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.
I have Path and EITC but my transcripts show a date. Is that the date it gets deposited?
Where’s my refund saying still processing. Filed and accepted January 27th. ..any thoughts anyone thanks in advance
@Poohkee: Yes, if you have a offset with your state unemployment office for overpayment it will be taken from your federal income tax. The offset line provides you with information for things like student loans,or any federal government agencies. If anything is owed you will see tax code 203 on your transcript.
@Detsi: ask the preparer the amount of refund before taking out fees… if u r putting in the actual amount they told u that u would receive… that may be y
@Detsi: numbers entered aren’t correct
I filed through a preparer on Jan 27 and am getting the WMR message “information provided doesn’t match our records “ does anyone know what this could be?
@Poohkee: yes
@Liv: I’m in same boat
What does a – plus amount mean on the account balance on top of account transcripts
hey there! how are ya?? do3s unemployment take federal? is the offset line for both federal and state offsets?
I filed on the 16th, accepted on the 17th, transcripts filled in and updated on the 23rd, got a DD of 2/4, filed with TT and got refunded the $25, had fees taken out of my refund, got an email from TT around 10am that my refund arrived, about an hour later my refund was deposited.
@G: if you are not a panther then it would be highly likely to happen for ya this coming Friday. If you are a panther expect no 846 until next Friday/Saturday.
@WonderingMe: I think dailies mass updates are usually Tuesday nights but could update anyday
@Liv: test batches.
I wonder if weeklies get 846s this friday?? I hope so, everything popukated for me 1/31/2025…. We’ll see i guess
Hi there, do yall know when the 03’s transcripts will update?
@Liv: I filed 1/21 and just updated 2/1
@Mary: & how were you accepted on the 21st?
@Mary: Yea, but why is it taking longer this year?
We always file on that opening day, and then have our dd date on that Sat, and then would be getting our refund the following Wed.
Why is it taking twice as long this year?
@Liv More than likely you are a weekly I was accepted on 1/21 and didn’t update until 2/1
@Mary: I haven’t been so lucky. My WMR has one bar but I have no PATH message. When I first filed, the return was initially rejected due to my last name prepopulating as my husband’s (we don’t share the same last name), we fixed the mistake and refiled, then it was accepted the next day. My theory is that caused a tiny bit of a delay but I could be wrong. Hopefully I see my transcripts come up this Friday.
@Mary: Yea, but we had nothing last Friday. So why this Friday vs last Friday?
Or could we have been switched to a daily?
I mean, what is going on? This sucks…
@Liv My transcripts update on Fridays because I’m weekly. I bet you will update this coming friday
@Mandie (not signed in): Thank you I’ll keep checking. Good luck to you also
When is the latest today that they update transcripts?
We would have already heard something by now. We were a weekly before but there has been no movement. Filed 1/27, just ctc, and don’t owe anything. It is driving us crazy!
@angele: I would amend after you receive your refund.
Who else never received their refund from last year, and is still on one bar, on WMR?
@angele: Your taxes may be delayed, but you should be fine.
Quick question , I filled my taxes on 1/23/2025 and got accepted 1/24/2025 . My transcripts updated to 150 806 766 768 codes and as of date 2/24/2025 . I forgot to added my second job w2 that i worked for 3 months since I just received in mail. Wiil this hold me to get a code 846 to get my refund? I have wmr being processed topic 152
@TaxDummy: you are welcome! just be aware of your rights in that if your return is still in processing after 21 days, you can contact them and they by law need to tell you what the hold up is. dont let them push you around and say they cant disclose any information because at that point, they have to. if you get someone who won’t tell you, just hang up and call back and get another agent and hopefully that person will explain things. i had to go through 4 or 5 before i finally got one who took the time to look in to everything and tell me exactly what was happening.
@Allyson They will most likely update Thursday into Friday then on the WMR on Saturday.
@Mary: do you think my transcripts will update Thursday because they are still showing no return filed?
@Allyson Yes you will probably update this weekend
I filed and was accepted on 1/27. No path message yet. Is that normal?
@Jay: appreciate the reply. Yeah I’ve read on other sites where stuff like this isn’t caught for months, but it sounds like they will definitely have my 2024 w2 and bump it up against what I entered and it will be flagged, I assume.
@Mandie I was accepted on 1/21 and updated to the PATH message on 2/1. My trans populated out on 1/31
@TaxDummy: **edit** 21 days originally. not 60. after i filed the amended return, it turned in to 45 days waiting and then 15 more days days and then after that was up, they wanted another 60 days. thats when the advocate said enough was enough and there was no need to keep extending it because the amended return matched perfectly what they had on file. i filed in mid-feb that year and didnt finally get our refund until almost june
@TaxDummy: i went through amend hell two years ago when my wife’s payroll company mis-printed the w2 they sent us and i had no idea about it until a few weeks after our return was stuck on still processing. i kept calling the IRS to find out why and it wasnt until only after 60 days that i was finally told that what we reported was not what was reported as wages on our account. i filed an amended return right away. however, the irs was dragging its feet with processing it way past the normal time frame and had to get a tax advocate involved to get them to speed things up. the irs kept asking for more time to process and the advocate said enough is enough and demanded our refund be pushed through. hopefully your experience goes smoother
@Yandyy: people on here have said it’s normal because it means you haven’t processed yet but I filed on 1/21 and still have that non filing thing. And my wage transcript says no return filed as well. I’ve been checking here and my scripts a long time and I’ve never seen that before. I’ll at least get a transcript, even if it’s blank, but all I have are the ones from last year
@TaxDummy: I think it really depends on the amount. Some have had it caught right away and their current refund froze and others flew under the radar and amended after they received their refund. Mine was only like $300.00 off so I received my original refund and then amended after I received it because at some point they could have caught it. I would definitely keep on eye on transcripts and see what happens with those and then as soon as you receive your refund amend if they don’t hold it up.
igotmyrefund.com (IGMR) is not affiliated with any government agencies. The information we provide is purely speculative. We derive our information from personal experiences and comments from users. We attempt to maintain the most relevant and accurate information available. However, we are neither responsible for false information nor the timeliness of refund status and delivery. DO NOT post the amount of your refund, account numbers or social security number. By commenting you agree that IGMR cannot be held liable for what others may do with your information. We allow comments subject to our sole discretion. If your comment is held for moderation please read How We Moderate Comments HWMC. The links on our site are affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking a link, we may make a small amount of money to support the cost of maintaining and improving the site. This website is owned and independently operated apart from advertisers and is only an affiliate to the companies displayed in ads.
Privacy Overview