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.
@Yalldtmfr2025: i concur!!!!
@BMOREMOMOFTHREEANDAHALFatwork: I read on FB that it’s Cross River Bank….never heart of them :-/
@Jay: being that I’ve used this website for 10 years st8 I know for a fact the ppl behind the phone at the IRS will say anything to get you off the phone 🤣. Plus it makes since if your daily you might today Tuesday. But most like Friday morning Saturday morning for weeklys. I trust IGMR trends more than anything!!!
@Jay: being that I she’s this website for 10 years st8 I know for a fact the ppl behind the phone at the IRS will say anything to get you off the phone 🤣
@Sarah D: I am a frequent TT user not this year THANK GOD. But they normally send the morning of. Good luck!
Does anyone know what bank TT uses for the people who paid for the 5 days early? is there a website?
I read something about them using several banks. I did not press the option to use their card.
@Yalldtmfr2025: i actually spoke with an IRS agent yesterday because i wanted to confirm what they have on file for my w-2 matches what i was sent and i asked him about PATH falling on saturday the 15th and he told me that their systems will be lifting the hold on monday the 17th. i said that the 17th is a federal holiday and he said yes it is but their system is showing the PATH hold to be lifted that day
Anybody with a DDD of 2/5 see their refund hit yet from Sbtgp? Or if they release early? My account says funded but no refund hit yet. I have never gone through Sbtgp before, no idea how it works.
@Beth: me too I got the same email from tt at like 12:45 it said congrats 🎉 your refund is on its way but when I log in it still said the same thing on turbo tax even tho the email said login to see when your refund will come but my sister also got the same email too so idk guys
and yes i also did receive the email from turbo tax stating my refund is on the way. Not sure if its standard or what. But it still does state that we have to wait for path to lift.
Hello i posted last night but thought id let you all know. I updated last night with all good codes with my cycle code being 20250602 just waiting on the PATH to lift of course. But glad to see everything populated.
@Jocelynn: I made sure I wrote it down and took a screen shot so I wouldn’t forget lol. I just checked and it looks like I posted about it on Wednesday morning and said I updated overnight, so I might actually update tonight….for some reason I was thinking it was Tuesday morning that I saw the update lol 😵💫
@Beth: I guess we’ll find out soon. Maybe. Hopefully….
@naughtyrockets: I got the same email from TT and was wondering the same thing.
@shelleybeanss: well that’s what I thought as well but I have several people in my sphere who filed a day or 2 before I did and at the same time they all have path but 2 of them have a ddd of 2/3 so I figured they were in the test batch and have a pending funds already so I’m not sure they also all had the date of 2/10 on process and next to the cycle code so idk
@Honeybee82: I update on Thursdays, so even though I’m a daily I never see any updates on Tuesdays during mass update. Do you remember when you updated last week?
Ok, I just got an email from TT that says my refund has been processed. But no change to WMR, transcripts, etc. Thoughts? Is it a false email because TT is down?
Well I have no idea if I actually did switch to Daily this year, since my transcripts updated for 2024 with all 0’s and the 2/17 as of date last Tuesday…..or if I just started to process at some point….and now I’m just being recycled. When I didn’t update on Friday, I assumed “ok I must really be Daily this year….I’ll see movement on Tuesday”. Nope, absolutely no new updates for me at all. I’m on Path, so I know I’m waiting regardless…but thought I’d see all good codes aside from the 846 by now. Not one inch of movement…..WMR looks the exact same too.
@Kj: ???
Question.. I filed as married filing separate on Jan 30th. Was accepted Jan 30th. Not a PATHer. I’m on 1 bar, 152 status on WMR.
However, I’m an idiot and I just realized I filed my taxes using 2023 W2 (same W2 I filed with last year)
My question is, since I was Accepted, will I definitely get the refund I’ve been expecting and then will have to amend? Or will IRS catch the mistake this week?
Appreciate it.
I am getting SO frustrated. Accepted 1/21. Have unpopulated transcripts. STILL NOTHING.
So I did the dirty work for us PATHERS!! The last time the 15th fell on a Saturday the first updates started coming in on the 20th with DDD. So I have concluded that we won’t really see any moment until the Thursday 20th! Hope this helps! And yes No hold banks cause see funds that Friday
@Mdeadz1980: from what I understand even with the “up to 5 days early” option, funds cannot be released before path lifts
Turbo tax app has crashed. Hoping it gets fixed soon. I cannot get into my TT account right now. I was trying to help my son get into his bc he just got notice that his refund was approved. He filed last week. He’s on path so he’s waiting at least 2 more weeks for the actual DD. But TT wouldn’t open for him or me