SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Tax season opened on Jan. 29 this year, so why haven’t some taxpayers seen their refund from the IRS yet?
There are multiple reasons your refund could be delayed past the normal time. Whatever the reason, you can check the status of your refund online.
The easiest way to check your refund status is by using the Where’s My Refund tool, which you can find on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go app.
Taxpayers generally see their refunds 21 days after filing, but those who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) will be waiting a bit longer.
The IRS says most EITC and ACTC refunds will be issued by Feb. 27.
This is because, by law, the IRS must wait until mid-February to issue refunds to taxpayers who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.
The Where’s My Refund tool shows when your return is received, approved and sent. It could take up to five days for the refund to end up in your bank account or several weeks for your check to arrive in the mail, the IRS noted.
New this year, the IRS Direct File pilot service rolled out for a select few states, including those in California. The online resource walks you through preparing your return with a step-by-step checklist and gives you the option to file for free online directly with the IRS.
The IRS Free File program is also available to help taxpayers prepare and file tax returns online using guided tax preparation software.
Free tax preparation help is available across the country through IRS volunteers for taxpayers who make under $64,000 and for those over 60 years old.
U.S. Military members and some veterans can get free tax return preparation help through the Department of Defense program MilTax.
The IRS expects more than 128.7 million tax returns to be filed by the tax deadline on April 15t, However, the deadline for Maine and Massachusetts is April 17 because of the Patriot’s Day and Emancipation Day holidays.
Oct. 15 closes out the tax filing season as the due date for extension filers.