How Long Does It Take for My Refund to Hit My Bank Account?

So, you’ve hit the submit button and finished filing your tax return. Now comes the waiting game — when can you expect to have your tax refund in hand?

Several factors determine how long it takes for the IRS to issue taxpayers a refund. Here are our answers to some common questions.

When will I get my tax refund?

If you e-filed your income tax return with us at TaxAct® or another tax software provider, you can typically expect to see your tax refund within 21 days. To kick things off, the IRS must first accept your return. Once they’ve done that, the refund processing and 21-day countdown begins.

How can I track my tax refund?

You must wait 24 hours after e-filing to check the status of your refund. You can then start tracking it using the IRS’s Where’s My Refund? tool. Here you’ll be able to view the status of your refund. Be sure to have your Social Security number, filing status, and exact refund amount handy.

If you are a paper filer, you should wait four weeks before attempting to check the status of your tax refund.

If preferred, you can also use the IRS2Go mobile app to check the status of your 2022 tax season refund or call the automated refund hotline at 800-829-1954.

Why haven’t I received my tax refund within 21 days?

Some tax returns take longer to process than others. Here are a few reasons why it may take longer than 21 days to process your refund:

You mailed in a paper tax return
You made an error on your tax return
Your tax return was incomplete
You were a victim of fraud or identity theft
You claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC)
Your return needs further review
You filed Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which can take up to 14 weeks to process

All of these scenarios can slow down IRS processing times and subsequently delay your tax refund.

How can I receive my tax refund faster?

The fastest way to receive your tax refund is to e-file your income tax return and choose direct deposit as paper checks can take longer to issue. You also want to make sure that there are no typos in any names or numbers and that all the information on your tax return is accurate and complete

 

This article is for informational purposes only and not legal or financial advice.
All TaxAct offers, products and services are subject to applicable terms and conditions.

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Why Did the IRS Reject My Tax Return?

The IRS rejecting your tax return can be a scary thing. Thankfully, it’s usually nothing to be overly concerned about.

Let’s examine why your income tax return may be rejected and what to do if you find yourself in that situation.

What does a rejected tax return mean?

If you get a notice from the IRS that your federal income tax return has been rejected, it means they noticed an error and sent the return back to you for correction.

How will I be notified that my return has been rejected?

Depending on how you file, the IRS will typically notify you of a rejected return by email or regular mail. In the rejection notice, you’ll find a rejection code and an explanation of why the return was rejected.

Be wary of scammers attempting to steal your information, and always verify that the rejection notice came directly from the IRS. Watch out for scam calls in particular — the IRS will not usually call you about a rejected return unless they’ve repeatedly tried contacting you by other means.

Why was my return rejected?

The IRS can reject your return for a variety of reasons. Here are some common ones:

Missing or inaccurate information – If a name or number doesn’t match what the IRS has on file for you, they could reject your return. For example, if you changed your name after marriage, you need to update your name with the Social Security office for the IRS to know about your name change. Another issue could be a typo in a name or number when e-filing your return.
The return was already accepted – The IRS will reject your return if they previously accepted a return with your Social Security number (SSN) or taxpayer identification number (TIN). If this happens, it could be a sign of fraud or identity theft.
You claimed a dependent claimed on another return – If you attempt to claim a dependent (such as a child) already claimed on another tax return, your return would be rejected. An example could be a divorced parent trying to claim their child when their spouse already claimed the child on their return. The same could happen if the dependent files their own return and claims themselves.
Your electronic signature doesn’t match – When you e-file, the IRS asks you to provide your adjusted gross income (AGI) from the previous tax year or an Identity Protection PIN to verify your identity. If the number(s) you provide do not match what the IRS has on file, your return will likely be rejected.

What should I do if my return is rejected?

If the IRS rejects your return, you must correct any errors and resubmit your return as soon as possible. You may be able to e-file your updated return for small mistakes like a typo, or the IRS may instruct you to mail in a paper return for more serious errors like identity theft.

How do I fix my rejected tax return?

Once you’ve determined the error that triggered the rejection, you need to correct the mistake and resubmit your original return.

How long do I have to file my corrected return?

If the IRS rejects your federal return, you must correct any errors before the tax deadline (April 18 for tax year 2022). If the IRS rejects your return on or after Tax Day, you will have five days to correct and resubmit your return.

Some states have different grace periods for rejected returns, so always check how many days your state allows to re-file.

How can I prevent my return from being rejected?

You can take some precautions to minimize the chances of the IRS rejecting your return.

When e-filing, take extra care to make sure there are no typos in any names or numbers. Some common culprits that could cause a rejection are mismatched names, SSNs, employer EINs, electronic signature numbers, or an expired TIN.

Another action to take is to file your return early. This gives identity theft criminals less time to file a fraudulent return using your information.

My return was rejected due to identity theft. What should I do?

If someone used your stolen personal information to file a fraudulent return and claim your tax refund, acting as soon as possible is essential. Respond to any IRS correspondence right away by calling them with the number provided. You should also print and mail in Form 14039 with your filed return.

The IRS has a detailed page about what to do in the event of tax-related identity theft.

 

This article is for informational purposes only and not legal or financial advice.

The post Why Did the IRS Reject My Tax Return? appeared first on TaxAct Blog.

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