Financial documents, stacks of dollar bills, a pair of glasses, a pen, and a phone displaying 'Tax Refund Status: Refund Approved' on a desk, with a calculator, coins, and a sticky note that says 'Tax Refund' in the background.

When will you receive your refund? The answer depends on how you filed your return. If you e-filed your return, your refund should be issued between two and three weeks. If you paper filed your return, the IRS should issue your refund check within six to eight weeks .

You can check on the status of your refund by clicking on the links below:

Federal Refund Status

PA Refund Status

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How quickly you receive your tax refund depends on when you file, how you file, how you choose to receive your refund, and whether you claim certain credits and deductions. When you file your return electronically, most refunds are funded within 21 days of filing, according to the IRS. If you paper filed your return, the IRS should issue your refund check within six to eight weeks .

    Please note that due to tax laws in place to reduce fraudulent claims for refunds, taxpayers who claim the EITC or refundable Child Tax Credit will not receive a refund before February 15th.

  • Accepted means your tax return has passed a verification that reviews your basic information. This typically involves social security information for the taxpayer, dependents, etc. It does not mean your return is approved. Continue to watch the status of your return for additional information. It may be processed by the IRS shortly after being accepted.

    The IRS will process the return. Once the return is processed, refund will be released by IRS. If you owe and completed IRS Form 9465, Installment Agreement, the IRS will generally send you a letter about acceptance or rejection of the installment agreement.

  • If your return was accepted less than 21 days ago, hang in there. It can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks to go from acceptance to approval. This timeframe is unrelated to how, where, or when you filed and isn't connected to how quickly you got your refund last year.

    It also doesn't mean you're being audited.

    IRS representatives will be able to research the status of your refund if your return was accepted (received) more than 21 calendar days ago. Call them at 1-800-829-1040, but prepare for potentially long wait times.

  • Refunds can take longer if the return is filed by mail, has missing or incorrect information, includes credits like the EITC or Child Tax Credit (which can delay timing), or is selected for additional review to confirm identity or prevent fraud. Delays can also happen if there are outstanding debts (like past-due taxes or child support) or if the IRS needs extra documentation.

    The IRS will send you a letter if they need additional information in order to process your tax return prior to funding your tax refund. If you have additional questions regarding a letter you receive from the IRS, please contact us at 814-695-2179.

  • There are a variety of reasons why a refund may be more or less than expected. You may owe back taxes to the IRS or a state, have seriously delinquent federal loans, back child support, or other tax liens which may ultimately impact your refund amount.

  • You can check your amended return status by going to the following IRS site:

    Where's My Amended Return?