Millions of taxpayers in the United States will begin receiving tax refunds as early as April 2025, according to IRS deadlines. The agency opened the filing season on January 27, with more than 140 million individual returns expected by 2024.
These IRS payments are for those who filed their forms electronically and chose direct deposit, and they should receive their funds within 21 days, assuming there are no pending reviews.
Those who file close to the April 15 deadline will have longer processing windows, delaying payments until April. The IRS emphasizes that paper returns, which account for less than 10% of total filings, usually take four to eight weeks. Furthermore, requests for extensions or amended returns may push deadlines until May 2025.
The IRS delays some payments for a legal issue: here’s why
According to the PATH Act, the IRS cannot issue refunds for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Child Tax Credit (ACTC) before mid-February. However, delays in data verification or errors in the forms can extend the wait.
The agency clarifies that, in these cases, the entire refund amount is withheld until the reviews are completed, even if only a portion of it is related to these credits.
Nearly 90% of American taxpayers who use electronic processing get their money in less than three weeks. However, approximately 15% of returns require manual adjustments, which can result in up to 120 additional days.
To avoid delays, the IRS suggests verifying Social Security numbers, withheld balances, and bank account information before submitting documents. Any error, misspelling, wrong number, or other flaw in the quality of your tax return could result in a significant delay.
Late filers: payment dates for these taxpayers
Those requesting an extension until October 15, 2025 should be aware that refunds for returns filed after April will begin to be processed from the date of receipt. This means that payments may take up to eight weeks, particularly if inconsistencies are discovered. Amended returns have an average resolution time of 20 weeks.
The Where’s My Refund tool, available at IRS.gov, allows you to track the status of funds 24 hours after electronic filing. Updates appear four weeks after paper returns are submitted. The platform also notifies you if any additional steps are required, such as identity confirmation or error correction.
Tax experts advise against waiting until the deadline, as there may be delays in the systems due to high volume of late filers delivering their documents. And, you know, government websites may be old and slow.
