By all reports tax return processing and refund payments for the 2024 tax season are going much smoother thanks to IRS investments in technology and no new stimulus payments or tax credits to administer. However further security controls and PATH act restrictions (see below) could delay potential refund payments for some filers.
When Can I Expect My Tax Refund in 2024?
According to the IRS refunds will generally be paid within 21 days. This includes accepting, processing and disbursing approved refund payments via direct deposit or check. This is regular days, not business days.
This was the basis for the estimated 2024 IRS refund schedule/calendar shown below, which has been updated to reflect the Jan 29th, 2024 start date of IRS tax return processing this year.
The refund processing schedule is organized by IRS’ WMR/IRS2Go processing status‘. The listed dates are just week ending estimates and your refund could be paid anytime during the week based on your IRS cycle code (see more on that in sections below).
Further, as many tax filers have found out over the last few years, actual refund payment dates could be much longer if your return is pulled for mandated PATH, additional identity fraud/security checks, special handling or manual agency reviews.
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| Tax Return is Accepted by IRS By: (Status = Return Received) | IRS Processing Completed By: (Status = Refund Approved) | Est. Refund Payment (DD) By: (Status = Refund Sent) |
|---|---|---|
| January 29, 2024 | February 5, 2024 | February 9, 2024 |
| February 5, 2024 | February 12, 2024 | February 16, 2024 |
| February 12, 2024 | February 19, 2024 | February 23, 2024 |
| February 19, 2024 | February 26, 2024 | March 1, 2024 |
| February 26, 2024 | March 4, 2024 | March 8, 2024 |
| March 4, 2024 | March 11, 2024 | March 15, 2024 |
| March 11, 2024 | March 18, 2024 | March 22, 2024 |
| March 18, 2024 | March 25, 2024 | March 29, 2024 |
| March 25, 2024 | April 1, 2024 | April 5, 2024 |
| April 1, 2024 | April 8, 2024 | April 12, 2024 |
| April 8, 2024 | April 15, 2024 | April 19, 2024 |
| April 15, 2024 | April 22, 2024 | April 26, 2024 |
| April 22, 2024 | April 29, 2024 | May 3, 2024 |
| April 29, 2024 | May 6, 2024 | May 10, 2024 |
| May 6, 2024 | May 13, 2024 | May 17, 2024 |
| May 13, 2024 | May 20, 2024 | May 24, 2024 |
| May 20, 2024 | May 27, 2024 | May 31, 2024 |
| May 27, 2024 | June 3, 2024 | June 7, 2024 |
| June 3, 2024 | June 10, 2024 | June 14, 2024 |
| June 10, 2024 | June 17, 2024 | June 21, 2024 |
| June 17, 2024 | June 24, 2024 | June 28, 2024 |
| June 24, 2024 | July 1, 2024 | July 5, 2024 |
| July 1, 2024 | July 8, 2024 | July 12, 2024 |
| July 8, 2024 | July 15, 2024 | July 19, 2024 |
| July 15, 2024 | July 22, 2024 | July 26, 2024 |
| July 22, 2024 | July 29, 2024 | August 2, 2024 |
| July 29, 2024 | August 5, 2024 | August 9, 2024 |
| August 5, 2024 | August 12, 2024 | August 16, 2024 |
| August 12, 2024 | August 19, 2024 | August 23, 2024 |
| August 19, 2024 | August 26, 2024 | August 30, 2024 |
| August 26, 2024 | September 2, 2024 | September 6, 2024 |
| September 2, 2024 | September 9, 2024 | September 13, 2024 |
| September 9, 2024 | September 16, 2024 | September 20, 2024 |
| September 16, 2024 | September 23, 2024 | September 27, 2024 |
| September 23, 2024 | September 30, 2024 | October 4, 2024 |
| September 30, 2024 | October 7, 2024 | October 11, 2024 |
| October 7, 2024 | October 14, 2024 | October 18, 2024 |
| October 14, 2024 | October 21, 2024 | October 25, 2024 |
| October 21, 2024 | October 28, 2024 | November 1, 2024 |
| October 28, 2024 | November 4, 2024 | November 8, 2024 |
| November 4, 2024 | November 11, 2024 | November 15, 2024 |
| November 11, 2024 | November 18, 2024 | November 22, 2024 |
| November 18, 2024 | November 25, 2024 | November 29, 2024 |
| November 25, 2024 | December 2, 2024 | December 6, 2024 |
| December 2, 2024 | December 9, 2024 | December 13, 2024 |
| December 9, 2024 | December 16, 2024 | December 20, 2024 |
| December 16, 2024 | December 23, 2024 | December 27, 2024 |
| December 23, 2024 | December 30, 2024 | January 3, 2025 |
| December 30, 2024 | January 6, 2025 | January 10, 2025 |
The estimated IRS refund payment dates in the chart above should not be construed as official IRS payment dates. To get the exact date of your refund payment check the IRS’ Where is My Refund (WMR) site or your IRS transcript.
How to read the IRS refund processing schedule
The estimated refund payment dates in the table above are based on past years and IRS processing guidelines. It shows the date your refund will be processed and paid based on the week your return is accepted and refund is approved by the IRS.
The federal IRS refund processing schedule is only for electronically filed returns (e-file) done thorough online tax software providers and assumes your tax return was in order. I.e accepted by the IRS via the WMR tool and status is equal to “Return Received”.
Once your tax return is successfully processed by the IRS, it will go to the “Refund Approved” status, after which it goes to refund sent when the payment is disbursed by the IRS.
Paper filed returns can take considerably longer and could take 1 to 2 weeks longer than the direct deposit payment dates.
Average IRS Refund
Based on the latest statistics from the 2023 tax year the IRS processed over 160 million returns with the average refund payment being $3,089. This was 5% lower than the prior year.
Why Your Refund Payment Could be Delayed
There are many reasons your tax return processing could be delayed beyond what is shown in the standard schedule above. This includes submission errors, IRS reconciliation issues or security/fraud related issues.
This is why many filers are see the “Return Processing Has Been Delayed Beyond The Normal Timeframe (Tax Topic 152)” message during tax season.
Note that as in previous years, if you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) your refund may have been delayed beyond the standard processing times due to the PATH act provisions.
This is to allow for fraud and dependent verification on these dependent related tax credits. See sections below for more on the PATH act and refund release timeline.
For those experiencing ongoing issues or delays with their refunds check out this article on “Why is it taking so long to get my refund.”
IRS Test Batches – Early Refunds
A week or two prior to the IRS officially accepting and processing tax returns, they will often run several test batches with various major tax software providers to “test” and “verify” their systems are integrating externally and processing returns correctly.
This will result in WMR status updates for a small subset of tax payers picked in these early test batches, but refunds won’t be paid until after the official IRS processing date.
Note that early refunds paid as a result of test batch processing are not the same as those via refund advance loans.
When Should Taxpayers contact the IRS?
The IRS has said that phone and walk-in representatives can only research the status of your refund if it has been 21 days or more since you filed electronically, or more than 6 weeks since you mailed your paper return or if the IRS WMR tool directs you to contact them.
You can also see earlier updates from prior tax seasons and the thousands of comments below this article around dealing with delayed tax refund processing issues!
So stay tuned and subscribe to get the latest updates and helpful articles for the upcoming tax season. I also post regular Youtube video updates on tax related topics.
Help! My WMR status bar has disappeared
As many folks have commented, the WMR tracker status bar may disappear or not be shown if your return falls under IRS review after it is received (Status Bar 1: Return Received) because additional information is needed for your return.
This can happen even if you previously checked WMR and it showed the status as “Return Received.” An explanation or instructions will be provided depending on the situation (e.g. PATH message or Tax Topic 152 as discussed below)
But don’t panic when this happens. The IRS still has your return but things are essentially on hold until the IRS gets the additional information from you to continue processing your return . You will either get directions on WMR or IRS2Go or the IRS will contact you by mail. See more in this video.
Follow the provided instructions and return any additional information ASAP to get your potential refund and reduce any further delays. Talk to your accountant, tax advocate or tax professional if you are not clear on what the IRS is asking for or you don’t get an update after 21 days.
PATH Act and Tax Topic 152
Two of the most common refund related messages showing up on the WMR tool after your tax return is submitted are the PATH message and to Refer to Tax Topic 152.
The PATH message on WMR/IRS2Go relates to the the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act (PATH Act of 2015) and is to notify you that the IRS is legally required to hold and further verify tax returns that include EITC or ACTC.
While the IRS can continue to process affected returns, they cannot issue refund payments until the PATH act lifts. This generally happens from mid-February. See more in this article on PATH act processing for the current tax season.
The PATH message does not mean your tax return is done and your tax refund is approved. It simply means the IRS systems have identified you are claiming the (EITC) or the (ACTC) on your tax return, and so further processing and payments related to your refund are held up for the statutory hold period (3 weeks after the start of tax season).
Once the PATH restriction is lifted, the IRS will process these returns and pay refunds per the above schedule. You may see Tax code 570 with a Notice 971 code (IRS review adjustment) if your refund is adjusted for other reasons.
When you see the “Refer to Tax Topic 152“ message it means your refund is being processed and the IRS is directing you its generic refund page for more information. There is not much you can do but wait to see if the IRS finds any issues or requires further verification of your identity or items in your tax return.
A Tax Topic 151 message simply means that you’re getting a tax offset which may result in your refund being less than you expected. The reason for this is that the federal government has “offset” or deducted monies from your tax refund to cover debts you owe other federal agencies. See this article to get more details on why your refund was offset.
You will get an official notice letter/report explaining the actual offset and adjustments to your tax return, and details on how to appeal this action – but likely it will delay you getting your refund.
While not great news, the silver lining here is that the IRS has processed your return and your adjusted refund (where applicable) should be on its way. You will see code 846 on your transcript when the refund has been issued.
What is the IRS Cycle Code on my Transcript?
While the above IRS refund schedule can give you an estimated date for you refund once approved (WMR/IRS2Go status) by the IRS, it may take a while to get there.
So some folks use their IRS tax transcript (free from your IRS account) which shows various tax processing codes and a “cycle code.” This is an eight digit number that indicates when your tax return posted to the IRS Master File (IMF).
The cycle code is updated regularly and when combined with the tax topic code, can provide insight into your tax refund status, processing stages and potential direct deposit date. You can see a deeper discussion on IRS cycle codes in this article.
If I can see current year processing details on my IRS tax transcript does it mean I am getting my refund soon?
This question comes up a lot and I have seen a few comments on this suggesting that that if you can see current tax season processing details on your (free) transcript then your refund is on the way. But this is not a factual statement.
The IRS is very clear that just being able to see processing details on your IRS transcript does not mean you will imminently be getting a refund and is among the common myths and misconceptions repeated in social media.
For the current tax season you transcript will update several times in line with your cycle code (discussed above) and IRS processing. The official IRS line is that checking the WMR or IRS2Go tool is the best and official way to check your refund status.
However I have read a number of comments here and on other tax sites saying that when WMR/IRS2Go provides limited information on the refund, your IRS transcript can be a good source to get more details. The is especially the case if your refund processing has been stuck for a while.
IRS system issues and refund delays
Every year the IRS has issues with processing returns in a timely manner and so a number of people see delays in getting their refunds or updates in the status of their refund on the WMR tool/app.
The IRS has said most system processing issues have now been resolved and new funding will be used to upgrade systems.
But given the various legacy systems in place and sheer volume of processing to be done, including prior season backlogs of paper and amended returns, I would not be surprised to see system issues arise again this year, which mean more delays in processing and paying refunds. See more around processing delays in this video.
See these articles for average refund amounts in past tax seasons and refund processing times by state
Amended Tax Return Refund Schedule
While the IRS promises to have regular return refunds processed within 21 days for nine out of ten tax payers, it does take quite a bit longer to receive a refund if you amended your tax return.
Generally you will have to wait up to 16 weeks more for the IRS to process amended returns since they prioritize regular returns. Also note that the standard”Where’s my refund” service from the IRS does not track amended tax return status’. You need to instead use the IRS tool, “Where’s My Amended Return.”
You can also access the tool via phone by calling 1-866-464-2050. Only call the IRS to follow up on delayed amended return refunds after 12 weeks. The number to call is 1-800-829-1040.
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I mean 2/23
It says on the irs mine would be deposited today. It’s not there and it’s still saying it hasn’t been sent. Help!!!
Iam sick of THS wait Game.. bills ain’t waiting
Mine is also doing the same!!!
Same thing for me any word yet?
Files taxes 2/3/17, still saying processing,called and the IRS said I’ll be receiving a letter, and that I was randomly selected. should I be worried?
If your taxes were prepared properly then you will be fine. I was randomly selected one year and it did delay my refund. If they need more information they will let you know what they need in the letter.
I’m sorry Tyrone K, that sucks
Mine were filed 2/3 w TT. Still processing. Called IRS. Said I have to verify my identity
When you called the IRS, was it just an automated system? Mine still says processing but I called and just got an automated system saying the same message as WMR. How did you speak to a live person?
That’s what I’m going threw I was randomly picked they wanted me to confirm my identity now I’m stuck just waiting no DDD just says processing and no date available but when I did the shirt quiz to confirm he said I passed and it could take up to 9 more weeks this is BS I just wanna know if it takes that long and anyone else going through this
@Ruby Cline. How long did it take to get your letter? I filed on 2/3 as well. Waiting for my letter still.
They say nine weeks this happened to me last year I received my refund about 10 days after I verified my identity
Does anyone have a ddd of 02/23, but where’s my refund still says approved?
Same here
I have a date of 2/23 to far my refund sent to my bank and i still don’t have it idk y it’s not credited but yea says i should have it today i don’t have it yet
Mine says the same thing and I haven’t received it
mines say approved for 2/23 still have not recived my funds
i have a date supposed to be in my bank today to. I still dont have it. I knkw some friends filed after me and got theres last night with a due date of today.
Yes my dd was today as well 2/23 and nothing! Called the Irs and they told me i won’t receive it until 3/6 which I don’t understand at all!! Pissed..
Anyone with a DDD of 2/23 who filed through Liberty Tax wake up to money in your bank account?
Did you receive your funds
I filed with Liberty Tax and have a DD date for 2/23 which has came and gone. It was supposed to be DD to a net spend card through Liberty Tax but I have yet to receive my refund. I called but no one seems to have a deposit pending.
I have a DD for today,Haven’t arrived yet,Does that mean I won’t receive it today?
Have you received them yet?
i filed my taxes on 2/8/17 and am still getting return recieved my brother did it 1 day before me and his claim has been done for a week does it usually take more then 14 days to process a claim or am i in for a world of hurt
Did mine 2/7 and i still have the “we have received and are processing” message. I am claiming my child so idk if that has something to do with it
Yeah I filed the same day and it say still processing aswell
Did mine 2/9 still waiting family did theirs a day before me got theirs today so hopefully we wil be next
For those who banked with credit union and had dd of 2/23 what time did you get your deposit? Does anybody what is latest time a deposit will hit your account i seen some people say 8 am is this true?
My hubby filed and it was accepted 1/30 but irs web still says processing without a date. Anybody elses still say processing?
I submitted 2/3/2017 and mine says “still processing”. :-(
I’d call in. I also filed 2/3. Called today to be told they are sending a letter to verify my ID
I filed on Jan 28 and was accepted same day, irs site still says processing. Nothing else, confused!!!
Yes I filed February 24th and it’s still saying processing. I was told they will update Saturday.
I meant January
I had a Ddd for today but I got my deposit last night at 1120 H&R block did my taxes
Y’all are off by days, people have gotten refunds a week ago, I filed Jan 23, accepted processed feb 18, it says feb 23 my deposit day, it’s feb 23 still nothing, but my friends filed feb 10 and says their deposit day same as mine. It’s not fair, if we file exact same way every year we shouldn’t have to wait and certainly those who file later shouldn’t be on same list as those who filed early.
I have a date of the 23rd and ur still says process and its now 1’26am
Anyone got their money dd223
Yea and my wmr still on refund approved
Has anyone gotten there money with a dd for 23rd and wmr still has only two bars.
Yes mines still say approved. DDD 2/23 I got mines at 1:30 am EST my Regions bank on CST
I have a DDD of 2/23, did my taxes through H&R, have only tax fees to pay and still haven’t received mine in my bank.
Same here, says i should get ot today, however, still only two bars and not on my hr card
Have you received yet?
DO 02/23 showed up at 2 am. Bank of the West. Hope everyone else’s wait is over soon!
got my money as well filed on the 23rd of janurary got accepted same day got updated to we received your returned and its being processed then got updated to refund approved and ddd of feburary 23rd got sent to the tpg bank on the 22nd of February and then finally money came early this money on the 23rd
good luck all
I filed 1/28/17 accepted the same day through Turbo Tax , DD date for 2/23 . Posted to my bank 2:00 a.m I bank with SECU . Just an update
My husbands money hit the bank around 4 am. His DDD was 2/23 and he just filed on 2/13!!
Anyone have Comerica through a elite visa card?
So I got my money today but I’m missing 2500 there is nothing that I owe I called to check does anyone know why I would be missing this much money??
Thanks
Jamie
Ddd for the 23rd and at 5:01pm my refund was deposited on my netspend card on 02/22 !!! I filed with turbo tax -good luck all !!!
I filed with turbo tax and where’s my refund says 2/23 but still no deposit or pending deposit. I bank with Capital One. Any one with similar issues?
Just got my deposited DDD 2/23
I have a question. I bank with wf. It shows on the wmr that I should have the money by the 23rd. Nothing’s showing other then my refund was accepted and approved but the last box is not fully orange saying that the refund was sent. And to check with my bank by the 28th to see if they are holding it. I called the bank anyway and they said they don’t hold it, that as soon as they receive it they release it. What’s going on? If the IRS only updates once a day, what time do they do it? We are on the east coast.
Does anyone’s only say received?
Mine was on there around 10pm tonight… I hope each of u get the same blessing its been a long 2 months but keep the faith its coming
Hey anyone that had ddd for 23rd check net spend cards of u used them through TurboTax
I have netspend and still doesn’t even say nothing my irs wmr still doesn’t says sent it just say it will be sent the 23Rs
@Carmen Moore i used Turbo Tax with the Netspend card now for 3 years I filed on the 4th of February and accepted on the 5th or 6th and my DDD was for 02/23 on the 22nd my funds were sent but not deposited on the card at 6a.m. I checked all day yesterday and finally gave up and around 8pm on the 22nd I logged on my card account and my return was available as of 5:01 pm on the 22nd , hope you have an easy ride :) I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!! Good luck!
I used Turbo Tax this year. Filed and IRS accepted on 2/2, was given a deposit date of today, 2/23. However, I did not use the Netspend card. I used an ADP Aline card, that I also use as a payroll card. As of right now, 3:30 p.m., on the east coast, I still do not have any pending deposits and the WMR still says approved with today’s date listed! Soo worried!
Anybody with Jackson Hewitt card recieve money yet wit ddd of 2/23
Mine posted on Wednesday at about 8pm (Pacific) on my American Express Serve card. Filed with Jackson Hewitt. DD of 2/23. WMR still says refund approved, still not updated to refund sent.
Nothing yet and can’t get an answer from them either
This is all crazy I just don’t understand!!
Nope not yet!! I filed with turbotax I checked their bank and they received my refund took out their fees and sent it to Bank of America and still nothing. My dad is 2/23
*Date sorry lol
Just got my deposit woke up and it was there
My husband filed with TT on the 13th and have a date for 2/23 but its not in the bank yet….maybe by 7 or 8 am….that’s how it happened last year. Mine still says is being processed.
I eould like to know if anyone with bank of america already receive their deposit for ddd is 02/23
So in my previous comment I mentioned filing on the 23rd of Jan and my status still says processing. However I called the IRS today and was told my first submit was rejected due to an error with my new address but they recieved another one the 16th of Feb and I should get my refund by the 8th which will be 21 days if not before. I made sure to ask if it could be rejected again and the CSR said no it has been accepted. Hoping this is true for me and helps others as we’ll
I got my refund in my bank acct at 10:00 pm. DDD of 2/23/17. TaxAct. I bank wwith PNC. Best part is I also have a payroll deposit to post at midnight.
I called my emerald card from H&R block it says my refund has be Processed and will be load on my card tomorrow 2/23 so I talked to a representative and he told me the deposit aren’t be posted until after 7 pm
I have a emerald card an mine was deposited at 1130 tonight
Does anyone that bank wth Wells Fargo and got there taxes done with H&R Block got their return yet?
We bank with Wells Fargo and had H&R Block file our taxes and they had to take fees out. Are DDD was February 23rd and it is in our bank account at 3 a.m. this morning. So good luck.
Mine said did 2/23 and I have no pending or nothing I went through my work card but the same bank as netspend I got accepted on 1/23 the first day of filing this is ridiculous
Jackson Hewitt deposited on serve card DD 2/23. Just got the text that it is available on my card. Yippy.
I filled mine e file and I still haven’t heard anything about when I’m getting my refund. Can you please help me.
I have a quick question the irs release my money to Jackson Hewitt ab an hour ago does anyone know ab how long does it take for them to put it in my bank account my bank is wells Fargo if any one can help I’ll be greatly appreciated thank you
I’ve called that 581 1040 number twice and says I’m not on file? ? I’m suppose to get my refund tomorrow 2/23. I’m confused on why I’m not in that system. I’m a hrblock client and I’m freaking out.
I have no idea honestly. Maybe they’re just mixed up with so many refunds right now. Hope you get it in the morning though. Best of luck.
I’ve done the same and it says the same for me as well. I’m not sure if it’s because I had my taxes filed by a family member or what? Do all tax refunds go through Republic Bank or just those that file with H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt etc….
Relax mine was same way got mine on emerald card at 3:00am
Don’t have mines either nothing pending. DDD of 2/23. Well BY 2/23 What ever that means. I bank with Regions stank ass bank. 2016 income worse tax year ever…
if i called the 1800 number and they told me my social is not one of the corresponding social does this mean im not one of the ones thats having their taxes being off set im scared cause i have a 8 yr old loan but the automated system says my social doesnt match to an off set but it says my money should be here by the 23rd and i havent recieved it yet im so scared they are gonna take some of my hard earned money please help me with this
Does everybody’s refunds go to Republic Bank before being direct deposited into their bank?
Don’t have mines either nothing pending. DDD of 2/23. Well BY 2/23 What ever that means. I bank with Regions stank ass bank. 2016 income worse tax year ever…
My taxes where scheduled to be sent to my account on the 22nd of Feb. It’s 8:41pm and I still haven’t received them… I need some advice
Jackson Hewitt, American Express Serve card. DD 2/23. Still nothing. So friggin frustrated. My sister who filed weeks after me (also with child tax credit and EIC) got hers at 3 this morning. She filed with H&R Block and had it deposited into her credit union account. Her DD was 2/22. Fingers, toes n eyes crossed for good news tonight. I will post as soon as mine is deposited.
Every1 but me
No. Not me either. About ready to cry
Anybody with Jackson Hewitt serve card with ddd of 2/23 recieve anyting yet??
Hang in dare we get it in the moring
Thanks. I really hope so. Good night all and good luck. Hope we all have good news in the morning.
Me either.
Cassie i got mine hope u get urs 2
Yes I Mike. Thanks for thinking about me. Not sure what time. Just woke up and it was there. And, of course, wmr has not updated to show sent and neither has IRS website. I’m so happy for you. I had gotten VERY worried.
Mines finally posted!!
Anyone need to verify your identify? If so has anyone received their DDD yet? Does it really take 9 weeks
I was told today I have to verify. But i have to wait for the letter
Anyone get their refund back that owed fees to hr block for doing them?
Mine finally hit about 45 mins ago!! Hold tight its coming!!
What bank if you don’t mind me asking
i have netspend! so meta bank i notice on the TPG site this morning they said they took their fees so i knew it was a matter of time before it came!
Any one use Simmons bank and it says by 2/23 and norhing
Lol I got Suncoast credit union. My DD the 23rd anybody got same bank ?? Early deposit
Seems like credit unions are getting them early not regular banks though, hoping though.
Yeah that’s what it looks like..this is torture..i usually get earlier from Wells Fargo but this yr sucks..hope to God it shows up in my account tomorrow on my DDD day..getting anxious
I bank with USAA and mine hit today. I had a DDD of 2/23.
My DDD was scheduled for tomorrow and I just got my deposit in my bank account. I bank with a local credit union:) I filed with taxslater and fees were taken by SBBT..Hang in there it’s coming.
Congrats Tia