2020 return — If you claimed a stimulus check (either $1,200 or $600), the IRS needs to take an extra look at your return, to make sure you are not “double dipping” and getting that stimulus twice. That can add a few weeks to your refund.
- You applied the Lookback Policy — For millions of taxpayers, they used their 2019 income figure to help them make their refund bigger this year and to take advantage of a COVID-related rule. You can read more about that rule here, but again, this could further delay your return because the IRS has to confirm that 2019 earned income amount.
If multiple of the above scenarios apply to you, it could take even longer. For example, we are helping multiple people this year who are filing for the first time, filing for the first time with a child, and also claiming stimulus check funds. That means the IRS has to do a lot of manual checking on your return, so although frustrating that it will delay your return, it does make sense!
If it has been more than 4 weeks since you filed and you are still seeing that your return is being processed, the IRS may require more information from you. The IRS tends to mail you a notice that explains what is wrong and what other documents or information they need from you.
If you want to try and call them instead, you can try calling at 1–800–829–1040. We have heard that it is really hard to get through to someone there though, so don’t discourage. It will jsut take multiple attempts, but if you keep calling you will eventually get through!
