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: Will we be affected again by President’s day? I double checked my transcript, and last year it was 24th, which was a Thursday.
@Jenny04: Traditional banks, most likely 22nd and 23rd depending on daily/weekly. Early cards, possibly the 16th/17th. Depends on the cards and how soon they get the ACH payments sent out. Hang in there hun.
@Anddy: Deposits should be dropping the week of the 22nd. Some with early cards may see as soon as the same week path lifts.
IGMR has a projected calendar of refund dates for pathers and non pathers. So far, they’ve been nailing it.
https://igotmyrefund.com/irs-e-file-refund-cycle-chart-2023/
@LLMom: Is there a possibility since we dont have nothing but Account and Return Transcript and both say no return filed. Can we update with a DDD on Saturday?
@Tigerlili_1: don’t have any new codes only thing is both my 2019 and 2020 transcripts have as of June 6 2022 ,I was audited for eitc in 2020 but my 2021 transcript has what it always had as of March 14 2022 but none of them have any new codes
@Tigerlili_1: what if u filed and got accepted on the 1st but ur a PATHer? Would it still be on the 28th??
@Tom Felton: tomorrow morning around 5 am Tom on Sbtpg that has been my experience with them
every time I have used turbotax and then up to your bank I believe you have chime sorry correct me if wrong 🙂
@Walter DOG: Look at your prior years transcripts and see if there are sny new codes. We had that last year, and our 2020 had a code we owed like 65.00 from that year, it resolved internally and we updated and had our refund on a normal time line.
@Anddy: and no complications with your return
@Anddy: No, they say allow that much time, not that it will take that much time. In fact IRS has stated (on IRS.gov) that they hope to have funds in accounts of those who filed prior to the 15th, by Feb 28.
@Anddy: It depends on your IRS received date all Path act folks should get a DDD date after the 15th and yes we are all waiting for Path to lift so for example if you received on February 2nd you’d have to wait till after path for deposit date hope that helps
@Tom Felton: I’m same you will see when you wake up I always wake up to my refund on Wednesday morning
Is it true what I read somewhere here we wont see if we have path our refund 21 days from February 15? I thought we would get the 846 ddd after the 15 with a possible ddd of 23