Where's My Tax Refund?

Starting January 30, 2013 the IRS will begin accepting tax returns. And the most important question after that date will be “where’s my refund?” For several years the IRS has offered a website to check refund status but the site has been cumbersome and not very current. According to the IRS, that’s now changed.

The IRS’s improved http://www.irs.gov/Refunds (WheresMyRefund?) website tool goes “live” on January 30 when tax refunds can be submitted. Taxpayers can use WMR to check the status of their refunds. The site is updated daily – usually overnight – so it only makes sense to check status once a day. The IRS indicates that the site will provide the most current information available and that taxpayers need only contact the IRS via phone when the website indicates that the taxpayer should “take action.”

It’s likely that there will still be questions about specific status on returns. The IRS’s standard response to refund status inquiries will most likely continue to be, “More than 9 out of 10 tax refunds are issued in less than 21 days.” Some returns, particularly those deemed to require further review, will take longer to process. You can shorten any processing time by making sure basic items are accurate and the math on the return is correct.

By: Evan A. Nielsen, Esq. (Licensed in California)