The Internal Revenue Service has started the return processing process for tax year 2025 on January 26, 2026. If you have filed your 2026 tax return, you can check its status using the ‘Where’s My Refund?’ tool or the IRS2Go mobile application.
After e-filing your tax return, you need to wait at least 24 hours to check your refund status. If you filed your tax return on paper, you will need to wait four weeks. If sufficient time has passed since you filed, you can then check your refund status.
In this article, we have discussed everything you need to know about the IRS tax refund status for 2026. By reading this article, you can learn how to check your refund status, what the different stages of the refund status mean, etc.
IRS Refund Status 2026
The Internal Revenue Service has provided a mobile application, IRS2Go, and a webpage tool, “Where’s My Refund?”, to help taxpayers stay updated on their refund. You can use either of these to check your tax refund status.
When you check the refund status, three statuses are displayed: received, approved, and sent. Besides these, other statuses may also be displayed, but that happens only if there is a mistake in the tax return or a lack of documents.
How to check the 2026 IRS tax refund status?
The step-by-step instructions to check the tax refund status using the ‘Where’s My Refund?’ tool and ‘IRS2GO’ mobile application are as follows.
Via the ‘Where’s My Refund?’ tool:
- Go to the Internal Revenue Service’s official website.
- Click on the ‘Use Refund Tracker’ option and go to the next page.
- Enter your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).
- Choose the Tax Year as 2025.
- Opt for your filing status as Single, Married-Filing Joint Return, Married-Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er)/Surviving Spouse.
- Enter your refundable amount.
- Click on the Submit button.
Via the ‘IRS2Go’ mobile application:
- Download IRS2Go from the Play Store or App Store for your device.
- Open it, and click on the IRS Tax Refund Status section.
- Fill in all the asked details correctly.
- Click on the Submit button.
After following any of the step-by-step guides mentioned above, you will be able to check whether your refund has been received, approved, or sent by the IRS.
What are the meanings of “Received,” “Approved,” or “Sent”?
‘Received,’ ‘Approved,’ and ‘Sent’ are the three stages that are visible when checking your IRS tax refund status. The meaning of each stage is shared in the list below.
- Received: The IRS has received your tax return and will soon review all details and documents.
- Approved: The IRS has processed your tax return, as all the details and documents provided in your return are accurate. They will send your refund shortly.
- Sent: The IRS has released your refund. It usually reflects here within 4 hours of being released.
What to do if the refund status shows something other than Received, Approved, or Sent?
If your refund status shows anything other than “received,” “approved,” or “sent,” it means there’s a mistake in your tax return or a document is missing. If this is the case, there’s no need to worry. The first thing you should do is visit the Internal Revenue Service’s office and inquire about the next steps.
Generally, if there is a mistake in the tax return, the IRS sends a letter requesting the required documents or details. If you receive this letter within a week of your return status being reflected, you don’t need to visit the IRS office; simply provide the requested details or documents, and things will be resolved.