Get Your Tax Refund on Time Every Year

Getting your tax refund on time every year can be a huge relief, especially if you're counting on it to pay off debt or cover unexpected expenses. According to the IRS, over 150 million tax returns are filed each year, with the average refund amounting to around $2,800.

To increase your chances of getting your refund on time, make sure you file your tax return by the deadline, which is typically April 15th. This allows the IRS to process your return and issue your refund within 6-8 weeks.

Filing electronically can also speed up the process, with refunds typically being issued within 1-3 weeks.

You can choose to receive your tax refund via direct deposit, which is the fastest way to get your refund. Deposit into your checking, savings, or retirement account.

You can split your refund into up to 3 accounts. If you're short on time, direct deposit is the way to go, as it's faster than receiving a paper check.

If you opt for a paper check, we'll mail it to the address on your return. Just make sure to notify us if you've changed your address, so we can update the records.

You can choose to receive your refund via direct deposit, which is the fastest way to get your refund. This option allows you to deposit the funds into your checking, savings, or retirement account.

To take advantage of direct deposit, you can split your refund into up to 3 accounts. If you received a paper check instead, it's likely because you didn't choose direct deposit or you didn't provide the necessary account information.

Direct deposit is a convenient option that allows you to access your refund quickly. You can even watch a video to learn more about how to direct deposit your refund.

If you're wondering when to expect your tax refund, the IRS says it issues most refunds in less than 21 calendar days. However, if you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the additional child tax credit, your refund will arrive no sooner than early March.

For those who filed electronically before February 3, you can expect your refund to move through the review process by March 3. This is a general guideline, but it's a good idea to check the status of your refund through the Where's my Refund application.

Processing times will vary based on individual factors, but here are some general guidelines:

If you're claiming the military benefits subtraction, you can expect a delay in processing, with refunds being sent out in up to 4 weeks if filed electronically, and up to 8 weeks if filed by paper.

If your refund isn't what you expected, it's likely due to a mistake correction on your return, a notice explaining the changes can be found in Where's My Refund?.

Your refund may have been used to pay your IRS tax balance or certain state or federal debts. This can be a bummer, but it's better to know the reason.

If your refund is missing or destroyed, you can request a replacement check. Don't worry, it's an easy fix.

If you entered the wrong account or routing number, you can call 800-829-1040 to stop the deposit. If it's already been deposited to another account, you'll need to contact your bank to recover your funds.

If your refund isn't what you expected, it may be due to a few common reasons. We corrected mistakes on your return, and you'll receive a notice explaining the changes, which you can also find in Where's My Refund?

If your refund was used to pay your IRS tax balance or certain state or federal debts, you'll need to address those issues first. This can be a bit of a headache, but it's essential to take care of it.

Your refund from a joint return might have been applied to your spouse's debts, which can be a surprise. If that's the case, you'll need to discuss it with your spouse.

If your refund is missing or destroyed, you can request a replacement check. This is a relatively straightforward process, but it does require some documentation.

If you entered the wrong account or routing number, call us at 800-829-1040 to stop the deposit. If it's already been deposited to another account, you'll need to contact your bank to recover your funds.

Here are some possible reasons for a missing or incorrect refund:

If your refund claim is denied or partially denied, the Comptroller's office will notify you and explain the reason(s) for the denial.

You'll have 60 days to contest the denial by filing a refund hearing request or a notice of intent to bypass hearing.

A timely refund hearing request will trigger a written demand for all evidence to support your claim, which must be submitted within 60 days of the demand notice or 180 days after the refund is claimed, whichever is later.

Documents not submitted as requested cannot be considered or introduced as evidence in a refund hearing.

Filing a notice of intent to bypass hearing may lead to a conference with the Comptroller to discuss additional supporting documentation that could resolve issues before proceeding to district court.

If issues are resolved, you can amend or remove them from the notice after the conference concludes.

If issues are not resolved, you can bring suit in district court within 60 days after the conference concludes.

You can check the status of your tax refund using the IRS's Where's My Refund? tool, which is available 24 hours after the IRS receives your electronically filed tax return or four weeks after you mail in a paper tax return.

To use the tool, you'll need to have your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, your filing status, and the exact amount of your refund. This information is the same as what you would provide when calling the IRS.

If you e-file your return, you can usually see your refund status after about 48 hours with Where's My Refund?. For amended returns, it takes up to 3 weeks to show up in the system and up to 16 weeks to process.

Here are some key things to keep in mind when checking your refund status:

Keep in mind that phone representatives are unable to provide additional information until at least 60 days after filing your return, especially if your refund is taking longer to process due to missing or incorrect information, identity verification, or other reasons.

You can check the status of your tax refund using the IRS's Where's My Refund? tool, which is available 24 hours after the IRS receives your electronically filed tax return or four weeks after you mail in a paper tax return.

If you e-file your return, you can usually see your refund status after about 48 hours with Where's My Refund? You can get your refund information for the current year and past 2 years.

Amended returns take up to 3 weeks to show up in the system and up to 16 weeks to process. To check on an amended return, visit Where's My Amended Return?

You can check your refund status online, but if you're waiting for a refund on an amended return, you'll need to be patient – it can take up to 16 weeks for the IRS to process it.

The Where's My Refund application provides an up-to-date report on the status of your refund. The information shown in the application is the same information the IRS phone representatives have.

If your refund is taking longer to process due to missing or incorrect information, identity verification, or other reasons, phone representatives will not be able to provide additional information until at least 60 days after filing your return.

Here's a summary of the refund status checking timeline:

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and processing times may vary depending on the specific circumstances of your refund.

If your refund claim is incomplete, don't worry, it's not the end of the road. The statute of limitations will not be tolled until your claim includes all the required elements. The Comptroller's office will notify you of the additional information needed to move forward. If you're unsure what's missing, it's a good idea to review your claim carefully.

You can plan next year's refund by adjusting the taxes you pay through the year with the Tax Withholding Estimator.

To get a bigger refund, you'll want to pay less in taxes throughout the year. To get a smaller refund, you'll want to pay more in taxes throughout the year.

Adjusting your taxes now can make a big difference in the amount of your refund next year.

Planning next year's refund is a great way to take control of your finances. To get a bigger or smaller refund next filing season, you can adjust the taxes you pay through the year with the Tax Withholding Estimator.

By making these adjustments, you can ensure that you're not overpaying or underpaying your taxes, which can save you money in the long run.

A credit can be thought of as a reduction in the amount of taxes you owe, but there's a key difference between a tax credit and a tax deduction. Most tax credits are nonrefundable, meaning they can only reduce your tax liability to $0.

Nonrefundable tax credits are essentially wastable, as any remaining amount is automatically forfeited by the taxpayer. This is the opposite of a tax deduction, which can reduce your taxable income.

A refundable tax credit, on the other hand, pays out in full, regardless of your income or tax liability. If the tax credit reduces your tax liability to below $0, you get a refund.

The Child Tax Credit is a valuable benefit for eligible taxpayers. It provides a maximum credit of $2,000.

The fully refundable portion of the credit is $1,700 for 2024 and 2025, which means you can receive this amount even if you don't owe taxes.

Tax credits can be either nonrefundable or refundable. A nonrefundable tax credit can only reduce a taxpayer's liability to $0, with any remaining amount forfeited.

Refundable tax credits, on the other hand, pay out in full, regardless of income or tax liability. If the credit reduces the tax liability to below $0, the taxpayer gets a refund.

Some examples of refundable tax credits include:

It's worth noting that refundable tax credits can be a game-changer for taxpayers who are eligible. By reducing tax liability below $0, taxpayers can receive a refund for the difference. This can be a welcome surprise for those who have overpaid their taxes throughout the year.

The Child Credit is a vital part of the Child Tax Credit and Refund process. The maximum amount you can claim is $2,000.

Eligible taxpayers can receive a refund of up to $1,700 for 2024 and 2025.

You get a tax refund if you overpaid your taxes the year before, which can happen if your employer withheld too much from your paychecks. This is based on the information you provided on your W-4.

You may also get a refund if you're self-employed and overpaid your estimated quarterly taxes. Refundable tax credits, such as the EITC, can lead to refunds.

If your tax return had one or more errors, you may end up with a different refund amount than you expected. This is because the tax authority will need to adjust your return accordingly.

You may owe Virginia state taxes for a previous tax year, in which case your refund will be withheld to pay off the outstanding bill. This is a legitimate reason for a reduced refund.

If you owe money to other agencies, such as local governments, courts, or the IRS, your refund may be withheld to help pay off these debts. You'll receive a letter explaining the specific debt and how much of your refund was applied.

You can't receive a reduced refund by direct deposit, so if you're expecting a smaller refund, you can expect a check in the mail instead.

Here are some possible reasons why your refund might be different than expected:

If you have any questions or think a claim was made in error, you'll need to contact the relevant agency directly.

If your return is selected for additional review, it can slow down your refund. This is a precautionary measure to protect against identity theft, and we may need to ask for more information.

Your return might be delayed if it's missing information or documents. If this is the case, we'll send you a letter requesting the missing details, so be sure to respond quickly.

Errors on your return can also cause a delay. We'll send a letter detailing the changes we made to correct the errors.

If you owe money to a local, state, or federal agency, we're required by law to use your refund to pay off that debt. This can take time, and you'll receive the remainder of your refund as soon as possible.

Here are some common reasons that can slow down your return:

If you've entered your bank information incorrectly, your bank won't be able to process the deposit, and we'll have to send your refund as a check. This can take an additional 2 weeks, depending on how soon your bank notifies us.