By ashley nash baltazar
After gathering all the necessary documents, Americans hope to submit taxes and receive their refund in a timely manner. Thankfully, trackers now exist, offering estimates on the arrival of funds.
During the filing process, you'll be asked how you want to receive your refund. You can have a check printed and sent out to you, or set up a direct deposit payment.
You can usually see your refund status after about 48 hours after filing. You can also get your refund information for the past two years.
View your status on the IRS website after submitting your SSN or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN). You'll need to submit your filing status and the refund amount listed on your return.
"Received" means your return is being reviewed. "Approved" means a date to expect your refund will be provided. "Sent" means funds were issued (can take up to five days to appear).
If you submitted several months before, and/or don't see a status in general, then it's time to resubmit.
If you filed recently and don't see a status, some of the information you provided might be incorrect or need another review. You will then be notified that you need to resubmit.
To amend your Form 1040, 1040-SR or 1040-NR, submit a 1040-X. You can do this via paper or digitally. You can also apply an unused credit if you know that you have one. To check, call the IRS.
If you have past-due child support payments, this can potentially impact your refund. Similarly, if you have federal agency nontax debts, you may receive a lower refund than expected.
Another reason your refund may be impacted is if you have state income tax obligations. However, calling the IRS before filing to ensure that you don't owe will prevent lower refunds.