Tax season can be a stressful time of the year, but keeping tabs on your tax return doesn’t have to add to that stress. With the right tools and methods in place, you can easily track your tax return status and know exactly when to expect your refund. In this article, we’ll share some easy-to-follow methods for tracking your tax return and offer some tips for staying organized during tax season.
Understanding the Basics of Tracking Your Tax Return
Before diving into the specific methods for tracking your tax return, it’s important to understand how the process works. After filing your taxes with either paper or electronic forms, there are typically three steps involved in processing and issuing refunds:
- IRS accepts returns
- Refunds are approved
- Funds are sent out by direct deposit or mail
Each step of this process can take anywhere from several days to a few weeks, depending on various factors such as accuracy of information provided, errors made requiring additional attention etc.
Once you’ve filed your taxes, it’s important to keep an eye on each step of this progression so that you’re able to anticipate when you’ll receive any funds owed back.
Easy Ways To Keep Tabs On The Status Of Your Refund
Here are some simple yet effective ways in which one could follow while waiting their refunds:
1) Check IRS Website
The easiest way is through the official website of Internal Revenue Service (IRS), where taxpayers can monitor their federal refund status 24/7 online once their federal income is processed via ‘Where’s My Refund?’ This portal provides real-time updates about changes in return processing stages like “Return Received,” “Refund Approved,” or “Refund Sent.” It prompts users after they provide basic identifying details namely Social Security number, filing statuses as well as exact refund amount shown on their submitted returns.
2) IRS Mobile App
The ‘IRS2Go’ mobile application is a free tool provided by the IRS that can be downloaded onto smartphones and tablets, available for both Android and iOS users. The app provides access to many of the same features as the website, including tracking tax refunds after you’ve filed your return.
3) Automated Phone Service
You can also check on your refund status through an automated phone service known as “Tele-Tax.” Tele-Tax provides basic information regarding your refund such as whether it’s been processed or not yet. You will need to provide your Social Security number, filing status and exact refund amount previously submitted on their returns in order to utilize this option.
Tips For Staying Organized During Tax Season
As we’ve discussed, tracking down one’s refunds doesn’t have to be a difficult or stressful experience. But staying organized throughout the tax season may prove beneficial overall:
- Keep track of all receipts: It’s important to keep track of all receipts so that you’re able to accurately report deductions and expenses when filing taxes.
- Use online tools: There are many software options available for individuals who want more detailed reports during tax season but don’t exactly know how they should go about getting them – these programs help with expense categorization that makes it easy come tax time.
- Set up reminders: Utilize calendar apps or reminders on phones with alerts leading up deadlines; this’ll ensure timely completion of paperwork required from various sources involved in paying annual taxes.
By following these tips, taxpayers can easily stay organized throughout the year while keeping tabs on their corresponding returns in real-time using any form preferred by them.
Conclusion
Tracking your tax return doesn’t have to add additional stress particularly if you follow our recommended methods above – checking websites like Where’s My Refund?, downloading government provided applications like IRS-2GO once you’ve filed taxes along with automated phone services like Tele-Tax can provide real-time status updates for taxpayers. Additionally, staying organized by keeping and categorizing receipts with help from software provides added benefits leading up to tax season that makes filing a stress-free experience.
We hope this article helps you stay informed and organized throughout the tax season so that you’ll be able to make the most of your refund once it arrives!
FAQs
Here are three popular FAQs with answers for “Track Your Tax Return: Easy Methods for Keeping Tabs on Your Refund”:
Q: How can I track my tax return status?
A: There are several ways to track your tax return depending on how you filed it. If you filed electronically, you can check the status of your refund using the IRS’s “Where’s My Refund?” tool, which is available at IRS.gov or through the IRS2Go mobile app. You’ll need to input your Social Security number, filing status, and expected refund amount to access this service. If you filed a paper tax return by mail, you should wait four weeks before checking the status of your refund in “Where’s My Refund?”.
Q: When can I start tracking my tax return?
A: Generally speaking, if you e-filed a complete and accurate tax return with no errors that require correction or any fraud related issue flagged up by Internal Revenue Service (IRS), then you can start checking for updates as early as 24 hours after they have received receipt notification from the E-filing system.
Q: What information do I need to track my refund?
A: To track your refund, whether online or through the mobile app, you’ll need basic personal information such as your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), filing status (single vs married filing jointly), and exact dollar amount of anticipated refunds based on income credits & deductions claimed in original / revised returns submitted.
Note that some states offer their own methods for tracking state income tax refunds using similar systems tailored specifically for state returns. It is recommended to visit respective state department-of-revenue website(s) for more details about services offered by them regarding tracking of refunds once taxpayers have completed their filings accurately in coordination with corresponding deadlines defined each year.
