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.
@Kjammer09: WMR updated way before TT status. TT updated several hours later. The next morning my transcript was available with all good codes. The day after that, WMR updated to PATH message.
@Harris: oh ok so you have to wait 1 day for the wmr to update ? Does that also mean that it takes 24 hours at least to be accepted as well or can you be accepted and it just not update on wmr? I wonder if your accepted if it’ll show up on TurboTax and change from ” processing” even before wmr is updated
@Kjammer09: That happened to me. I checked it the next day and everything was there and I had one bar.
@Mememea: I havent. Submitted around 830 est. But I also saw that they do not start processing returns until 9am est. So that’s when the flood gates open so to speak. Literally it’s been less than 20 minutes ;)
@JB: oh heck yeah go you! Is that normal for you to get it this early?
Submitted my tax return his morning…yes I know it’s early ;)
Not use to checking wmr this quick but wanted to see if it says accepted or not. When I input my info it says info does not match our records. Is this normal? TurboTax still says processing.
Only have the child tax credit and thats it. Tax transcript shows my direct deposit goes in Wednesday
@Mememea: Not me. Still on “being processed”. It’s early though so…
Has anyone been accepted as of today since its opening day ??
@UnrulyMama: idk I got rejected with free tax for some glitch and then I filed with turbo tax I’m hoping maybe today.
@Mbry0625: could it be a site issue?
I filed on the 20th and was accepted on the 22nd for Federal & the 23rd for state.
Filed on 1/21 and still waiting for acceptance.
@Mary V: same here and when I check where’s my refund nothing shows up
Well.. Well.. Well.., We our back for another year of painful waiting. lol
@UnrulyMama: I submitted my taxes thru freetax USA and I haven’t received a notification about it being accepted or rejected as of yet
Good morning, anyone else file and hasn’t been accepted yet? I filed Saturday but haven’t received a accepted or rejected response
I keep getting an error when I try to comment on the forums. Anyone else?
@sheila33 what time can I submit my return. I am filing a 2023 return but when I tried this morning it says turbo tax is not open for the season
@Sheila_33: Goodmorning Sheila can you please answer this comment if you see this. I am pather all my transcripts are filled in with good codes 150 766 768 as Feb 10 2025 Saturday got the path act message will any more codes pop up being that it’s so early before path act lifts or am I just waiting for just the 846 code. Sheila are you going through the same thing being on path act sorry for being a pain thankyou.
@Stephennotsignedin: same here
@Sheila_33
Hello I think I was resequenced. I was accepted on the 15th and the 1st batch and I have no offsets or credits for path. Should update tomorrow with a DDD for Thursday I got the early card Go2bank. It’s all good. Just waiting.
Looks like I will be updating tomorrow and DDD Wednesday or Thursday folks. No credits no path. I probably got resequenced this year even though I was in first test batch.
@caliheart: Then there isn’t likely anything you can do.
@ErisedMai: its not an IRS debt and its already been sent in to irs by a county agency. Its too late to make a payment plan with the county..
@caliheart: What kind of debt is it? If its IRS debt, there is no hardship form. There is an offer in compromise that may reduce a tax debt, but it won’t eliminate it. If it is a non-irs debt you would have to contact whoever the debt is with.
Also if your return hasnt been accepted yet is there a way to contact the irs in advance to tell them about a hardship to avoid an offset if you know u have one?
hi all this gets brand new every year. sorry for questions that have already been answered
How do we access the “ssa” that people have been talking about to see if anything is moving yet?
@*Queen*: I actually just asked chat gpt because I was thinking the same thing and it said “The IRS typically begins processing tax returns at the start of the business day, around **8:00 AM Eastern Time**, on the official opening day of tax season. However, electronic filings submitted before the opening date may be queued and processed automatically once the system goes live.”
@*Queen*: I feel like I remember it being around 9am idk why but I’m not certain
What time does the irs open? Will it be midnight?
@Sheila_33: thanks a lot! Does that mean I could possibly see my refund this week ?
@Monee: mine are not showing up on ssa yet. W2.
Wmr says still being processed and a refund date will be provided when available no tax topic and zero’s on 2024 transcript
@Blueblood91: The bank that credit karma uses will accept the return and make you jump through hoops to return it to you. I had the same issue with them last year and it took months for them to send me a check. I will never deal with them again. What they are doing to people is criminal.