How Fast Will You Get Your 2021 Tax Refund From The IRS After You File?

With 2021 tax returns already funneling into the IRS, millions of Americans may be wondering how fast they will receive their refunds.

The IRS has said that the average tax refund turnaround time is less than 21 calendar days but warned that some returns may require additional review and could take longer.

The IRS also reminded taxpayers that while it may issue refunds in 21 days, it may take longer for a financial institution to post the refund to a bank account, or additional time may be needed to receive a check by mail.

Other reasons that a refund may be delayed include errors in tax filing, such as filing an incomplete return, or the tax filing may be affected by identity theft or fraud.

The IRS also said that tax returns that include an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit claim could take longer, as well as those that have an Injured Spouse Allocation, which can take up to 14 weeks to process.

To find out where your refund is, the IRS offers information about tax returns through the Where’s My Refund portal. Here, taxpayers can track the status of their tax return and see when they can expect their refund to hit their bank account as a direct deposit or be mailed to them as a check. Taxpayers can obtain a status update within 24 hours of filing a tax return electronically and up to four weeks of mailing a return to see approval and payment status.

The IRS does not recommend calling the agency to expedite a refund as representatives will not have any additional information on a tax filing. Where’s My Return will have the most up-to-date information, the IRS said.

In 2021, the IRS said it processed over 128 million refunds, with the average refund being $2,775.

As of Feb. 4, over 4.3 million taxpayers have received a refund from the IRS, with an average refund of $2,201 per person, according to the agency.