When the IRS accepts a tax return and issues a tax refund, the taxpayer almost always is interested in when they can expect the money. Most tax refunds happen within an incredibly short time frame, however, IRS refund time frames and the methods by which a taxpayer will receive the funds can be a little complicated.
Comparing how quickly a taxpayer can receive their tax refund via direct deposit as compared to a physical paper check will shed some light on the speed of IRS tax refunds.
Most taxpayers prefer having their tax refund directly deposited because it is faster, easier, and eliminates the possibility of a check getting lost in the mail. The IRS does offer physical paper tax refund checks, but as with all things physical, they tend to slow down the entire process.
Tax refund check direct deposit timeframes state that on average, direct deposits on approved refunds will be received within 5 working days. In reality however, many deposits are received within 3 days, but this speed of deposit is contingent on the bank in question and their deposit time schedules.
And as a final note, if a taxpayer has chosen to be issued a paper tax refund, it is reasonable to expect receipt of said refund within 3 weeks of the tax return being processed. The entire process of tax refund issuance and receipt can vary greatly owing to the efficiency of the IRS, the Postal Service and internal regional mail systems.
There are several factors that can affect the timing of when you receive your bank deposit, even after they have been sent your refund from the IRS.
Bank processing times are different for every institution. Some banks may release funds immediately, while others may take longer.
There are also periods of time that funds are not processed or worked on, such as weekends and federal holidays. During these time periods, funds may not be actively worked on, thus pushing your funds to the next business day to be processed.
Bank deposit failures will be classified as errors made when such errors are made when processing the routing or account number. If these errors occur, the IRS will mail you the check directly.
To assist the taxpayers with the position of their refund, the IRS has created two tools to help better track their refund.
There is a specific section on the IRS website called the “Where’s My Refund?” Tool. This allows tax filers to see the current status of their refund and if it has been processed or not.
There is also a mobile version called the IRS2Go Mobile App. This helps refund trackers see the status of their refund from anywhere.
Users of these two services may find that their information is updated once a day. This is usually done during the time when people are not actively using their phones or late at night.
If your refund is overdue, here’s what you can do:
For any professional assistance requirement, contact Dimov Audit today.
After the IRS marks “Refund Sent,” banks can take up to 5 business days to post the deposit (most e-file + direct deposit refunds arrive in <21 days).
Bank posting times, weekends/holidays, and IRS reviews (errors, identity checks, or EITC/ACTC holds) can delay funding even after approval.
Yes—returns needing additional review or claiming EITC/ACTC can exceed 21 days.
There’s no guaranteed time-of-day; once sent, posting depends on your bank and can take up to 5 days.
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