The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not publish a specific schedule for when taxpayers should expect to receive their tax refunds. However, the IRS does provide guidance that most taxpayers should receive their refund within 21 days of filing electronically if they choose direct deposit and there are no problems with their tax return. Taxpayers who use a professional, such as a licensed public accountant or tax advisor, can ask that professional for the estimated date of their tax return and be more certain that their taxes have been properly (and legally) filed. Many tax preparation software companies, businesses, and tax professionals will accept and prepare tax returns before January 24th for filing when the IRS systems open. The free IRS file will open its doors on January 14th, when participating providers accept the completed returns and will keep them until they can be filed electronically with the IRS.
The federal tax filing deadline is Monday, April 18th for most taxpayers, not the traditional date of April 15th. This is due to the Emancipation Day holiday in the District of Columbia. By law, Washington, D. C.
is given an extra day to celebrate this holiday. So, taxpayers have three additional days to file their taxes this year. If the return includes errors or is incomplete, a more thorough review may be necessary, which could delay the tax refund. If you filed a modified tax form, it may take more than 20 weeks before you receive a refund due to pandemic-related processing delays. April 18th is also the deadline for filing most state tax returns, but some states (Delaware, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, and Virginia) have different deadlines. If you qualify for a federal tax refund and don't file a return, your refund will not be claimed.
Because of this, it is important to file your taxes relatively regularly in order to receive your refund within two to three weeks of the filing date. If you're afraid of receiving a tax bill that you know you can't pay right now, consider applying for a payment plan. You should also consult a letter from the IRS stating the amount of your anticipated child tax credit when preparing your return. In general, the IRS anticipates that most taxpayers will receive their refund within 21 days of filing electronically if they choose direct deposit and there are no problems with their tax return. This is a graph of when you can expect your tax refund when the return is accepted (depending on electronic filing). After filling out the required forms, your tax preparer will calculate if you owe additional income taxes or if you will receive a refund.
