What is the average wait time for a tax return

Your financial institution may also play a role in when you receive your refund. Since some banks do not process financial transactions during the weekends or holidays, you may experience a delay in processing. If you opt to receive your tax refund by paper check, use our tax refund schedule to determine when you can expect to receive your refund. Finally, you can expect your tax refund to be delayed if you filed an amended tax return.

The IRS processes amended tax returns from three weeks up to 16 weeks after receipt. You can check the status of your amended tax return here. Check out more of her work at kemberley. Select Region. United States. United Kingdom. Kemberley Washington. Forbes Advisor Staff. Editorial Note: Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn't affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Getty Images. Compare the best tax software of See our picks. Was this article helpful? Share your feedback. Send feedback to the editorial team. In other words, if you owe money on your taxes, your payment is still due by April 18th. If you request an extension, will have six more months to send your return to the IRS.

The deadline to submit extensions for tax year is October 17, Click here for a more complete list of important tax dates. Certain things can affect the timing of your refund, including: How you sent your return — Sending your return electronically allows the IRS to process it faster than if you mail it in. When you filed — The earlier you file, the earlier your return could be processed. Which credits you claimed — Claiming certain credits can cause your refund to be delayed more details below.

What is the IRS refund schedule? Filing method and refund delivery method How long it takes to receive your refund from the time your return is accepted E-file and direct deposit weeks E-file and check 1 month Mail in return and direct deposit 3 weeks Mail in return and check 2 months When will I receive my tax refund?

What happens after I e-file? What does it mean when my tax return is accepted? Is it faster to file electronically or mail in my return? What tax breaks can affect the timing of my refund? Refunds that are direct deposited are not delayed for disaster and other weather-related events affecting mail delivery.

If you requested a refund of tax withheld on a Form S by filing a Form NR, we will need additional time to process the return. Please allow up to 6 months from the original due date of the NR return or the date you actually filed the NR, whichever is later to receive any refund due. More In Refunds. Large Tax Refunds and Credits. Page Last Reviewed or Updated: Sep Share Facebook Twitter Linkedin Print.

There are a number of factors — including the choices you make when you file — that could impact how long it takes for you to receive your tax refund. The delivery option you choose for your tax refund will affect how quickly you receive your funds.

According to the IRS, the fastest way to receive your refund is to combine the direct deposit method with an electronically filed tax return. Below is an estimated breakdown of how soon you might expect to receive your tax refund, based on filing and delivery choices. Additional factors could slow down the processing of your tax refund, such as errors, incomplete returns or fraud.

You should also expect to wait longer for your refund if the IRS determines that your tax return needs further review. Refunds for returns that have errors or that need special handling could take up to four months, according to the IRS. Delays also occur when the IRS suspects identity theft or fraud with any return. Respond quickly if the IRS contacts you by mail for more information or to verify a return.

A delay in responding will increase the wait time for your refund. If you submitted an amended tax form, it may take more than 20 weeks to receive a refund due to processing delays related to the pandemic.

The IRS has eliminated the guesswork of waiting for your tax refund by creating IRS2Go , an app that allows you to track the status of your return. Both tools provide personalized daily updates for taxpayers 24 hours after a return is e-filed or four weeks after the IRS has received a paper return. After inputting some basic information i. Once your refund reaches the third stage, you will need to wait for your financial institution to process a direct deposit or for a paper check to reach you through the mail.

Deciding how to spend, save or invest the money in advance can help stop the shopping impulse from getting the best of you.