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Tax Refund – When Is It Coming?

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Tax season can make you manic-depressive. Nothing is more depressing than preparing your taxes. Nothing is more manic than planning how to spend your tax refund. Ah, but when is it going to show up is the biggest question most have.

Before we go much further, it is important to understand something about tax refunds. If you receive a sizeable refund each year, you need to think through your tax payments. A large refund each and every year is a sign that you are making a mistake in paying taxes.

How could a large refund each year be a bad thing? Well, you need to consider that the money you are getting back was originally your money. The IRS is not paying you interest on it, so you are effectively giving the government a free loan each year.

So, you want to know how to find out about the status of your tax refund payment. It is actually pretty easy. The IRS has a reputation for being way behind when it comes to technology. It is, but it also has a very good website where you can get lots of info.

To find out the status of your tax refund, the easiest method is to visit the IRS site. Just do a search for it. Once there, you want to click on the link that says where’s my refund? It is on the home page and prominently displayed.

Now, you need to get out your tax return. Yes, the one you just filed and should have made a copy of. You need it because the IRS form will ask for the amount of the refund you are claiming, the filing status you claimed and your social security number.

As you can see, the form is incredibly simple. Just fill in the information, click and wait for an answer. You will be told the refund date, that there was a problem delivering it to you or there is a problem with the return you filed and the refund is delayed.

Obviously, an indication there is a problem with your return is not good news. Before you faint or hit the bottle, take a deep breath. The problem can be anything from a IRS computer glitch to a folded page the computer couldn’t read. It is not Armageddon time.

Even if you are audited, it is important to know that most audits are correspondence audits. You will get a letter in the mail raising some issue with your return. You can agree to the proposed change by the IRS or contest it.

A tax refund is glorious thing in the view of most people. There is nothing wrong with that view so long as you realize the feds are getting a free loan from you each year. Giving politicians free loans seems dubious to me, but to each their own.