When do tax returns come in 2025? Date to get direct deposit and paper check!

The Internal Revenue Service is likely to start accepting the returns for tax year 2024 from January 21, 2025. According to the officials of the IRS, 90% refunds which are filed electronically are received within three days, if the payment method is direct deposit.

Early refunds e-filers who have opted the payment method as paper check are likely to get the return within four weeks. The IRS usually accepts the refund within 5 to 7 days, which are processed and released within 7 to 10 days; and then the direct deposit and paper check are received within 72 hours and a week.

Taxpayers should know that the refund for tax credit will be processed after February 15, 2025, because of the PATH Act. Individuals who have claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit in their refund will be able to check their filing status from February 17, 2025.

The tax refund via direct deposit for tax credit claimants is likely to be received by February 27, 2025, if they have filed in early stage. As the deadline to file the returns is April 15, 2025, and those who e-filers their return around the deadline may have to wait more than usual time to get the direct deposit or paper check, because of heavy workload.

• IRS Refund Schedule 2025

To check the general refund or refund with the tax credit such as EITC or ACTC, it is highly recommended to file taxes electronically in the early stage and make sure to choose the payment method as direct deposit. To check the estimated date to get the refund, go through the table below which is prepared on the basis of last year’s trend.

What if the IRS tax refund is not received within 21 days?

If an individual doesn’t receive the refund by the expected date, he or she is first required to check that his or her tax refund is Accepted by the Internal Revenue Service. After checking the filing status, if you get to know that everything is okay with the return then you need not to worry, you may get your direct deposit or paper check it in the next few days.

There are stages of tax refunds, which are Received, Accepted and Sent. The first one indicates that your refund is received by the IRS and it is under review; the second states that you are reviewed and accepted, which will be processed/sent by date shown; and the third one is shown when the refunds are sent via the opted payment gateway.

If 21 days have passed from the tax filing, and your refund status is still Received, that means you are under review, and it is finalised your return will be accepted. If your refund has been accepted you will surely see a date on which your direct deposit will be sent or a paper check will be mailed. If the refund status is showing as Sent, you will get the refund sooner.

You should know that once the refund is Sent, the direct deposit and paper check usually take upto 72 hours and 7 days to be received, respectively. If that much time has passed, and you haven’t received your refund, you are recommended to get in touch with the concerned authorities of IRS to know the actual reason behind it.