Here’s how to track the status of your 2024 tax refund

More than 30 million Americans waited until the last two weeks of the tax filing season to send their tax returns to the IRS. Many of them might be wondering how long it will take to get the money back into their bank account.

This is no small financial matter, as tax refunds are often the biggest check of the year for many families, helping families pay off debt, build emergency savings and even make splurging purchases. The average tax refund in 2024 is 3.8% higher than a year ago, at $2,948. According to the latest IRS data.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to track the status of your refund, such as the IRS’s “Where’s My Refund?” or its IRS2Go mobile app, available on cell phones and other similar devices The IRS said it is improving its tracking services for the current tax season by providing more detailed answers when people ask questions.

That’s the biggest gain all year, said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate. Get paid in installments throughout the year.”

But some people prefer a lump sum tax refund because it’s essentially a forced savings plan that gives them a big check each year that they can then use to pay off debt or make big purchases, Rothman famously did.

Here’s how to track your refund.

The IRS’s “Where’s My Refund?” see

The IRS says you can check the status of your refund through the Where’s My Refund? page within 24 hours after you file your return electronically.

You need to provide the website with some basic information:

• The tax year you want to check
• Your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer ID Number (ITIN)
• Your application status
• and the exact refund amount at the time of refund

The IRS also said it has updated the service to provide more information to taxpayers, such as alerting them when to respond to the agency’s letter requesting more information.

Check out the IRS2Go app on your phone

The IRS also has a mobile app called IRS 2Go called “Where’s My Refund?” Works like this You can download the app on any iOS or Android device and it will ask you for some information to extract your refund data:

• The tax year you want to check
• Your Social Security Number or ITIN
• Your application status
• and the exact amount of your refund

Call the IRS for the latest information

The IRS maintains a phone line to receive refund data, although it says the line is for people without Internet access.

If this happens to you, you can call the refund hotline: 800-829-1954 to check the current year’s tax refund status. To check an amended return from a previous year, please call 866-464-2050.

Can I check when my tax refund will be credited to my bank account?

Yes, but only when the IRS is about to send a check. The app tracks three steps:

• First, the app will show that the IRS has received your tax return, which means the agency is processing the form.
• Second, these apps will tell you when the IRS will approve your refund and provide an estimated date for issuing the check.
• Finally, the service will alert you when the IRS sends a refund to your bank via direct deposit or mail. The IRS says it can take up to 5 days for the refund to be deposited into your bank account and several weeks for the paper check to arrive.