Most taxpayers receive their refunds within 21 days. If you choose to have your refund deposited directly into your account, you may have to wait five days before you can gain access to it. If you request a refund check, you might have to wait a few weeks for it to arrive.

Why does the IRS not allow you to file a tax return?

“The IRS won’t allow you to file your return because another one has been filed under your Social Security number.” The IRS must also wait until a certain date to process and issue refunds to taxpayers claiming the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit.

When did the IRS start accepting tax returns for 2020?

Even after the IRS started accepting 2020 returns, Congress changed some key tax laws again on March 11 – including a $10,200 tax exclusion for unemployment benefits after many people filed their tax returns – causing additional delays. Meanwhile, the IRS was also tasked with distributing the stimulus payments from the relief bills.

When does the IRS start processing tax returns?

The IRS already had a backlog of paper tax returns to process from last year after COVID-19 sent workers home, and the start of this year’s tax-filing season was delayed from late January until Feb. 12 to give the IRS extra time to prepare for tax law changes from the Dec. 27 relief package.

Why does the IRS take so long to process tax returns?

If you file an incomplete return or if you have any mistakes on your tax return, the IRS will spend longer processing your return. This will slow down any potential refund. Mistakes could include mathematical errors or incorrect personal information.

When did the IRS start accepting tax returns?

That’s not the case. The IRS started accepting returns January 27, 2020, and the first refunds were issued within 21 days (often within 10 to 14 days) of acceptance and that timing continues. 3  4  You should also know that there is no relationship between the amount of your refund and your stimulus payment.

What happens if you don’t get your tax refund in 21 days?

If you don’t receive your refund in 21 days, your tax return might need further review. This may happen if your return was incomplete or incorrect. The IRS may send you instructions through the mail if it needs additional information in order to process your return.