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.
@Sheila_33: yes don’t I know that lol they don’t want to do nothing more than what they have to over there 😝 I wanna thank you for being here for us every year I’m always here I just normally don’t comment lol
@Vulcan1963: A small wmr update this evening and in the morning but nothing on transcripts on Sundays.
@Destdabest: I know lol. Unfortunately, that freeze would have to be manually released on millions of returns and I don’t think they’d put in the labor to do it lol.
@Sheila_33: yea I know that’s why I said at first the 17th but somebody on here was upset cause we kept saying the week of the 23rd that’s why I said I guess they could. Cause really it’s always doing stuff that we don’t expect lol
Updates are overnight Saturdays?? I was expecting to see a change this morning but nothing. No path or EITC this year. Waiting on a few lousy bucks
@Destdabest: The freeze can’t lift from the transcript per the path mandate until Feb. 15th. And the transcript can’t release refunds until its lifted.
Here is IGMRs projected direct deposit dates for dailys and weeklies after the path freeze lifts:
https://igotmyrefund.com/irs-e-file-refund-cycle-chart-2023/
@Youfavgirl: Sometimes it takes months for the wage transcript to fill out. You need to watch the account transcript. Once you get the 846 you are completed. Some people have their wage transcript filled out earlier, it will not hold up your refund.
Well, WMR for us didn’t update to path. Our transcript didn’t populate in all the way yet. Just has the top info. As of date FEB 20, 2023. Was hoping out message would change to Path this morning but nope. It’s such a bummer to see those that filed after us already moving so far ahead. I’m hoping the transcripts will fill in Friday and we update next Saturday.
I’m having such a crap day and this mess doesn’t help. I thought we were going along great. Thanks IRS.
Filed on the 19th accepted same day. All good codes on transcript just waiting for that good ole 846. Wage account is blank. What does that mean although other 3 are filled out.
@The man himself: was the official “DDD” on a Friday, or did your deposit just hit on a Friday? A lot of deposits do come in on Friday’s, but it’s definitely not typical for the actual ‘direct deposit date’ listed on transcripts to be on Fridays.
@Honeybee82: just not true I’ll report when it happens I just looked at my deposit from last year an it was on a Friday. The week before I had the path messing
@Jay: They are gonna take the part of your refund to pay for a debt then you will get the rest, if anything.
@Honeybee82: ok awesome thank you:)
We filed Married filing jointly as we do each year. We forgot to add income from DoorDash either last year or the year before, I can’t quite remember right now. We can see everything on transcripts right now, everything that occurs up until the beautiful 846 code that we all love to see. We updated to the PATH message. I called the offset hotline for myself, and it says that there are no offsets for me. We called with my husbands info and it found one offset for the Bureau or Fiscal Services, but doesn’t say how much, just that our refund “could” be offset. How do we find out how much this is, and why would it’s not be registering as a debt under my name as well? Is it possible that it is not from the taxes, but instead, my husbands student loans or something?