Once you’ve filed your taxes, you might eagerly await your refund—especially if you have plans for that money. The 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says that nine out of 10 taxpayers who file electronically can expect their refunds within 21 days.

However, if that timeframe has passed and your refund is still MIA, don’t panic just yet. Various factors could be causing✤ the delay, from simple errors on your return to more complex issues like identity theft or tax fraud. Here’s what you need to know about tracking your refund and potential reasons for the hold-up.

First, Check Your Refund Status Online

If you are wondering where your refund is, you can start by checking its status on the IRS’s page. You'll need:

• Your 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Social Security number (SSN) or 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:individual taxpayer identi𝐆fication number (ITIN)
• Your filing status
• Your exact refund amount

Click on the "Check My Refund Status" button, supply the required information, and you’ll get results. Unfortunately, this tool does not provide much detail about why your money may be delayed. It may advise you to call the IRS, from which you should be able to learn more details.

If you don’t see detail🍌s about the delay, the IRS advises contacting them only if:

• It has been 21 or more days since you e-filed.
• The Where’s My Refund? online tool tells you to contact the IRS.

7 Reasons Your Tax Refund Is Late

Many things can hold up the processing and delivery of your tax refund. For example, it could be delayed if you filed your return too early or waited until the last minute. If you tri🎉ed to file in January, for example, a last-minute change to th💯e tax code could have triggered an error on your return that slowed down the processing. Similarly, waiting until the last minute to get your return in can mean a longer wait for your refund if the IRS is backlogged with a larger-than-usual volume of returns.

Also, keep in mind that filing a paper return can slow things down. The fastest way to file—and to get 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:your refund—is to do it electronically online. Here🌳 are some of the most common causes of delay:

1. Your Tax Ret🍌urn Contains Inaccurate Information

Numerical errors or other mistakes on your tax return can slow down your refund. If the IRS detects an error, your return will be flagged for human review, which adds days or weeks to the processing time.

2. Your Return Is Incomplete

An incomplete return can also trigger an IRS review, which could mean a longer wait for your refund. For example, if you filed a paper return and forgot to enter a key piec𝐆e of information, such as your SSN🔥, or neglected to sign your tax forms, the IRS won’t process your return until those issues are resolved.

3. You’re a Victim of Tax Fraud

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Tax fraud occurs when someone uses your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return and claim a refund in your name. For the 2023 tax filing season, the IRS identified more than 337,662 fraudulent refund claims, with 87,591 of them tied to 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:identity theft. If you think you’re a victim of tax-related identity theft, you can contact the IRS and the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

4. Your Refund Was Sent to the Wrong Bank

Filing your return electronically is the fastest way to get your refund, especially if you’re using direct deposit. However, if you entered incorrect bank account details, your refund could e𒊎nd up in someone else’s accountꦕ.

5. You Claimed Certain Tax Credits

Certain Tax credits, such as 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earned income credit (EIC) and the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:additional child tax credit—often draw scr𓂃utiny from the IRS due to taxpayers claiming these credits fraudulently. If you claimed either credit, then that could be the reason why your refund hasn’t yet arrived.

6. You Amended Your Return

Amending a tax return can also create a delay. In 2020, the IRS changed the rules to allow for electronic filing of 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:amended returns for certain forms. You can electronically file an amendment for Form 1040 or 1040-SR for tax year 2020 or later, or Form 1040-NR for tax year 2021 or later, as long as the original was also filed electronically. If you originally filed your return on paper, then the amended return must also be on paper. Due to processing delays, it may take more than 20 weeks to process your return, meaning that you may be waiting several months for your refund.

7. Your Refund Has Been Offset to Pay a Debt

If you owe certain debts—including unpaid child support, unpaid state taxes, or delinquent federal student loans—the IRS can offset your refund by the balancꦆe owed. If your refund is offset, you’ll receive a notice from the U.S. 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service advising you as to why your refund was taken and the agency to which the debt has been owed. You have the right to dispute the debt with the agency that received your refund.

The Bottom Line

If your refund is late, it may be lost in the mail, stolen from your mailbox, or affected by a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:government shutdown. If the Where’s My Refund? tool isn’t offering any answers, you can turn to your local IRS office for help. The IRS may be able to trace your refund to find out what has h✃appened to it and issue a replacement if needed.