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 on January 26, 2026.
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 IRS no longer publishes an official tax refund cycle chart. It has been eliminated and replaced with IRS FAQ. Since then, dozens of versions have popped up, some better than others.
That’s where we step in.
Get the dates, skip the guessing.
Each year, we compile the most accurate Refund Cycle Chart, built from IRS manuals, payout trends, PATH Act release dates, holidays, and real user updates, so you don’t have to guess when your refund will hit.
Check the IGMR Refund Cycle Chart and see when your money’s coming.
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: good morning. Have you noticed any patterns this year? Are daily people seeing movement the first week or is it the second after being accepted? Or are the weekly people seeing anything the first Friday after acceptance or the second Friday? Or is it too early to even notice?
@John-Jaw: You can’t see it for 2025 if your transcript hasn’t populated. I think we really only know what code we are after our return processes for the year. We are all going off of what we have been in the past. I have been an 05, weekly, for the past 6 years but I have noticed that my transcripts do update on random days.
How can you tell your cycle code on the 2025 transcripts, i can see my Account (which showed up yesterday) and my wage and income transcripts. My return and record are only showing last years. No 2025 yet. I’ve been a weekly for years, but could it have changed?
@KKDS: Forgot to say, I am a weekly and when I looked at transcripts an hour ago, only 2021 was there. Updated within the hour. So I thinking everything is slowly loading. Wonder if it’s just a computer delay and all of us who got the blank transcripts Friday are actually processed but the transcripts are delayed.
I was only showing 2021 returns with 2025 transcript showing all 000. Today you can see my 2024, 2023 and 2021 returns but not my 2022. 2025 still blank.
@Kels: I don’t think its an issue. I didn’t have it yesterday and it popped up this morning, and quite a few were seeing it over the weekend.
@Sheila_33: I haven’t gotten the delay message. Still the same. Hmm
Seeing quite a few posts about daily code people updating and getting ddd but their all people who have filed in last 5 6 days… When’s it gonna be the early filers turns?? Gonna lose it if we get skipped over again this week 🤬🤬🤬🤬😭😭
@Sheila_33: thank you! 🤞🏼
@aw: You can check later in the morning and see if it finishes filling out. If not, you may have been resequenced.
I’m a daily, accepted 1/28, 2025 account transcript finally showed up this morning but says no return filed.
Was I resequenced or do I still
Have hope to update today?
@FaithInSC: yvw
@VaGal07: Congratulations!
Good Morning! No change for me for federal. Still 2021 tax account and WMR still says we have received your return and it is being processed. I’m usually a weekly but like to check once a day for any changes. VA state finally updated with a DDD of 2/10! Yay!
Seeing quite a few Wmr’s changing to the delay message this morning. Mine has done the same. I don’t think there’s anything to stress about. We’ve just been in the system for awhile and the Wmr is reflecting that.