Posted on 04/27/17
Baltimore, MD - Apr. 27, 2017 - You can use the IRS 'Where's my Refund' (https://www.irs.gov/refunds) tool to check the status of your refund. The 'Where's my Refund' tool is updated once daily, usually overnight. Your status is generally available within 24 hours upon the IRS receiving your e-filed return and 4 weeks after mailing your paper return.
If you do owe money to the federal government or state government, your refund will be garnished, and held by the government to pay the outstanding debt. For example, the federal government will hold a 2016 refund and forward it to a state that you owe money to, even if you are on a payment plan with the state. Also, the debt does not need to be a debt for income taxes. It could be payroll taxes, sales taxes, or even child support, if a claim was filed to recover the unpaid child support.
Moshe Pelberg is a CPA in private practice in Northwest Baltimore.