Taxpayers can access the Where’s My Refund? tool two ways:
- Visiting IRS.gov – https://www.irs.gov/refunds
- Downloading the IRS2Go app
To use the tool, taxpayers will need:
- Their Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification number
- Tax filing status
- The exact amount of the refund claimed on their tax return
The tool displays progress in three phases:
- Return received
- Refund approved
- Refund sent
When the status changes to approved, this means the IRS is preparing to send the refund as a direct deposit to the taxpayer’s bank account or directly to the taxpayer in the mail, by check, to the address used on their tax return.
Taxpayers should allow time for their financial institution to post the refund to their account or for it to be delivered by mail. Calling the IRS won’t speed up a tax refund. The information available on Where’s My Refund? is the same information available to IRS telephone assistors.
