Budget & Finance > Tax Tips > 2006April 16, 2007

Are you expecting a tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service this year? If you file a complete and accurate paper tax return, your refund should be issued about six to eight weeks after the IRS receives your return. If you file your return electronically, your refund is issued in about half that time - even faster if you choose direct deposit.

You can check on the status of your refund 72 hours after you e-filed your return or four weeks after mailing your return. There are several ways to check the status of your refund. To use these applications, you will need your Social Security number, filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.

• Where's My Refund: The fastest, easiest way to find out about your current year refund is access IRS.gov and click on the "Where's My Refund" link available from the home page
• Refund Hotline: Call the IRS Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954
• TeleTax: Call IRS TeleTax System at 800-829-4477. If you do not get a date for your refund, wait until the next week before calling back.

In some circumstances, you may not receive your refund as quickly as you expected. Refund delays can be caused by a variety of reasons. For example, a name and Social Security number listed on the tax return may not match the IRS records. You may have failed to sign the return or to include a necessary attachment, such as Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. Or you may have made math errors that require extra time for the IRS to correct.

For more information on how long it may take the IRS to process your federal tax refund, visit Frequently Asked Questions at IRS.gov.

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