Which refund comes first

Once the IRS has sent your refund to our partner bank - EPS Financial - your tax refund will be transferred to the bank account you entered on your tax return. If you selected during the e-file checkout process to receive your expected tax refund in your bank account via direct bank deposit, your refund will be electronically transferred from the IRS U.

Treasury to the bank account you enter during your checkout and e-file online process on eFile. The Refund Date Estimator Tool allows you to estimate your tax refund date based on your personal refund transfer method. You can use this tool prior to e-Filing or after you e-filed or submitted your Tax Return.

Estimated tax refund dates are based on the IRS acceptance date and are not guaranteed by eFile. Depending on IRS security procedures, the tax refund date could take up to 21 days after the IRS tax return acceptance date or as early as 7 days via the bank direct deposit method. Security Delays : Since the IRS has added security measures for filing Tax Returns to decrease tax fraud, your tax refund may be delayed in The IRS requires online tax websites to add identity verification steps to ensure that the taxpayer filing their return is exactly who they say they are i.

As a result of these new security measures, the IRS may issue more refunds as paper checks, even if taxpayers requested direct deposit. Under TOP, various federal and state government agencies are authorized to seize outstanding federal or state debts from federal tax refunds. The FMS may offset part or all of your federal tax refund to pay: Unpaid child support, federal non-tax debts including student loan repayments , state income tax debts, state unemployment compensation debts, etc.

Though an offset reduces the amount of your expected refund via direct deposit or check, it does not delay the time you will receive the remaining refund if any after the offset. You will receive a notice from FMS via mail. The notice will list the original refund and offset amounts. It will also include the agency that received the offset payment and their contact information: You can call the Treasury Offset Program Call Center at If you e-filed or filed a joint tax return, you may be entitled to part or all of the refund offset.

This rule applies if your spouse is mainly responsible for the debt. Be sure to eFile Form , Injured Spouse Allocation , with your return to request your part of the refund. If you have non-tax debts, you can contact the agency you owe. That way, you can determine if the agency submitted your debts to TOP for refund offset.

The notice will include instructions on how to contact the appropriate agency or agencies. Refund Delay due to Tax Amendment. If you mailed a tax amendment, generally you should wait weeks before checking your amended tax return status. Both tools provide personalized daily updates for taxpayers 24 hours after a return is e-filed or four weeks after the IRS has received a paper return. After inputting some basic information i. Once your refund reaches the third stage, you will need to wait for your financial institution to process a direct deposit or for a paper check to reach you through the mail.

Deciding how to spend, save or invest the money in advance can help stop the shopping impulse from getting the best of you.

Your refund is yours to use how you see fit and can be used to help pay for day-to-day expenses or invested for long-term financial stability. Looking for inspiration? Bankrate offers five smart ways to invest your tax refund. How We Make Money. Michelle Black. Written by. Michelle Lambright Black is a credit expert with over 19 years of experience, a freelance writer and a certified credit expert witness. In addition to writing for Bankrate, ….

Edited By Lance Davis. Edited by. Lance Davis. Lance Davis is the senior editorial director for Bankrate. Based on how you file, most filers can generally expect to receive a refund within these time frames. For a more detailed estimate of when you could get your tax refund, this table breaks down when direct deposits are sent an average of two weeks after your taxes were accepted by the IRS for direct deposits and three weeks for paper checks in the mail. 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. Note that due to the Coronavirus IRS employees have been working remotely, and paper returns are taking longer to process. Reportedly, some IRS workers have since returned to the office, but people who filed paper returns are experiencing unusual delays in receiving their refunds. Choose to have the refund directly deposited into your bank account.

Doing so ensures you get your refund as quick as possible, plus it avoids any chance of a check getting lost in the mail. Use an online tax software that walks you through the process so you can file fast, accurately and get your maximum refund. Select reviewed 12 tax filing programs, evaluating them on a range of features, including cost, user experience, expert tax assistance and Better Business Bureau rating.

Learn More. On TurboTax's secure site. Terms apply, see below for our methodology. View More.