Tax Refund Status, Tax Return Status
Before you check where your tax refund money is or what your tax refund status is please check your tax return status through your efile.com account and make sure that your tax return has been successfully submitted and accepted by the IRS.
Generally you can get tax refund information 72 hours after the IRS has acknowledged the receipt of your efiled tax return, or three to four weeks after mailing a paper tax return.
Before you check your tax refund status under Step 2 below, make sure you have a copy of your tax return handy. You will need to provide the following information from your tax return:
Step 1: Check your Tax Return Status
- Check your tax return on efile.com. As soon as you sign in you will see the status of your return. If you need further information from the status page, click Open My Return. Once you are back to your return look at the Check Status message on the left under "Your Return". Your return is either:
- Pending,
- Rejected, or
- Accepted
If your return is Rejected, you can fix your return and efile until your return is accepted at no extra charge.
For details, click on More Info.
If you have further questions about the status of your return you can also call the IRS Tax Assistance Hotline: 1-800-829-1040 (Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. local time).
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Step 2: Check your Tax Refund Status
How your refund is released by the IRS depends on which refund method you selected when filing your return:
1. IRS direct bank deposit refund: Your tax refund will be electronically transferred directly from the IRS (US Treasury) to the bank account you entered during your tax preparation on eFile.
Check in this order: 1. Tax Refund Dates 2. Tax Refund Status 3. Contact your bank
Alternatively, you may call the IRS Refund Hotline: 1-800-829-1954
2. Deduct Fee From Refund (DFFR): If you paid your tax preparation fee via DFFR your expected tax refund will be transferred from the IRS to the efile.com partner bank (EPS Financial) and then to your bank minus the tax preparation fee (for Premium service). A service processing fee (DFFR-fee) of only $10.00 will be charged for this service. This fee is charged by eFile's bank partner (EPS Financial) and not by efile.com and is automatically deducted from your expected tax refund.
If you choose this option, you will need to visit www.efile.com/my-tax-refund-money and create an account in order to check the status of your refund. Once you have an account, you will be able to track the status of your refund and the expected date of your deposit. Your funds will be transferred from the IRS to eFile's partner bank account, EPS Financial, and then to your bank (minus the $ 10 service fee).
Check in this order: 1. Tax Refund Dates 2. Tax Refund Status 3. www.efile.com/my-tax-refund-money
Alternatively, if you selected to pay your tax preparation fee via your tax refund and have questions about the status of your tax refund money, please call: 1-866-331-3082
3. IRS check through the mail: Once your tax return has been received and processed, the IRS will issue you a paper check and send it through the post office. It generally takes about twice as long as direct deposit to receive your refund through the mail.
Check in this order: 1. Tax Refund Dates 2. Tax Refund Status 3. Call the IRS Refund Hotline: 1-800-829-1954
Note: If you contacted the IRS and they informed you that your refund was transferred to a bank or a bank routing number different than the routing number of your bank, don't worry; the IRS and eFile are not a bank, thus the e-Collect partner was instructed (with a unique routing number) to transfer your tax refund to your bank.
Note for First-Time Homebuyers: The IRS will not begin processing tax returns which claim the First-Time Homebuyer Credit until late February, 2010, and the first refunds will not be issued until March. Even if you file in February or later, be prepared to wait at least an extra 2-3 weeks for your tax refund.