FAQs

How long does it take after you’ve filed to receive a refund?

If you e-file opting for direct deposit and have not received your refund within 3 weeks after filing your return (eight weeks if you filed a paper return opting for a paper check), you can check your refund status by logging onto www.irs.gov. Click on “Where’s My Refund” then go to “Get My Refund Status.” Or, you can call the Refund Hotline at (800) 829-1954. Be sure to have available a copy of your current tax return because you will need to know your social security number shown on your return, the filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of our refund. If you have requested direct deposit, the refund should take one week less time to be issue as opposed to getting a paper check.

How long does it take to get a refund back by direct deposit?

If you e-file with direct deposit and have not received your refund within three weeks after filing your return (five weeks if you filed paper with direct deposit), you can check your refund status by logging onto www.irs.gov. Click on “Where’s My Refund” then go to “Get My Refund Status.” Or, you can call the Refund Hotline at (800) 829-1954. Be sure to have available a copy of your current tax return because you will need to know your social security number shown on your return, the filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.

Can you direct deposit your refund into someone else’s bank account if you do not have a bank account?

No. The account has to be in your name.

Will I be notified when my direct deposit is made or will I have to check with my bank to find out?

You will need to contact your bank to determine when the deposit was made. The deposit will be recorded on your bank statement. However, if you use an automated system to check on your bank account balance, you will know that your refund has been deposited when your balance has increased by the amount of your expected refund.

Can I check my refund status via Internet?

You can now check the status of your refund via Internet. Access the IRS website at www.irs.gov and follow the links to check your refund status. You must provide your social security number, filing status, and refund amount.

How can I check on the status of my refund?

Refund information does not become available until it has been 6 weeks since you filed your tax return (3 weeks if you filed electronically or through TeleFile). After waiting the appropriate number of weeks, the fastest, easiest way to find out about your current year refund is to log onto www.irs.gov. Click on Where’s My Refund then go to Get My Refund Status or you can call Refund Hotline at (800) 829-1954. Be sure to have a copy of your current tax return available because you will need to know your social security number shown on your return, the filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of our refund. The IRS updates refund information every seven days.

I still owe taxes from a previous year and am getting a refund this year. I would like to apply this refund to the taxes I owe. How do I go about doing this?

You may not get all of your refund if you owe certain past-due amounts, such as federal tax, state tax, a student loan, or child support. Your refund will automatically be applied to any outstanding balances.

I lost my refund check. How do I get a new one?

Call the IRS a (800) 829-1954. If your refund check has not been cashed, we can normally provide a replacement within six to eight weeks. If your refund check has been cashed, the IRS will provide a copy of the check and an Form 1310 (PDF), to initiate a claim. The signature on the cancelled check will be reviewed before determining whether another refund can be issued.

If our tax refund is being taken for back child support my husband owes, how can I file to get back or keep my portion of the refund?

When a joint return is filed and only one spouse owes past-due child support, the other spouse can be considered an injured spouse and can request his or her share of the joint refund. If this situation applies to you, file Form 8379 (PDF), Injured Spouse Claim and Allocation, to recover your share of the joint refund.

You are considered an injured spouse if you:
• file a joint tax return,
• have reported income (such as wages, interest, etc.)
• have made and reported tax payments (such as withholding), or claimed the earned income credit or other refundable credit, and
• have an overpayment, all or parts of which may be applied against the past-due amount.

I moved into Minnesota during the year. Do I need to file a tax return?

As a part-year resident, you are required to file if your income from Minnesota sources during the portion of 2003 that you were a nonresident added to your income from all sources for the portion of 2003 that you were a resident was $7,800 or more. If you had Minnesota tax withheld, you would want to file to receive a refund of the withholding even if you don’t meet the filing requirement. You will need Form M1 and Schedule M1NR.

I’m concerned because my check payment to the IRS has not been cashed yet. What should I do?

You can call (800) 829-1040 and ask an IRS representative if the payment has been credited to your account. If it has not and the check has not cleared your financial institution, you may choose to place a stop-payment on the original check and send another payment.

In what tax year is income reported? Does it matter when I receive the check ? Does it matter when I earned the money?

The proper year for reporting income depends on your method of accounting (cash or accrual). The majority of taxpayers filing Form 1040 use the cash method of accounting. Cash method taxpayers report the items of income in the year in which the income was actually or constructively received. For cash method taxpayers, the year that the income is earned is irrelevant.

With respect to “actual receipt,” if you receive an item of income that is paid to you by check, your receipt of that check is taxable to you as if it were cash.

With respect to “constructive receipt,” constructive receipt occurs when the income is made available to you. For example, you are in constructive receipt of income paid to you by check if the check has been cut and is readily available to you, even though you have not picked it up as planned. Also, you are in constructive receipt of bank interest when it has been credited to your account, even though you have not withdrawn it.

If you are filing Form 1040, it is unlikely that you are an accrual method taxpayer. Nevertheless taxpayers who use the accrual method generally report income in the year it is earned, billed, or received, whichever occurs first.

How long do I need to keep certain records?

Records such as receipts, canceled checks, and other documents that prove an item of income or a deduction appearing on your return should be kept at least until the statute of limitations expires for that return. Usually this is three years from the date the return was due or filed, or two years from the date the tax was paid, whichever is later. There is no period of limitations when a return is false or fraudulent or when no return is filed. You should keep some records indefinitely, such as property records, since you may need them to determine the basis of the property if it to prove the amount of gain or loss if the property is sold.

If you are an employer, you must keep all your employment tax records for at least four years after the tax is due or paid, whichever is later.