How to check on my federal tax return

Call the IRS. You can call the IRS, but the government notes that live phone assistance is extremely limited and wait times can be long. And IRS representatives can only research the status of your refund if it’s been 21 days or more since you filed electronically or more than six weeks since you mailed your paper return. If you choose to call the IRS, you should be ready to provide personal information like your Social Security number, birth date, and filing status. 

Note: If a direct deposit of your Indiana individual income tax refund was requested, once DOR initiates the deposit, our system will reflect the date the request was processed. Normally, it takes seven business days for your financial institution to receive and process the funds.

For more information on refunds, use INTIME’s secure messaging to contact DOR Customer Service.

Information regarding the $125 Automatic Taxpayer Refund (ATR) issued in 2022 will not be displayed or available via INTIME. The ATR will be sent separately from your 2021 Individual Income Tax refund (if applicable). More information is available on DOR’s Automatic Taxpayer Refund information page.

By telephone at 317-232-2240 (Option 3) to access the automated refund line. Please allow 2-3 weeks of processing time before calling. Some tax returns may take longer to process due to factors like return errors or incomplete information.

TurboTax also has a Where's My Refund Tracking guide that explains each step of the efiling process and how to check the status of your federal tax refund.

Checking your tax refund status online

Step 1—Wait

Wait at least three days after e-filing your tax return before checking a refund status. When you e-file your tax return to the IRS, it needs approximately three days to update your information on the website.

If you e-filed your tax return using TurboTax, you can check your e-file status online, to ensure it was accepted by the IRS. You'll also receive an e-mail confirmation directly from the IRS.

However, if you mail a paper copy of your tax return, the IRS recommends that you wait three weeks before you begin checking your refund status. Most taxpayers who e-file will receive their tax refund sooner.

Step 2—Obtain a copy of your tax return

Before you sit down to check your refund status, the IRS requires that you have some of the information from your tax return. If you printed a copy of your tax return, grab it—you’ll need the following information from it:

  • The Social Security number that you entered at the top of your tax return
  • The filing status you chose, which you can locate in the top portion of the first page to your tax form.
  • The exact amount of your tax refund. You can find this at the end of your tax return.

Step 3—Go to the "Where’s My Refund?" page on the IRS website

When you access the "Where's My Refund?" tool, you will see three separate boxes to enter your filing status, refund amount and Social Security number. When you finish entering this information, click on the "Submit" button on the page to see the status of your refund.

Other ways to check your tax refund status

If you don’t have access to the Internet or a computer, you can call the IRS at 800-829-1954 to obtain the status of your refund. You will need the same three pieces of information as those who use the online tool, so be sure you have a copy of your tax return available.

TurboTax also has a Where's My Refund Tracking step-by-step guide that will show you how to find the status of your IRS or state tax refund. Use TurboTax, IRS, and state resources to track your tax refund, check return status, and learn about common delays.

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Where’s My Refund? will give you a personalized refund date after we process your return and approve your refund.

The tracker displays progress through three stages:

  1. Return Received
  2. Refund Approved
  3. Refund Sent

To use Where’s My Refund, you need to provide your Social Security number, filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of your expected refund.

Prior Year Refund Information

Where’s My Refund? will display the refund status of the tax year you choose. If you need other return information, view your Online Account.

What if my refund was lost, stolen, or destroyed?

Generally, you can file an online claim for a replacement check if it's been more than 28 days from the date we mailed your refund. Where's My Refund? will give you detailed information about filing a claim if this situation applies to you.

For more information, check our Tax Season Refund Frequently Asked Questions.

What information is not available?

Amended Tax Returns

Refund information for Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return is not available on Where’s My Refund. Use Where’s My Amended Return? to get the status of your amended return.

Our phone and walk-in representatives can only research the status of your amended return 16 weeks or more after you’ve mailed it.

Business Tax Return Information

For refund information on federal tax returns other than Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, call, toll free, at 800-829-4933. From outside the U.S., call 267-941-1000. TTY/TDD: 800-829-4059.