key tax return and refund dates
When can you file your taxes?
You can submit your tax return before the IRS begins processing as early as the first week of the year with many tax preparation providers. You don’t need to wait until the IRS begins accepting tax returns but you must have the proper forms and paperwork. Some forms are not available until mid January. Tax returns filed before the IRS officially opens sit in a “queue” and are held until the IRS officially begins accepting tax returns.
Your tax return may be selected in a test batch. If you e-file early and it sits in queue, your return may be sent to the IRS early. This can result in early direct deposits depending on the payment provider you select. Our cycle chart will update with key dates including test batch dates.
When does the IRS accept tax returns?
The IRS usually opens around the third week of January each year. They announce the opening date early in January.
The IRS will begin accepting tax returns in 2025 on January 27th.
When is the IRS test batch?
If you file your tax return early, it may be sent to the IRS in a test batch before the IRS has officially opened for the year. It is usually a week before the date the IRS begins accepting tax returns. This has resulted in refunds in the past that can be posted by direct deposit as early as the day after tax season opens.
When will I get my tax refund?
Early filers whose returns are accepted in a test batch can anticipate a tax refund as early as the day after the IRS opens the January filing season if your return was in the test batch. The day that the IRS deposits refunds varies for regular returns but we notice trends based on the method you chose to file and select to direct deposit. You can use our tax refund calendar or refund cycle chart to help find out when you will get your tax refund.
Where is the IRS refund cycle chart?
The official tax refund cycle chart published by the IRS has been eliminated and replaced with IRS FAQ. Refund cycle charts are now published by independent websites and vary slightly.
A good reference to use is the When To Expect My Refund cycle chart that is published early each year by the College Investor.
tax refund grapevine
This is a user-to-user community of taxpayers. Share experiences and ask questions below in our Live Discussion. We have learned more about tax refunds than we ever wanted to know.
tax refund tools
IRS Update Cycle
Use the IRS Update Cycle chart to find the days and times the WMR and transcript update.
When are Updates?
The IRS has regular mass update cycles.
WHEN DOES WHERES MY REFUND (WMR) UPDATE?
Where’s My Refund can update any day of the week. But there are mass updates on Wednesday and Saturday when a lot of people see an update. Use our calendar to find out what day you can expect to see updates on Where’s My Refund.
WHEN DO transcripts update?
Transcripts can update any day of the week. But there are mass updates on Tuesday and Friday. Use our calendar to find out what day you can expect to see an update on your transcript.
@Monee:
I was accepted jean 21 and this will be my 3rd Friday as well to stay on the “ as of 2/10 processing 2/17” but I have no notices this far online or informed delivery.. how do you know if you have to id verify.. in went from claiming 2 children to 1 children’s this year ( other is green now) but would this trigger id verify? I have 150 766 768 but dates haven’t moved and I’ve read that lathers won’t see bad codes/holds , if they have any, until update after path lifts?
Checked my transcripts this morning and they are all filled out after only account appearing last week with nothing on it. My as of date pushed out to the 24th.
Hi jw if anyone has any insight on the 971 miscellaneous transactions code please and thanks in advance all 0’s as of 2/24/25 filed 1/29/25 on Path
@All you need is love.: I’m weekly and my as of dates have moved from 2-10 to 2-17 and now 2-24 it’s the weekly’s that’s moving looks like
@Walter DOG: Thankyou Walter I am a weekly is your as of dates not moving or did it move. Are you a weekly, I am sorry about the questions just need some clarification Thankyou everything is weird with these transcripts.
@Paisley: That sounds about right, so no need for me to write it! I was scrolling to see if anyone had attempted an answer, and I see you did! Good luck, I hope you win!
If you claim depends can you get refund earlier than path hold if you did the get paid 5 days earlier?
Hi!
Any 0505 panthers still stuck at as of dates 2-10 & processing dates 2-17 again this morning?
Also, Oon WMR- Is anyone missing the refund amount on bottom.. I have 1 bat, TT152, head of a household and tax year 2024 at bottom but no refund amount?
Got my 846 code today. i filed on the 21st of Jan I am a pather I got an 02-12 date next to my 846 code and an as of date of 02-24 This happened around 0130a mst time.
@All you need is love.: your good to go nothings wrong with yours this is first year that as of dates are moving for people on path their usually frozen in place in the past but this year their moving but I have noticed it’s the weekly’s that are moving but as long as you have good codes (which you do) and have no hold codes or audit codes (which you don’t) your good just waiting on the path to lift which will be the 21st for weekly’s and if you have no hold bank you will get refund on the 21st
If you updated today with all zeros, can you update again today or will the next update for weeklies be next Friday?
@WheredaaCash@!:
Does it really allow you to view online? Because the first year i opted online , i got none of them online and had to wait on letter in mail..
Did you the 150766 credit before you got the 570?
@TaxDummy: Ive updated at q0am before….and I know it was around 10 because I was checking every half hour..lol
@SandraA: So officially weeklies update all throughout the day today? I had nothing last night and now there is an account transcript with zeros, 2/24 date. Could that change today? Thanks!
@DreamLooks: my process date says 2/17 as well but my as of date went to 2/24 , are you PATH, I don’t think it’s odd if you still have the three good codes 150 , 768 ,766
Transcripts blank only have an “AS OF 02-24-25” on the Account Transcripts all others blank. Unfortunately, delayed filing due to TT form 8283 being delayed.
Hopefully have more insight later today as transcripts are said to update all day for weeklys today.
@Ashl3y: Hi, when did you submit your New York state taxes ?
I received an update on where’s my refund that they sent me a letter requesting more information does anyone else have this message? It Updated last night but I turned in everything???
@Andrea:
When did you file? What all codes do you have? As of date?
Processing date?
@VA757pather: oh ok. Thank you for that. I guess I have a bit more waiting to do.
@DreamLooks:
Me too same
i sort of updated. There’s I can have a 2024 account transcript to click on now but everything is blank. There is a 2/24 as of date so theres that I guess. No codes no amounts and says no return filed. NY state still processing :(
@Bri: I’m still holding out hope there will be an additional update this morning. I’m pretty sure last year I didn’t get the full update until after 6am sometime. Maybe even after 7 or 8…
@TaxDummy: im in the same situation as you. 2024 account transcript shows but nothing there. This is the 1st year that my transcript didn’t completely update on the 1st day available
So I checked my transcripts again today. They filled in last Friday to all good codes except the 846. However, my As Of date is still saying 2-10-2025 and the processing date at the bottom on the line for code 150, beside my cycle code says 2-17-2025. I noticed everyone else is saying their As of date changed to 2-24. Is it a reason mines haven’t changed? The 10th is in a couple of days.
Not update, as of date of Feb 17th.
See yall next week!!!
Good morning everyone, I updated to all good codes also my as of date changed from 2/17 to 2/24 cycle code 0605
My VA state taxes updated. They took a small portion but says the check will be dated for 2/11. Also, I had to ID verify a few days ago. So that was fast!
@Monee u have a good spirit I wish you the best , once you do verify the process moves fast , u are done processing u just have to verify once you do u will recycle them get a ddd
@Walter DOG: Goodmorning Walter maybe you can answer this for me please I filed January 15, 2025 accepted January 17, 2025 on January 24, 2025 that’s when my transcripts updated for the first time as of date Feb 10 2025 on January 30. 2025 which is a Thursday I updated again the processing stayed Feb 10 2025 and the as of date change to February 17 I’m a weekly and a pather today check my transcripts nothing moved still says as of date February 17, 2025 and the processing date February 10. 2025 all good codes 150 766 and 768 any help will be appreciated thankyou.
@Monee: i got my letter last year after path lifts I think that’s the hold up!
When do updates stop? 6am?
3rd week stuck on 2/10 as of date due to id verify. Maybe next week they will finally send the letter. I’m not going to complain because it could be worse.
Congrats to all who updated