7 Reasons You Haven’t Received Your Tax Refund

None of them involve the new filing deadline or stimulus payments.

With the deadline to file and pay taxes extended to July 15, it’s natural to wonder what impact that might have on the timing of your expected tax refund. You may likewise want to know what, if any, effect the massive distribution of stimulus checks to most Americans might have.

Or it could be that you filed a while ago and just want to know where your tax refund is.

This could be for good reason. As of March 27, the IRS had processed more than 87 million tax returns and issued nearly 70 million refunds totaling more than $203 billion. The average refund so far is $2,908.

Neither the extended filing deadline nor stimulus payment will have any impact on the timing or amount of your refund.

Don’t Blame the Extended Filing Deadline or Stimulus

It may be tempting to assume the extended filing deadline or coronavirus stimulus payments have something to do with a delay in receiving your refund. That’s not the case. The IRS started accepting returns on January 27, and the first refunds were issued within 21 days (often within 10 to 14 days) of acceptance and that timing continues.

You should also know that there is no relationship between the amount of your refund and your stimulus payment. Your refund is for the overpayment of taxes in 2019. Your stimulus payment is an advance tax credit for the tax year 2020. Neither will impact the other.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Neither the extended deadline nor stimulus payments affect the timing or amount of your refund.
• The reasons you haven’t gotten your tax refund might include that your return has inaccurate information or is incomplete.
• You’re a victim of tax fraud, or your refund was sent to the wrong bank.
• You amended your return, or you claimed certain tax credits.
• Your refund has been offset to pay a debt.

Check Your Status

If you are still wondering where your refund is, start by checking the status on the IRS Where’s My Refund? webpage.

Before you do so, the IRS advises you will need:

• Your Social security number or ITIN
• Your filing status
• Your exact refund amount⁷

Click on the Check My Refund Status button, supply the required information, and get results. Unfortunately, this tool does not provide much detail about why your money may be delayed. It may advise you to call the IRS and if so, you should get more detail when you make that contact.

As a gauge, the IRS says you should not call the IRS unless it has been:

• 21 or more days since you e-filed,
• Where’s My Refund? tells you to contact the IRS.

7 Reasons for a Late Tax Refund

There are a number of things that can hold up the processing of your tax refund. Here are some of the most common reasons for a delay.

1. Your Return Includes Inaccurate Information

If your tax return contains numerical errors or other mistakes, which can slow down the pace of your refund. When an error is detected, your return is earmarked for human review, meaning an IRS employee must comb through it to find the mistake. That can add days or weeks to the processing time.

2. Your Return Is Incomplete

Having an incomplete return can also trigger an IRS review, which could mean a longer wait for your refund. If you filed a paper return, for example, and forgot to enter in a key piece of information such as your Social Security number, or you didn’t sign your tax forms, the IRS wouldn’t be able to process your return until those items are checked off.

3. You’re a Victim of Tax Fraud

Tax fraud occurs when someone uses your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return and claim a refund in your name. For the 2019 tax-filing season, the IRS identified approximately $15.8 million in fraudulent refund claims, with more than 3,500 fraudulent returns being associated with identity theft. If you think you’re a victim of tax-related identity theft, you’re encouraged to contact the IRS and the Federal Trade Commission to report fraud.

4. Your Refund Was Sent to the Wrong Bank

Filing your return electronically is the fastest way to get your refund if you’re using direct deposit. That assumes, however, that you plugged in the right numbers for your bank account. If you transposed a digit in the routing or account number your money could be sent to someone else’s account.

5. You Claimed Certain Tax Credits

Tax credits reduce your tax liability on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Certain tax credits, including the Earned Income Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit, often draw scrutiny from the IRS due to taxpayers claiming these credits fraudulently. If you claimed either credit, that could be the reason why your refund hasn’t arrived yet. Remember: The advance tax credit (stimulus) will not be a factor for 2019 taxes since it is for the 2020 tax year.

6. You Amended Your Return

Amending your tax return can also create a delay. Amended returns must be mailed, rather than filed electronically. When you amend a return, it can take up to three weeks for it to show up in the IRS system, and another 16 weeks to be processed, meaning you may be waiting several months for your refund.

7. Your Refund Has Been Offset to Pay a Debt

If you owe certain debts, including unpaid child support, unpaid state taxes, or federal student loans, the IRS can offset your refund by the balance owed. If your refund is offset, you’ll receive a notice from the Bureau of Fiscal Services advising you why your refund was taken and which agency the debt was owed to. You have the right to dispute the debt with the agency that received your refund.

Check the Timing

It’s also possible that your tax refund could be delayed if you filed your return too early or waited until the last minute. If you tried to file in January, for example, a last-minute change to the tax code could have triggered an error on your return that slowed down it’s processing. Similarly, waiting until the very last minute to get your return in can mean a longer wait for your refund if the IRS is attempting to process a larger than usual volume of tax filings.

Also, keep in mind that filing a paper return can also slow things down. The fastest way to file—and to get your refund—is to file electronically online.

The Bottom Line

These are the most common reasons for a delayed refund. A refund could also be late if it’s lost in the mail. Having your refund stolen from your mailbox is another possibility. And a government shutdown, such as the kind that took place in January 2019, could also result in a longer wait for your return to be processed and your refund sent. If the Where’s My Refund? the tool isn’t offering any answers, you can turn to your local IRS office for help. The IRS may be able to trace your refund to find out what’s happened to it and issue a replacement check if needed.

Note:  If your refund does indeed end up in someone else’s bank account, you’ll have to work with the bank directly to get it back. The IRS can’t and won’t compel the bank to return your money to you.