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.
Does anyone remember those child credits that were given out in 2020 or 21 I believe, and those as of dates on past transcripts popped up with that current year’s date? We had a suspicion they were referencing the past years to verify the dependents before the payments went out. Makes me wonder if they’re verifying identities and wondering if it correlates to this id verifies. Just a theory, but wth knows with the IRS.
@mickey m: Personally, I would have been more concerned with 2/12 as of date. The 2/26 indicates to me that you are good to go back processing.
This 2/26 has people confused, but that 2/12 had you stuck and no date to have something done by.
@Txnate: so you got ID verified?
@Sheila_33: I really don’t know if this has happened before or not.
I don’t think anyone would have checked transcripts, if Friday had been normal.
I think that it had been so established Friday transcripts and WMR, that nobody really paid attention to transcripts after the normal mass Friday updates. Fridays update seemed off and triggered us finding something we just had never realized before.
Good morning checked transcript Friday as of date was 02/12/24 wmr had processing no path message . I checked transcript this morning as of date changed to 26 still no path message on wmr should I be concerned.
@Honeybee82: mornin! just got off the phone with the irs.. transcript work around didnt work for me.. but i found another work around.. identity theft hotline
Makes me wonder if updates this week for those that haven’t finished processing are going to keep that as of date of 2/26 and populate on that transcript. Not for all, since some of you have those darn IDV’s but some.
@Honeybee82: Aww…I have motives. Jemar gives me cookies and Lemonade gives me pudding. 🤗
@Tab: That 2/26 should only be showing up for 01 dailies that processed Friday, . I have the 2/26 date and I have the path credits populated and I’m an 03 from last weeks updates that was a 2/19. My previous years transcripts have had the as of dates changing all over the place. My belief is that it is a glitch for some and movement for others. According to the manual, those as of dates are not supposed to be more than 3 cycles out. And with people updating to that date this past Friday/Saturday, it’s not following the manual. We shall see next update.