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 āqueueā 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.
@Ak: the state threads load very very slow and glitch a lot this year for some reason .. NY return accepted 1/30/24 .. still processing since day 1 . No review message so hope it update soon
@Sheila_33: Just logged into my husbands transcripts (primary) and his tax balance of 0 is gone. Still has the 2/26 and 0ās on account trans and no return filed on wage so as he is not the only one with that, itās probably something wackadoodle on irs side.
@ NYnic: What problem are you having in the state forum?
I filed and accepted 1/29. This is the first year I do not have the ACTC, I have no movement at all on anything. Everything except wage is still just showing N/A. It is stressing me out, because I know you are not supposed to count on that money, but I totally am. Any chance of an update with a DDD showing by the end of the week? I am typically a weekly, but normally there is something by now.
As I replied to someone else’s comment, I am a daily, filed opening day (accepted same day), not a pather and have seen no movement. I filed my son’s this morning (accepted immediately) he is a weekly pather, so let’s see which one updates faster!!
@Mirah: nope, I filed opening day, am a daily, not a pather, and NOTHING!!!!
@IHATETAXTIME: same
@Kmh1240: all of us in our family received letters from IRS last year when signing up for idme…I wouldn’t stress…
@ Sheila_33: As much as I wish that was true I already updated to as of 2/26 today so I already know that means another week just for an update. I just donāt get why I am still stuck. No wording change on WMR no id verify that I can tell.
@Tab: thank you!
@Kmh1240: Yep! I wouldnāt stress. Itās probably just a āhey, you set up IDVā. š
@HereIgoAgain2024: let me go look again and see if I was blessed with some extra credit. Lol. Just kidding. Lucky you!!!
@Walter DOG: mine did this exact thing. Looking at transcript i see i got an additional credit I didnāt file with. My refund amount has been increased by 2k. Mine said balance 0 at first also. Like completely the same with info saying if i requested an adjustmentā¦.
@Tab: I usually always get EIC and a pretty decent refund, and this year I’m not just CTC because of my income last year and only a couple hundred dollars lol! I never was held up getting thousands in a refund I surely hope they don’t over a few hundred :) Fingers crossed for us all this year.
Hello. Just wondering if signing up for an ID.me account would cause a letter in the mail to be sent from the IRS? I updated to a refund date of 2/7 but getting a letter in the mail today from IRS so Iām nervous. TIA
@RE_lax: won’t be fully processed means no 846. Codes besides that should still be showing up. If you know the song and dance from every year, you know all 0’s is not normal and will cause concern
@AW: No harm in checking later today or tomorrow for that matter. My first update was on a Tuesday w/0s, the next week I updated on that Wed. with a filled in transcript.
I called today. They couldnāt verify me over the phone. They told me I need to come in bring ID 2 forms and my last 2 years of taxes. If this normal or am I being audited
@RE_lax: Well, not quite. Even though people on path have to wait for a lift, there is typically movement on transcripts and WMR that we can track to ease the minds. We all know we have to wait but this year the updating has been different and when itās outside of what we have known and seen for years it naturally causes concern.
@Mike: IDme is the only way to access them now. If I couldn’t see my transcripts, I’d call to request the previous year just to see if it would let me.
@Walter DOG: mine is like yours. Nothing in my transcripts is different and my wmr still shows the path message.