ALERT: If you are filing before February 15th your refund may be delayed due to PATH Act and the IRS "Where's my Refund" will not be updated until a few days after February 15th. Get more info here.
According to the IRS, 90% of all refunds are released in 21 days or less, and here are a few things that are possible when your refund is delayed:
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The IRS may issue the refund shortly - The IRS issues refunds through the Bureau of the Fiscal Service and the direct deposit process takes 1-2 business days. Refunds not paid within 21 days may need additional review and can be delayed even longer. Delays could be caused by the PATH Act if you claimed Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and/or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) prior to February 15.
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Another branch of the IRS may have intercepted the refund for further review - The IRS Customer Service may communicate that the refund was issued although it hasn't reached the taxpayer's bank account. This IRS Revenue Protection Strategy verifies questionable information on a tax return before issuing the refund. The IRS will mail a letter within the next few weeks to explain why the refund was withheld. The IRS may request more information in order to complete the review and release the refund.
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The IRS or BFS may have offset the refund to pay off an outstanding debt - The IRS and/or the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) will mail a letter within a few weeks with details about the debt and amount collected. Call (800) 304-3107 to see if all or some of the refund is being collected through the Treasury Offset Program. Find more info about government debt here.
Our assurance to you
We do not hold your money. When a deposit is received from the IRS, your money is processed as soon as it is received. If you selected direct deposit, it may take 1-2 business days to reach your bank account. Your payment is not wired to your account.
In very rare cases we may require identity verification before your funds can be issued. This is for your personal protection. We make every effort to verify your identity as quickly as possible.
We do not delay review of your filed tax return. Only the IRS reviews the accuracy of your tax return.
We cannot speed up the IRS review process.
We will process millions of Refund Transfer (RT) products this tax season. The large majority are funded on time. Although we do our best to make sure that a smooth transaction will occur for you, keep in mind that we are in the middle of this process between the IRS, your tax processing company and you.
Refund Transfers are deposit products using Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC, that enable certain deductions from the account to be processed. Refund Transfers are not loans. Tax refund and e-filing are required in order to receive Refund Transfer. Fees apply. Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Ask your preparer about other IRS e-file options, some of which are provided at no additional cost.