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.
If u owe student loans and the department of education tell u they aren’t garnishing income tax would u believe them
@Ashl3y: mine says 20250603 so where do I fall in line?
@Tia (notlogged): GOT THIS FROM GOOGLE if the last digits of your cycle code are 05, then you are part of a weekly batch cycle. Updates to transcripts and Where’s My Refund status are often made on Saturdays and Fridays, respectively. Otherwise, you have been assigned to a daily batch cycle if the number at the end of your cycle code is 01
Hello. If my transcripts only update on Fridays. That means I’m a weekly right?
@AZTime: me
@shelleybeanss: Thank you
@Hot mama’s: government freeze
Has there been any updates on path returns and will governor freedom affect the processing of 2024 returns that claim actc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
@AZTime: you’re not processed until it’s finished. They’ve received but haven’t processed and approved you yet. That’s normal
@AZTime: it happens when you first try to access your transcripts but they aren’t ready. I think banks and student loan applications use it when applying for a loan for proof that you filed but it isn’t processed yet
@AZTime: me too
also have this one on my account status when I first log into the IRS website Your 2024 Tax Return Is Not Processed however when I check where’s my refund it does say we received your return.
Is anyone else getting this 2024 Verification of Non-Filing Letter on their return transcript?
all i have is no record on file ,filed 1/27
Well from my experience I can usually see my transcripts online then on Saturday it update to ddd, as of now it still is showing no return on file so ik I won’t get no ddd this weekend for sure. So looks like I’m waiting until next week to hope for a update on Wednesday and ddd on Friday
@Detsi: the same thing happened to me last week for a few days, I’m not sure why however I called the irs hotline and it gave me the path message and a day or 2 later my info was back on where’s my refund this is the very first year that happened to me
@shelleybeanss: ok cool
@Chris (Not signed in): ok cool.
@Morris: my account transcript appeared midday last week, after lunch.
@Morris: I have seen people update during the day before.
Can someone tell me if a person could update during the day? I notice I only see updates in the wee hours of the morning. According to the IRS calendar, it states 3 am-all day but I never see anyone updated during the daytime
@Thor: if you didn’t update this morning, I think you’ll see movement by this Friday or the next then! 😊
@Honeybee82: accepted on January 28th
@Thor: what day were you accepted after filing? The cutoff date for processing each week is Tuesday, so if you are a weekly….you may not see any updates until this Friday or next.
For those who updated, when did you guys exactly filed? I filed on Jan 28th still nothing.
@Honeybee82: I was definitely surprised. I couldn’t believe it, I had to double check. Many more just might switch over
I see mass updates are still going from 3 am up til 7 am maybe I’ll get lucky.
I’m still stuck with no updated transcripts. Like always I knew I would be the few that didn’t get updated. No matter if I filed on Jan 1 of just yesterday. Seems like I’m always last.
@Momof1: really?! This is crazy…I’ve never seen so many weeklies switch to daily in the same year! 🤯
@Alienmoon: thanks so much, you too! 🎉💵 Yeah, it’ll definitely be interesting to find out how many more did as well!
@Honeybee82: Same just happened to me, I’ve been weekly for years. Now I’m daily. Cycle code ending in 03.
@Honeybee82: that’s crazy! I wonder how many more of us switched. Congrats! 🎉💸
@Alienmoon: the same thing happened to me! I’ve been a weekly for years, and randomly switched to a daily this year with a 03 cycle code. I had to ID Verify last year….not sure if that triggered a switch, but I’m not complaining 😄
Hello everyone my transcript just updated after being stuck on no file message. Just waiting on a date .. I’m on code 768 right now
I randomly switched to a daily. Very weird. Cylce code ends with 02.
Ive been a weekly for at least the last 10 years.
@Jocelynn: thank you!! It’s a club that I’ve always wanted to know the secret handshake for lol 😂