Where’s My Tax Refund? Easy Ways to Track Your IRS & State Refund Status!

Waiting for a refund of taxes is a serious concern for all tax payers. If you’ve already filed your state taxes and now wish to know the refund status, then this article will be helpful to you.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has one portal to monitor the status of federal tax refunds. However, in the case of state tax refunds, every state has a separate portal and process. So it is necessary to understand how to check the refund status in your state and the time it will take.

How ​​to track state tax refund?

Below are provided the tax refund tracking websites and estimated time periods of key US states:

• Alabama – Utilize “My Alabama Taxes”. It may take 8 to 10 weeks to obtain the refund.
• Arizona – Look up “Where’s My Refund?”. Refunds usually take 10 days to process.
• California – Visit “Where’s My Refund?”. Refunds can arrive in as few as 3 weeks if you e-file, and as long as 3 months for paper returns.
• Georgia – Contact the “Check My Refund Status” portal. Refunds can take as long as 6 weeks to be received.
• Hawaii – Visit “Hawaii Tax Online”. Paper returns may take 9 to 10 weeks.
• Indiana – Track with “Check the Status of Your Refund”. Can be as short as 3 weeks if you e-file, and up to 12 weeks for paper returns.
• Maryland – Visit “Maryland Taxes”. You can receive a refund within 30 days.
• New Jersey – Visit “Check the Status of Your New Jersey Income Tax Refund”. When you e-file, your refund will be deposited in 4 weeks or less.
• Texas, Florida, Alaska, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming are income tax-free states and no tax refund is required to file.

Information needed to trace state tax refund

All state portals need you to provide some essential information to verify the status of your tax refund. For instance:

• California – Your Social Security number, zip code, refund amount and mailing address will be required.
• Missouri – Just your Social Security number, filing status and estimated refund or balance amount will be required.

State tax refund deadline

Refunds are made promptly in certain states, and in others the process takes some time. For instance:

• Virginia – Refunds are made within 4 to 8 weeks.
• South Carolina – Takes 6 to 8 weeks.
• Utah – Processing of refund can take as long as 120 days.
• Pennsylvania – Takes 8 to 10 weeks.

How ​​to Maximize Tax Refund?

If you would like to receive the biggest tax refund, do the following:

1. Select the proper filing status – Your filing status will influence your tax obligation. Picking the appropriate status can mean a higher refund.
2. Take all eligible deductions – The more valid deductions that you claim, the lower your taxable income will be and your refund can grow.
3. Maximize tax credits – There are some tax credits that will lower your tax bill directly.
4. Save with an IRA – Saving in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can yield future savings as well as tax relief.

Average Tax Refund Amount

The IRS says the average 2024 tax refund was $3,138. If you plan your taxes well, you can also receive a good refund.

Conclusion

The procedure of tracing the status of state tax refund differs from one state to another. Therefore, ensure that you check your state’s official portal and enter the required details and wait patiently as per the expected duration of the refund. Furthermore, by applying the correct tax planning, you can maximize your tax refund and improve your financial status.

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