The 2026 tax season officially began on January 26, 2026, and the Internal Revenue Service has started processing tax returns. If you have already filed your return and are waiting for your refund, you can check your refund status using the “Where’s My Refund” tool or the IRS2Go mobile application.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, you must wait at least 24 hours after electronically filing your tax return before you can check your tax refund status. For the on-paper filings, the waiting time is approximately four weeks. If sufficient time has already passed, then you can check your refund status.
If you are unaware of how to check your tax refund status, there’s no need to worry. You’ve come to the right place. Here, we have shared step-by-step instructions to check the 2026 IRS refund status and have also tried to explain each stage of the refund process in detail. So, be sure to read this article thoroughly.
How to check the IRS refund status?
You can check your 2025 IRS tax refund status by following any of the following step-by-step instructions mentioned below.
Via Where’s My Refund? tool:
- Go to the official website of the Internal Revenue Service.
- Scroll down and click on the “Track Your Refund” option.
- Enter your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
- Select 2025 as the tax year, and choose your filing status.
- Enter the refundable amount in dollars.
- After reviewing all the details, click the Submit button.
Via Mobile Application
- Download the IRS2Go mobile number for your device.
- Run the mobile application, and tap on the Refund Status tab.
- Enter your social security number, and choose the tax year.
- Opt for the filing status, enter a refundable amount, and click on the Submit button.
After following either of the step-by-step instructions, you will be able to check whether your tax return has been received, accepted, or sent by the IRS.
If there are any mistakes or discrepancies in your tax return, you might see a different refund status than these three. If this happens, there’s no need to worry. The only thing you need to do is contact your nearest IRS office. They will likely ask for some documents, after which your refund will be processed. In this case, your refundable amount may be revised.
What is the meaning of IRS refund statuses?
When checking the 2026 IRS tax refund status, mainly three stages are displayed: the first is Received, the second is Accepted, and the third is Sent. Let’s understand these one by one.
- First is “Received,” which means the Internal Revenue Service has received your return, but they haven’t reviewed it yet.
- Second is “Accepted,” meaning the IRS has reviewed your return, found all the details you provided to be accurate, and processed it.
- Third is “Sent,” which means the IRS has processed your refund through your chosen payment method, and you will get it shortly.
To understand the tax refund status, you should know that it is received within 24 hours of filing the electronic return.
After that, it takes 7 to 10 days for the process, which includes reviewing and accepting. Once it is accepted, the direct deposit is usually received within 10 days.
When the tax filing is done on paper, the IRS receives it within a week, but the status starts showing on the Where’s My Refund? tool and the IRS2Go mobile application only after four weeks.
Within two weeks of the status appearing, the return is usually accepted if all the details are accurate, and then it takes about 10 days to receive the direct deposit.
