The IRS is taking several steps to improve taxpayers' ability to understand their refund status in 2013. To begin with, taxpayers will get a personalized refund date when they use Where’s My Refund? and the tool will have a new look. Where’s My Refund? will include a tracker that displays progress through 3 stages: (1) Return Received, (2) Refund Approved and (3) Refund Sent along with narrative that provides more detail such as the approved refund amount and the date the refund will be sent. Taxpayers will also be able to check on the status of their return sooner - within 24 hours after we’ve received an e-filed return or 4 weeks after a paper return is mailed.
Where’s My Refund? will provide a refund date as soon as the IRS processes the tax return and approves the refund. This means taxpayers won’t get an estimated refund date right away. Instead Where’s My Refund? will give each taxpayer personalized refund information based on the processing of his or her own tax return.
The IRS issued more than 9 out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days last year. The same results are expected in 2013.
The Publication 2043, previously the Refund Cycle Chart, has been re-purposed as IRS Refund Information Guidelines for the Tax Preparation Community. The new "What to expect for refunds in 2013" page on IRS.gov includes official IRS 2013 refund communications, including
Publication 2043, to help you prepare for the filing season.
Reminder: Any claims by Providers concerning faster refunds by virtue of electronic filing must be consistent with the language in official IRS publications. Per the advertising standards in Publication 3112, IRS e-file Applications and Participation, and Publication 1345, Handbook for Authorized IRS e-file Providers of Individual Income Tax, providers must not use improper or misleading advertising in relation to IRS e-file, including the time frames for refunds or other financial products. This reminder serves as the IRS’s request to the tax preparation community to follow these messaging guidelines. The IRS will monitor Industry practice during filing season, but anticipates and expects voluntary compliance from its partners in support of this important effort to help taxpayers understand their refund status.
