Where's my tax refund? Here's why it takes the IRS so long to send you your money

Silas Sloan, Knoxville News Sentinel
Updated ·2 min read
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Did you file your tax return by the April 18 deadline? If so, congrats! The hard part is over.

Now you're probably anxiously waiting on that refund (if you're getting one) to hit your bank account so you can spend it on the next family vacation. Maybe you want to treat yourself to a new pair sneakers, or a fancy meal. Maybe it'll go straight to other bills.

Regardless of what you choose to do with it, it's your money and you're ready to see it pop up in your checking account. But when will that happen?

Lucky for you, Knox News has it covered. Here's a breakdown of when you can expect your state or federal tax refund.

Where's my federal tax refund?

The IRS typically issues refunds 21 days after you file, so it should be here pretty soon. If you e-filed and chose to receive your refund by direct deposit, you'll likely get it even faster.

How do I track my return?

Tax filers are being warned that it's quite possible that many will see smaller refunds when they file 2022 returns than they what they saw last year.
Tax filers are being warned that it's quite possible that many will see smaller refunds when they file 2022 returns than they what they saw last year.

To track your federal return, the IRS has a handy tool at irs.gov/refunds to check your refund's status.

Click the "check your refund" button. You will need to provide:

  • Your Social Security or taxpayer ID number

  • Your filing status

  • The exact refund amount on your return

The tracker will say where your refund is in the process. The stages, in order, are:

  • Return received

  • Refund approved

  • Refund sent

If you filed a paper return, you will need to wait at least four weeks after submitting before checking the status of your return.

Why is my tax return taking so long?

Should your return be delayed for extra review or corrections, the IRS will alert you via email.

The IRS is still dealing with service delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The service delays include:

  • Processing tax returns that need to be corrected

  • Answering mail from taxpayers

Where's my Tennessee refund?

It's not coming.

OK, that sounds ominous, but there's a reason. Tennessee has no state income tax, so Tennesseans are not required to file a state return. Essentially, you're not getting a state refund because you didn't pay any state income tax.

An earlier version of this article mistakenly cited an outdated Tennessee interest income tax rate that no longer applies.

Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.   

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Where's my federal tax refund? What about a Tennessee tax refund?