Still Haven’t Gotten Your 2021 Tax Refund? Here’s How You Can Check It
The IRS shut down for several months in 2020, and since then, there’s been a massive delay in processing tax refunds. Didn’t your certified tax planner tell you? This year, the IRS is super busy! More than any other season, the agency is struggling to handle its backlog of tax returns with a smaller staff and more workload. The Senate recently approved $80million for the IRS, and the IRS plans to hire more employees, but it might not take effect anytime soon.
The IRS issued over 45 million tax refunds in 2022, with an average of $3,352 per refund. According to the IRS, filing your tax return electronically with a direct deposit should get your tax return in about 21 days. But if you’ve been waiting longer than 21 days without a refund, your certified tax planner should tell you that there could be a problem, and your return could need Additional Review.
How Can You Check Your Tax Return?
The good thing is that the IRS now has the easiest and fastest way to check the status of your refund by simply using the Where’s My Refund? tool on their website. You can use the tool to check refund status within 24 hours after an e-filed return is received, but if you filed your paper return by mail, you can start checking your refund status only four weeks after mailing the return.
Ask your certified tax planner; you can also use the IRS official mobile app, IRS2Go. You can use the app to check your refund status, find free tax preparation assistance, sign up for helpful tax tips, make a payment, and more. The IRS2Go app is available in Spanish and English from Google Play, Apple App Store, or Amazon.
Why Is My Return Delayed?
The most common reason your return is delayed is that it requires additional review. Other reasons delaying your tax refund could include
- Missing information
- Errors
- Suspected identity theft
- Your return includes a filed claim for an Additional Child Tax Credit or an Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Your return includes Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, and this could take up to 14 weeks to process
What Does An Accepted Tax Return Mean?
When you e-file your tax return, the IRS conducts a basic check of your information before approving your return. This process takes only less than 24 hours. When your tax return is accepted, it means that the IRS has confirmed all your submitted information, such as your name and Social Security Number.
Why Do Paper Returns Take So Long To Process?
Unlike e-file, paper returns have to be processed manually. This is because they require information to be inputted by hand, with the IRS agent required to review it manually.
With the IRS currently understaffed, processing your tax return within six to eight weeks, as was expected before the pandemic, would be impossible.
When Should You Call The IRS?
While the Where’s My Refund tool and the IRS2Go app help you track your refund, communicating through online tools might not be enough to help you answer your questions. So if it’s been more than 21 days since you filed your tax return electronically or 20 weeks since you mailed your tax return, and you can’t wait to know the status of your refund, you should call the IRS.
You should know that calling the IRS won’t make your tax refund processing any faster. According to the IRS, if you can’t wait to know what’s happening to your tax refund, it’s better to use the provided tracking tools because the IRS updates refunds daily, especially overnight.
How do you track an amended tax return?
Nothing comes close to the pain and stress of filing amended tax returns, but if you’ve had a reason to file an amended tax return, you can still track its status online with the Where’s My Amended Return tool. The only clause about filing amended returns is that the IRS says it could take up to 20 weeks to process them after they have been received in their system.
A Certified Tax Planner’s Advice- How To Get Our Tax Refund Fast!
Waiting for your tax refund to land in your hand can be hard, especially when you’re counting on it to foot your bill. When you work with certified tax planners, getting your tax refund can’t be any easier. But if you don’t have a certified tax planner, you can also speed up your tax refund with these steps.
- Double check the names and numbers in your tax return: If you file an incorrect name or Social Social Security number, the IRS won’t think twice before sending it back. Tracking an amended tax return can be frustrating, which is why you should avoid mistakes. Instead, ensure you enter the required information correctly to receive your tax refund on time.
- Use E-filing: filing your taxes electronically is one of the quickest and easiest ways to receive your tax refund.
- Skip the check, and switch to deposit: if you ask for the check, you’ll be at the mercy of the U.S Postal service, and that can take a long time. You can speed up your refund process by opting for direct deposit when you file. This way, the money goes straight into your bank account.
Take-Home
If you can’t get your tax refund on time, you need a certified tax planner like Tax Goddess that ensures you pay the least tax possible and get your tax refund on time. We have the knowledge and expertise to implement top tax strategies for you and your company’s needs. Join team Tax Goddess today and say bye to your tax worries!
