You can always check the status of your refund using “Where’s My Refund?” at IRS.gov or the IRS2Go mobile app. “Where’s My Refund?” is updated no more than once every 24 hours, usually overnight.
If one of these apps indicates the IRS issued your refund, but you haven’t received it, your refund may have been lost, stolen, or misplaced.
If this is the case, you can ask the IRS to do a refund trace. This is the process the IRS uses to track a lost, stolen, or misplaced refund check or to verify a financial institution received a direct deposit.
Before you ask the IRS to trace your refund, you should check to make sure there aren’t any errors on your tax return, and the full processing time for a refund has passed.
Once you’ve determined that your refund is really missing, you can ask the IRS to trace the refund.
You need to complete Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund, and mail it to the IRS address where you would normally file a paper tax return.
Before you ask for a refund trace
If you asked for a direct deposit refund, double check the bank account information you provided to the IRS to be sure there were no mistakes on your tax return. The IRS assumes no responsibility for errors by you or your preparer. You should also check with your financial institution to make sure the mistake hasn’t been at their end.
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act made the following changes, which became effective for the 2017 filing season, to help prevent revenue loss due to identity theft and refund fraud related to fabricated wages and withholdings:
When can I ask the IRS to trace my refund?
Direct deposit: The IRS generally direct deposits refunds within 21 days after receiving your tax return. If you don’t receive your deposit within five days after the 21 days have passed, you can request a refund trace.
Paper check: If you don’t receive your refund check within six weeks of mailing your tax return to the IRS, you can request a refund trace.
Otherwise you should contact the Tax Return Preparer who helped file your tax return.
Once you’ve determined that your refund is really missing, you can ask the IRS to trace the refund.
If your filing status is single, married filing separate, or head of household:
If your filing status is married filing jointly, you need to complete Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund, and mail it to the IRS address where you would normally file a paper tax return.
