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.
@Sheila_33: yep cause somethingās a little off
@NY_gal: Glad to hear it now I’ll be stalking SBBT to see when they pull my fees.
My DD just hit chime!!!!!!! After worrying all day over what the IRS lady said. DDD 2/1. Good luck!!!!!
Why canāt I order my return transcript?
@MoCarr2118: I personally had to mail in copies of my w2 for proof of income because they couldn’t verify it with social security ,so it caused my return to have to be manually looked at by a real person. I got a letter with all the instructions on where to send the info they needed. This happened to me in 2022, 2021, and 2019.
@MoCarr2118: IDme is different than the original way to sign into your account. If you loose your login for the original way to see your transcripts, you can set the new IDme account up. There are a few āhoopsā to jump through, but if you have 15 minutes you can get it done and login right after.
Go to the irs.gov site, click sign into your account, next page has login the original way or set up IDme.
Hope this helps.
@RidiculousTaxSeason: After you lost bars and had still processing, what did you need to do? Did you have to ID verify or were you rescheduled?
@diana: You are correct after the 15th you will get a DDD
@MoCarr2118: i don’t know “for sure” but i’m assuming because my transcripts are not completely filled out and i’m a weekly so i gotta wait
@littles16 – how did you know you were resequenced?
@Jenny – how did you know you were resequenced? Will we see a code somewhere?
@Amy19: – Is IDme different than the account you sign up to see your transcripts?
@Sheila_33: so after the 15th i will get ddd
@diana: On Feb 15th, the hold will lift, and your return will cycle through again to place the 846 refund code. You’ve got all good codes and now your return is just frozen until they lift the hold.
Here is a list of the transcript codes and their definitions:
https://igotmyrefund.com/irs-transaction-codes-and-error-codes/
@Audra: no more review or anything we are processed completely? sorry first time
@Gators352: It might be a situation that the ACH packets didn’t go out in time on Friday evening. Hopefully, things will start moving this evening for these deposits.