When April rolls around, taxpayers in the United States start to scramble to get their federal and state income tax returns filed. If you miss the annual deadline, then you will be hit with penalties and fines that can add up over time. Most people file their taxes online, but there are still those who prefer to mail in a paper return. Instead of wondering about the status of your tax return, there are several ways to make sure that your return was received and your refund is being processed.
Sending In Your Return
If you file your taxes online, then you will get an electronic receipt that shows that your taxes were received. You should print out that receipt and hold onto it for your records.
If you mail in your returns, then be sure to get a receipt from the post office to show when your returns were postmarked. An official post office receipt can be helpful if your taxes get lost in the mail.
Get The Status Of Your Refund
The <a href=”https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp”>IRS has a page on its website</a> specifically set up to allow people to track their refunds. This site will tell you whether or not your tax return was received, and when you can expect your refund.
You can choose to have your federal tax refund deposited into your bank account, or you can receive a check. When you check the status of your federal return, you can get approximate date your deposit will be made. You can also find approximately when your refund check was mailed if you opted to receive a check.
Checking On Your State Return
Some states do not require residents to file income tax, but most of the states that do require an income tax filing offer convenient online options. You should check your state’s tax website to find out how to get the status of your return, and to find out when you can expect your refund. Most states also have phone numbers set up where you can talk to a tax expert about your tax return and get all of the pertinent information you need.
The IRS offers an automated phone system with an option to check on your return and refund. All you need to do is call the IRS and follow the phone prompts to get the information you need. It is important to note that it is extremely difficult to talk to a live operator when contacting the IRS, so you should be prepared to use the automated system.
When tax time comes around, people can get nervous about the status of their state and federal tax returns. There are several ways which taxpayers can track their returns, and there are plenty of options that can be used to find out when they can expect their state and federal tax refunds.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!