Waiting for your 2020 tax refund to arrive? When you could receive it and how to track it - CNET

We'll show you how to track your 2020 federal tax refund.

Sarah Tew/CNET

While we wait to see if the IRS approves a nationwide tax extension, taxes are still due by April 15. This means you've got a little over a month to get your taxes filed. And while you already know that tax time is your opportunity to get back the money you overpaid throughout the year (such as through your company's withholding or a quarterly estimate), it's also the time to claim any missing stimulus check money you never received -- you do that as a Recovery Rebate Credit. As long as it's been at least 24 hours since you filed your tax return, you can start tracking your refund status online. Our chart below can help you determine when your refund could arrive.

If you still need to file your taxes, consider filing online. E-filing is more convenient both for you and the IRS (the agency is asking people to avoid sending in a paper return this year). We also recommend setting up direct deposit to speed up your refund process. 

We'll explain all the ways you can track your 2020 tax refund and what your refund status means. Plus, now that the new stimulus bill has been signed into law by President Joe Biden, this tax season could involve more than just a refund and missing stimulus money. It could also determine if you'll be eligible for a third stimulus check of up to $1,400 (or a smaller payment). The IRS and Treasury will start sending out the new checks to many people this weekend via direct deposit. Here's how to track your new payment and how your check could be even more targeted, disqualifying more people. This story was recently updated.

How to track your tax refund: Use these two IRS tools

You need several things on hand to track the status of your tax refund: your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, your filing status -- for example, single, married or head of household -- and your exact refund amount in whole dollars, which can be found on your tax return.

Using the IRS tool Where's My Refund, enter your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status and your exact refund amount, then press Send. If you entered your information correctly, you'll be taken to a page that shows the status of your refund. If not, you may be asked to verify your personal tax data and try again. If all the information looks correct, you'll need to enter the date you filed your taxes, along with how you filed -- either electronically or on paper.

There's also a mobile app you can use to check your tax refund status called IRS2Go. The IRS updates the data in this tool overnight each day, so if you don't see a status change after 24 hours or more, check back the next day.

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Received, approved or sent: Here's what your tax return status means

Both the IRS tools (online and mobile) will show you one of three messages to explain your current tax return status.

• Received: The IRS now has your tax return and is working to process it.
• Approved: The IRS has processed your return and confirmed the amount of your refund, if you're owed one. 
• Sent: Your refund is now on its way to your bank through direct deposit, or as a paper check to your mailbox. (Here's how to change your address now if you moved.)

When will my tax refund arrive? We have a few ideas

The IRS says it issues most tax refunds within 21 days, but many people will get their refunds much sooner. If there are any errors, it might take the agency longer to process and issue your tax refund. The same goes for people who filed a claim for an Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child Tax Credit. 

The date you get your tax refund also depends on how you filed your return. 

For example, if the refund is going into your bank account through direct deposit, it could take an additional five days for your bank to post it to your account. This means if it took the IRS the full 21 days to issue your check and your bank five days to post it, you may be waiting a total of 26 days to get your money. That's where tracking your refund comes in handy. 

If it's being sent by mail, the IRS says it could take six to eight weeks for your tax refund to arrive. Here are some possible dates when you could receive your refund depending on when you filed.

When your tax refund could arrive

If you file on this date	This is the soonest	This is the latest
Feb. 14	Feb. 21	March 7
March 1	March 8	March 22
April 1	April 8	April 22
April 15 (last day to file)	April 22	May 6
Oct. 15 (last day with extension)	Oct. 22	Nov. 5

It's past the 'latest' date for my tax refund. Should I call the IRS to check the status?

While you can call the IRS to check your status, the agency's live phone assistance is extremely limited at this time, so you may wait on hold for a while to speak to a representative. Also, the IRS says you should only call if it's been 21 or more days since you filed your taxes online or if the Where's My Refund tool tells you to contact the IRS.

For more information about your taxes, here's when the 2021 deadline is to file your tax return, how to claim missing stimulus money on your taxes and the real reason you should sign up for direct deposit on your 2020 taxes.

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