For all the people
impatiently waiting
on tax refunds.

A grapevine for taxpayers,
by taxpayers.

Interact with people who have experiences or questions just like you.

All of your tax refund questions, answered.
What Other People Are Saying
49,350 comments

Where’s My Refund?

You have questions, we have answers.

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.

IRS Update Cycle

Use the IRS Update Cycle chart to find the days and times the WMR and transcript update.

Transcripts

This is what your IRS transcript can tell you about your tax refund.

Transaction Codes

Lookup the codes that you see on your tax return transcript and what they mean.

Daily vs. Weekly

Find out if you have a daily or weekly account with the IRS and what it means.

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.

talk to a human

It is often hard to reach someone at the IRS and you might want to talk to a person. It is hard to reach some tax preparation companies too. Use our guide to talk to a human at the IRS.

TAX TOPIC 152

Tax Topic 152 is the most common status when you check the status of your tax refund. It is nothing to worry about.

transcript codes

Transaction Codes (TC) sometimes called transcript codes consist of three digits and may appear on your IRS account transcript. Decipher the codes on your IRS transcripts.

reference codes

Most times the Wherer’s My Refund tool (WMR) will show Tax Topic 152. Other times you may see various error codes. These are called Reference Codes on the WMR.

Join the Conversation

What Others Are Saying

  1. LongtimeComing

    @Stokes.: It still go to the third party even if it’s a check being sent?

    Reply
  2. Catfish61

    so i have a freeze on my account been there for a few weeks no movement, i am a business owner and i have a regular full-time job, my code does have a 905 with a 03/20/2023 date with a amount beside that, but no movement, any suggestions on what’s going on?

    Reply
  3. Miss.Miami

    @spring: hi my Irs account says information unavailable this morning . I filed 1/23 nothing since yesterday day around 11am. My account transcript and wages update to 2022 but blank. As of date 04/10. Told to wait 10 weeks since Feb so I don’t what is going on this year. Just bs honestly.No letters or anything so I guess I have some movement with my situation. But on Friday night my bottom 2 were n/a and Saturday morning the dates filed for bottom two.

    Reply
  4. spring

    any updates today

    Reply
  5. Mlronq

    @NVDIV is your as of date still at 3/20 or has it gone up again?

    Reply
  6. Mlronq

    @NVDIV
    Oh same here! I struggle all year and get these big refunds and then I go spend crazy after catching up on things and then I’m like I wish I would have put that in a savings lol this year I’m gonna do it different. Also going to see about changing my withholding. When I asked my employer about filling out a new w4 she said she didn’t know what that was. I was like well I’ve got bigger problems than I thought lol my kids enjoy emptying my pockets.

    Reply
  7. NVDIV

    @Mlronq: i got that delay letter back on feb 28th and still waiting.. hopefully we will see it next month.. im in this boat with you.. if you can save what little you can and i pray your check comes in. like i said hopefully by next month… i have a spending habit when i do have extra money but in the last year i realized extra money is not meant for spending.. i wish i was wise enough to know that a long time ago because i would have saved every one of these refunds and got out from under the landlords i pay all my checks to.

    Reply
  8. Stokes

    How long for check once rejected?

    Reply
  9. Stokes.

    @LongtimeComing: yes third party first then to you

    Reply
  10. LongtimeComing

    @Cantcatchabreak: So, how does it work, if you had fees taken out? Does the money still go to the third party first?

    Reply
  11. Shanshan

    @Cantcatchabreak: Thank

    Reply
  12. Mlronq

    I finally got my letter!!!! Says to wait 60 days. Ugh!!!

    Reply
  13. nzxo
    • Tax Preparer:
      FreeTaxUSA
    • Date Filed:
      Jan-30
    • Fees:
      From Refund
    • Bank:
      CashApp
    • Bars:
      What Bars?
    • Date Accepted:
      Jan-31
    • Transcript:
      Online
    • Cycle Code:
      None Yet
    • Cycle:
      Weekly
    • As of:
      Feb-20
    • I Got My Refund!

    no updates…my as of date increased to 04/02, so that’s a huge bummer. I’m wondering if I’m gonna even get it this year. transcripts are still blank, id verified about 2 weeks ago, Same day i got the letter. WMR just says ‘return has been received and is being processed’. Amount still shown, no tax topic or anything.

    Bummed, I got my state weeks ago already. My info checks out, or else they wouldn’t have approved and sent me my State return. So am at a loss, my best hope is that one day a check will appear in the mail someday. Everyone else has gotten their return and of course my federal return is the one that’s stuck.

    Wish everyone luck, it sucks to be stuck here but I hope we all can report success at some point soon.

    Reply
  14. Meme

    @NVDIV, nothing

    Reply
    1
  15. NVDIV

    @Meme: did you get any movement yet?

    Reply
  16. InThaDark

    @Miss.Miami: mine did the same. As of date 4/10. I filed 2/3 no letters or updates on wmr

    Reply
  17. InThaDark

    I finally see my account transcript with a as of date of April 10. I was in errors dept. before. Does this mean I’m finally processing? Filed 2/3 no letters or updates

    Reply
  18. Meme

    TT, 3/17 and 3/24 previous years

    Reply
  19. Mlronq

    I used turbo tax! With credit karma for direct deposit.
    Still waiting. I always use turbo tax..Last year and the year before I got my direct deposit on 2/24 & 2/23.

    Reply
    1
  20. Meme

    Just wondering how many were delayed, and see which tax service has the most delayed returns. (Trying to kill some waiting time here lol)

    Reply
  21. Meme

    Wonder how many turbo taxers vs hr block vs any other tax service used to file your taxes. I filed with TT, what about you?

    Reply
    2
  22. Miss.Miami

    What does it mean for bottom two transcripts to show zeros but 2022? Very weird was blank yesterday as of date 4-10-23 no refund yet. Anyone?

    Reply
  23. Cantcatchabreak

    @Shanshan: hopefully you will. So far monday has been the trend for most people

    Reply
    1
  24. MOE

    @Mlronq: My 971 was 3/13 and i got it on 3/16

    Reply
  25. Mlronq

    Sorry I meant between 2021 wages and 2022!**
    I made $225 more apparently. Nothing looks off on my w2. I genuinely don’t know what the issue is.

    Reply
  26. Mlronq

    Ok I was just trying to see if anyone got notices before the date by the 971 because I’ve been seeing the code there since 2/17 but when I call they keep telling me oh give it a few days and then the last person said it was sent out 3/13 bc that’s the date by the 971 but I still haven’t got one and I just think they are making shit up now honestly. They don’t know what’s going on. No one can tell me. The difference between last years and this years wages is $225 if they need to verify bc of that something’s wrong lol

    Reply
  27. Shanshan

    @Cantcatchabreak:
    yes I had to Id verify.
    3-17 is my check Refund day but nothing yet I hope I get it Monday.

    Reply
  28. Dallis

    @Dirtydog218: same exact situation for me. Filed and accepted on 2/18 no updates.

    Reply
  29. CarolinaWoman88

    @Cantcatchabreak: did you where’s my refund say you was getting a check? Mine says it will be deposit in my account by 3/22 but I saw a lot of people who ID verify or used Free Tax USA was getting checks.

    Reply
  30. Rocky

    @Mlronq: yes the date on my 971 was 3/27 and the 570 code was 3/27. I got the id verify letter before my transcripts updated. The Was N/A until last week

    Reply
  31. Tbear

    I filed with tax act 2/2/2023 accepted 2/2/2023.For 4 weeks I had no movement on wmr or transcript..At the 4th week my amount and tax topic 152 disappeared. I called irs and was told they couldn’t see anything on my return and to wait 10 weeks for processing.. I finally updated on my transcript this pass Wednesday and all of my transcript except the wages filled in.. This morning wmr gave me a date for refund 3/22/2023

    Reply
    1
  32. Meme

    @Mlronq, i checked the SSA because I thought that maybe once your wages are reported on their website, things are moving along. So much for that…….no movement, nothing this morning. Haven’t moved in a while.

    Reply
  33. Meme

    Just check my wmr refund status, transcripts…….no updates for me.

    Reply
    1
  34. Mlronq

    How does the income on ssa situation work? Are you supposed to be able to see it idk what it means never checked before

    Reply
  35. Dirtydog218

    @Cantcatchabreak: we filed feb 18. No letters from the irs, nothing on WMR, no tax topic. I haven’t checked transcripts yet… but yeah dead silence

    Reply
    1
  36. MOE

    Been 78 days last week got letter cp 05 60 days

    Reply
  37. Cantcatchabreak

    @Dirtydog218: when did you file? A lot of people who went from is being processed with 1 bar to is still processing with no bar is having to ID verify. If so you will get a letter in the mail and once you Verify a lot us updated within 2 weeks. And also a lot of the ID verifiers are getting checks mailed instead of DD. The same thing happened to me

    Reply
  38. Cantcatchabreak

    @Shanshan: hi had a check date of March 10 and I got it Monday the 13th. Most people getting checks say they are getting them the following Monday from the date they are scheduled to be mailed. Did you have to ID verify because most people getting checks had to ID verify. I ID’d Feb 23rd and updated the next week

    Reply
  39. Dirtydog218

    Still nothing…no updates or anything. Still says “still processing”. 🙄

    Reply
  40. Mlronq

    @rocky did you receive a notice? What was the date on you 971 code

    Reply