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.
@ChelleB: are your transcripts filled out
Via Reddit——-German_Duc
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1 yr. ago
As of dates are the dates the IRS anticipate having your return processed. They are always on a Monday, at least 3 weeks after you file.
So 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/6, etc.
They can change if your return has not processed within the original window.
The IRS expects to have every refund out within 21 days. I filed 2/2 so +21 days would have been 2/23. Since that’s past the 2/20 date, they defaulted me to 2/27.
So, in reality….they mean nothing.
(I’ve already gotten my refund, so this is just based on my dates this year.)
@Mommianaof4: as long as she either files marking herself able to be claimed as a dependent or you don’t claim her at all and she claims herself completely she will be fine
@Jennifer: I haven’t recieved anything either and when I call they don’t even look up my info…I did do. The online account and I’m hoping that It will show there first instead of waiting for it in the mail
@Stillwaitinginfairburnga: I had this exact situation happen to me about 10 years ago. At that time, If you filed jointly they took the refund to apply to what he owed. They also sent a letter to give you the opportunity to request/fight to get your portion back. Fair warning though, what you think is your portion and what they believe you are owed is not the same thing. It was a complete headache for me and at the end I did not receive a refund at all. Hope your situation turns out better!
@Walter DOG: mine is like that but im not on path
@Buckey12: mine also it has 0 balance for all years and for 2023 it has info click that it gives a message does yours have that
@Monique1: I got a letter 12c with a fax number. It was from the Errors department
Hi all. Been down with the stomach bug most of the day but figured I would check in. Hoping to see some transcript updates early morning for us that have been waiting a few weeks.
My 18 year old is a college freshman but worked this past summer. She is due a refund from federal and state. She is my dependent. Is it okay to file at the same time or do I need to file first?
@LV3: I filed with JH I never got an acceptance notice this year, but I just pulled my transcripts has an as of date of 2/19. I know the JH lady told me their system’s were doing things differently this year
What’s up my peeps ,I’m on the path and transcripts are good when I first login to my irs account it showed account balance 0 for this year now it says account balance it doesn’t have 0 it just has account balance and underneath it says tax year show details and for 2023 it has info for account balance and you click on it and it gives a message something like if you ask for adjustment it won’t show……. anyone else on path still have account balance 0 for 2023 just curious
Ok yall, I tried to check my transcript again and it said technical difficulties. Mine has been like that all day.
@AA in Mo: it’s a letter about setting up your ID.me account if you did that recently.
@AA in Mo: I got the ID verify thing on WMR, never got a letter, requested a new letter, and then when nothing was happening I called IRS and they said no initial letter was even sent.. it was annoying because they wouldn’t let me verify in person at the office up the road from me
@IGMR Admin: yes I have my tax refund paperwork
@Jay7: My says the same
I have had the all 0s transcript for days and it’s been on As Of 2/26 since Friday. I was supposed to get an IRS letter today but mail wasn’t delivered. WMR is 1 bar, TT152 and nothing else. Any guesses what the letter will be? Or do the send a generic letter when you sign up for ID Me?
@IGMR Admin: I didn’t qualify for it
@ChelleB: mine says it’s been received and is processing
@Joe Shmoe: How did you know where to send your W2s to?
@Sheila_33: thank you!! Hoping for an update this week! Fingers crossed!
@Lisa in Atlanta: I’m so sorry for your loss!
@Michelle P: did you mail in your amended return? If so it may be a while because they work on the first in first out system and last I heard they were really backlogged on amended returns.
But it is the iRS and almost anything is possible with them🤣 including making us question our sanity!
@Sarah D: Hello, I am in the same boat, but I keep getting different info. So, does the letter come 21 days after acceptance or 21 days after the 29th? I have been told 2 different things and was unable to receive an appointment with the local office.
@Ak: It’s possible, just depends on what’s going on with your return. The as of date is set to resolve an action so hopefully, it does exactly that this week.
@Ashleyrenae113: You could still be a daily. 05 can be daily or weekly.