Refund Schedule
Contents
The Internal Revenue Services tries to issue and send tax refunds as soon as the agency possibly can. Check the IRS Refund Schedule to see when you will get your refund.
How soon you’re going to get your tax refund depends on when and how you file taxes as well as how you chose to receive your tax refund. If you filed taxes electronically, the chances of you getting your tax refund in less than 2 weeks is very high. This is for those who are also opted to get their tax refunds direct deposited.
So, if you e-file and get your tax refund direct deposited, you won’t wait more than three weeks in most cases. When you file your federal income tax return also matters. File taxes early so that you get your tax refund sent as early as possible.
Take a look at the table below to see the IRS schedule to send tax refunds. This is an estimate of when the IRS is likely to send your tax refund. Depending on your tax return, when and how you file may have an effect on the schedule.
| File and Refund Delivery | Waiting Period (from the date IRS receives your return) |
|---|---|
| Mailed Return and Direct Deposit | 21 days |
| Mailed Return and Refund Check | 2 months |
| e-File and Direct Deposit | 7 to 21 days |
| e-File and Refund Check | 1 month |
Estimated Dates for Receiving Tax Refunds
This is the refund schedule for the 2021 tax season (for 2020 taxes you filed in 2021), see it figure out when you may receive your refund from the IRS.
| Return Received by the IRS | Direct Deposit | Refund Check |
|---|---|---|
| February 28 | March 12 | March 21 |
| March 7 | March 19 | March 28 |
| March 14 | March 26 | April 5 |
| March 21 | April 2 | April 12 |
| March 28 | April 9 | April 19 |
| April 4 | April 16 | April 26 |
| April 11 | April 23 | May 2 |
| April 18 | April 30 | May 9 |
| April 25 | May 7 | May 16 |
| May 2 | May 14 | May 23 |
| May 9 | May 21 | May 30 |
| May 16 | May 28 | June 6 |
| May 23 | June 5 | June 13 |
| May 30 | June 12 | June 20 |
| June 6 | June 19 | June 27 |
What can I do to get my refund early?
The best thing you can do to get your tax refund as soon as possible is to file electronically and choose direct deposit as the refund delivery method. This will ensure that you’re getting your tax refund in about 3 weeks. As seen in the refund schedule table above, those who e-file and get their refunds direct deposited are the ones who get it the earliest.
Make sure to e-file and get your refund direct deposited to receive it the earliest. Another thing you can do is filing taxes early. As long as you have everything necessary to file your federal income tax return such as Form W2, don’t wait up. The later you file your tax return, the later you will get your tax refund.
What happens if I miss the deadline to file taxes?
Taxpayers who miss the April 15 deadline should file taxes as soon as possible. For each month that you don’t file taxes, the IRS issues a 5% penalty of the unpaid tax. This penalty can be up to 25% for a total of five months your return remains unfiled.
What happens if I owe taxes and haven’t paid by April 15?
For unpaid taxes, the IRS imposes a 0.5% penalty of the unpaid taxes for each month. If you’ve paid taxes within a month of the deadline, you’re still going to be subject to the 0.5% penalty. However, you can show a reasonable cause that prevents you from paying taxes on time and the penalty will be waived.
I can’t file taxes by April 15, what can I do?
The IRS allow taxpayers to get additional time to file their federal income tax returns. This is done by filing an extension. If you aren’t ready to meet the April 15 deadline to file taxes, an extension will give you six more months to file your tax return.
Why is my refund late?
There are many reasons for a late tax refund. If the IRS received your tax return but haven’t approved your tax refund, it may be due to the tax credits you claimed. If you claimed Additional Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Tax Credit, your tax refund is likely to be delayed since the IRS needs to look into it.
On February 16, 2021 I filed my tax refund and I still haven’t received my tax refund.. All it says when I check is still processing.
Hey Theresa,
Due to COVID-19 and the large number of tax returns sent around these times, it’s perfectly normal for you to experience delays on your refund.