The IRS will begin releasing refunds for the 2025 tax year starting the first week of February 2026 for those who filed their tax returns electronically in the initial stages. Those who filed paper returns may have to wait until the last week of March 2026 to receive their refunds.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, it takes approximately 21 days (3 weeks) to receive a direct deposit refund after filing electronically. If the return is filed on paper, it can take at least 8 weeks (2 months) to receive the refund.
The refund timeline shared above is valid only if all the details in your return are correct. If there are any mistakes or discrepancies, your refund may be unexpectedly delayed. In this article, we have discussed what to do if you don’t receive your refund on time.
Why is my IRS refund not yet received?
Not receiving your IRS refund on time can be a little frustrating, but if this happens, there’s no need to worry; it can be resolved. First, it’s very important to understand a few things related to your tax return filing, which we have shared below.
- If you filed your return electronically, it takes a maximum of 3 weeks to receive your refund via direct deposit, provided all the details in your return are correct. If there is even a single mistake, this can cause unexpected delays. In the case of paper filing, this time frame is a maximum of 8 weeks.
- You should also know that if you claim a refundable tax credit, such as the Additional Child Tax Credit or the Earned Income Tax Credit, it’s normal for your refund to be delayed by one to two weeks compared to the usual processing time. It is because the IRS thoroughly reviews these refunds before processing them, and one reason behind this is also a federal law, the PATH Act, which prevents the IRS from processing any refund that includes a claim for the ACTC or EITC before February 15th of the tax season.
- Even if you file your tax return electronically in the initial stages and claim the EITC or ACTC, you will still have to wait until at least the first week of March to receive your refund. For paper filings that include a claim for either or both of these tax credits, you will have to wait at least three months.
- And there’s another important point you should know: if the return is filed between the peak filing period (the last week of March) and the deadline (April 15th), the processing time is typically at least one month for electronic filing, while for paper filings, the processing time usually remains around two months.
If, after reviewing the relevant points, you still believe you should have received your refund by now, the first step is to check your refund status to determine whether the Internal Revenue Service has accepted your return.
How to check the IRS tax refund status?
You can check your IRS tax refund status by following the step-by-step instructions below to find out if your refund has been received, accepted, or sent.
- Go to the official IRS website.
- Click on the Refund Tracker option.
- Enter your Social Security number.
- Select tax year 2025.
- Select your filing status.
- Enter the refund amount in dollars.
- Click the submit button.
If the refund status shows “Received,” it means the recipient has received your refund and is currently processing it. If it shows “Accepted,” it means your refund has been processed and you will receive it very soon. If it shows “Sent,” it means the refund has been issued and you will receive it shortly.
One thing you should know is that after an electronic refund is filed, it takes a maximum of two weeks to be accepted, or up to six weeks if filed on paper. If your refund hasn’t been accepted even after sufficient time has passed, then there is likely a problem with your return.
What to do if the IRS tax refund is not yet accepted?
If your return has not been accepted even after a sufficient amount of time has passed, you should first contact the Internal Revenue Service or visit your nearest IRS office. They will provide you with complete information regarding your return.
If there are any missing documents or errors in your return details, they will request clarification or the necessary documents, after which your refund will likely be processed.
If your tax return contains many mistakes, you may need to file an amended return. If this is the case, it’s best to seek assistance from a tax advisor before proceeding with the process.
mailed tax return last week of April. as of july 9, 2025 I have not received my refund. I checked “where my refund”, it said “The information you entered doesn’t match our records”.
My federal return was accepted by the IRS the first week of March. Nothing has changed in my filing status from last year but as of August 6, it is still in process. I have worked the same job for the last 40 years. I filed electronically and requested direct deposit into the same account I have used for the last 20 years. What is going on? I have not received a letter or anything from the IRS.