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.
@Remedyhd: I’m not surprised USAA usually only deposits a day early. Atleast that’s been my experience I wouldn’t expect anything until tomorrow at the earliest. They usually do deposits around 4:45am (central time) but have had a deposit around 6:45pm before.
I keep refreshing SBBT like a freaking fiend lol!!
@NY1: So Is mine so I’m hoping that is a good sign that things are moving. Fingers Crossed
My offset is now showing as paid. DDD of 2/1 still haven’t gotten my money with chime though. Hopefully this is a good sign
@NY1: Honestly that is what I’m hoping for at this point. That they are just so overwhelmed they don’t want to pull up anything and are just saying whatever
@Kayden: Lovely and we all know how fast Ohio moves. Lol I’ll get that back this summer sometime
@Audra: This is exactly what happened to me as well, my Ohio refund was offset and so was my federal .
@NY_gal: same. I’m thinking these people don’t know what they are talking about. They just say anything to get you off the phone. At least I hope lol
@NY_gal: No none of it is making sense at all. If they made that kind of error you think they would have put out a press release or something of that nature.
@Audra: none of this is making sense I just want my money. Never had this problem before.
@Sheila_33: I figured as much that, that would be the case. Now to figure out if the IRS did screw up and to see if people are getting refunds or not. Because 2 people now have said the IRS said their refunds aren’t actually processed. UGH
@NY_gal: oh lord please don’t say that. Why wouldn’t this surprise me. This would be a major screw up for the IRS and why have they not released anything saying this. We are talking hundreds if not thousands of people this would affect. Even odder it shows that my very small offset was already paid. So IDK
@Audra: If it was taken twice, one of them will reimburse.
I have a DDD of 2/1, 846, no fees and chime. I called and finally got through but they said not to go by my transcripts because they’re wrong and my return has to be reprocessed??!! Is this why I haven’t gotten my refund on time? I’ve never had this problem before! Guess I shouldn’t have gotten excited from the 846 and 2 bars.
ok so here is a question I owed ohio state from taxes last year Completely forgot so now the issue being they took the funds out of my federal return. It wasn’t much and they took it out of my state return so somewhere along the line Ohio will have to reimburse me correct?
Just to share TurboTax with Advance and CreditKarma for deposit. It was approved and 2/1 DD on WMR Wed. 1/25. Transcripts complete and same info.
No deposit on CK and the CK Track my Refund is not even updated.
Maybe IRS jumped on the ball when they started talking about abolishing it and these middlemen cant keep up LOL.