Where’s my refund?
You’ve filed your returns, and because of excellent tax strategy or overly conservative withholding, you’re getting a refund! Before you book those tickets to someplace warm and sunny—or, less exciting, replace the water heater—you need to know: “Hey IRS, where is my money?!”
The IRS provides a link on their website that allows you to track your refund. To check on your cash, follow the steps below:
Federal refunds can be tracked online at ‘IRS Where’s My Refund.’
Enter your Social Security number. Even if you’re filing as married filing jointly, your Social Security number alone will bring up the refund from your joint return.
Select the tax year you’re waiting on a refund for. This will match the year printed on your tax form.
Select your filing status. This can be found on the first page of your Form 1040 under “Filing Status.”
Enter the refund amount shown on the tax return as filed. For most individual filers using a 1040, this will be on page 2, line 35a of the 1040 form.
California refunds can also be tracked online at ‘Where’s My Refund | FTB.’
Enter your Social Security number. Even if you’re filing as married filing jointly, your Social Security number alone will bring up the refund from your joint return.
Enter the numbers in your mailing address. For example, if your address is 183 Main Street, Sunny Cove, CA 95033, you would enter “183.” This should match the address used on the tax return.
Enter your zip code. Again, use the zip code provided on the filed tax return.
Enter the refund amount shown on the tax return as filed. For most individual filers using a 540, this will be on side 4, line 99 of the 540 form.
Electronically filed returns will process faster than paper-filed returns, and refunds are usually issued within 2-4 weeks from the date the return was successfully filed. To expedite the receipt of your refund, opt to have the money directly deposited into a bank account.
If the status of your refund does not show as “processing” or “refunded,” don’t fret. The IRS/FTB can usually provide more information on why they might be holding your refund. You can call the number provided with the status. If you ever need additional help understanding your tax situation or why the IRS/FTB may have held or adjusted your refund, feel free to contact us, and we will do our best to resolve your issue quickly or give you clarity on your tax situation.
