IRS revamps Where's My Refund tool

Where's my check? Answers to common relief payment questions

Eric Gay/AP

President Donald Trump's name is seen on a stimulus check issued by the IRS to help combat the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, in San Antonio, Thursday, April 23, 2020. According to the Treasury Department, it marks the first time a president's name has appeared on any IRS payments, whether refund checks or other stimulus checks that have been mailed during past economic crises. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

By: Kara Kenney

INDIANAPOLIS — If you’re still waiting on a tax refund, the Internal Revenue Service has revamped a tool that will help you find it.

The IRS announced Wednesday it made an enhancement to the “Where’s My Refund?” online tool, which includes a new feature that allows taxpayers to check the status of their current tax year and two previous years’ refunds.

Taxpayers can now select any of the three most recent tax years to check their refund status.

Taxpayers throughout Indiana have expressed frustration about missing tax refunds and stimulus payments.

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As WRTV reported in June 2021, a historically high number of taxpayers had still not received their tax refunds, the National Taxpayer Advocate announced in its mid-year report to Congress.

It’s a problem WRTV Investigates has been tracking for more than a year—Indiana taxpayers having trouble filing their tax returns and receiving their 2019 and 2020 tax refunds.

Previously, the Where’s My Refund tool only displayed the status of the most recently filed tax return within the past two tax years.

To use the Where’s My Refund tool, you will need your Social Security number or ITIN, filing status and expected refund amount from the originally filed tax return for the tax year you’re checking.

Using “Where’s My Refund?”, taxpayers can start checking the status of their refund within:

24 hours after e-filing a tax year 2021 return.
Three or four days after e-filing a tax year 2019 or 2020 return.
Four weeks after mailing a return.

“We encourage those who expect a refund but requested an extension, to file as soon as they’re ready. We process returns on a first-in basis, so the sooner the better,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said.

Electronic filing is open 24/7 and the IRS continues to receive returns and issue refunds. Once taxpayers have filed, they can track their refund with “Where's My Refund?”

The tool is accessible on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go mobile app, and allows taxpayers to track their refund through three stages:

Return received.
Refund approved.
Refund sent.

The tool is updated once a day, usually overnight, and gives taxpayers a projected refund issuance date as soon as it’s approved, according to the IRS.