IRS Direct Deposit Status 2026: The IRS has started releasing direct deposit refunds for the 2025 tax year, beginning in February 2026. Many people who filed their refunds electronically in the initial stages have already received their tax refunds, and many more will receive theirs in the coming days.
If you have already filed your 2026 tax return and are waiting to receive a refund, know that according to the Internal Revenue Service, electronic filings are processed within a few days. If sufficient time has passed, you will receive your direct deposit very soon.
For the convenience of filers, the IRS has provided a “Where’s My Refund” tool so that everyone can check their refund status and stay updated regarding their tax refund. In this article, we have explained how you can check your 2026 IRS refund direct deposit status and date.
IRS Direct Deposit Status 2026
According to the IRS official website, returns filed electronically take a maximum of 3 to 4 weeks to be processed, while paper filings can take 6 to 8 weeks. If you have claimed a refundable tax credit, such as the EITC or ACTC, on your tax return, you may have to wait a little longer to get your tax refund direct deposit.
Taxpayers who claimed the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit may receive their refund by March 2, 2026, if they e-filed in the initial stage. If they filed late, they may have to wait until mid-March 2026. It is because the IRS is prohibited from processing these tax refunds before February 15.
How to check the IRS Direct Deposit Status 2026?
We have shared step-by-step instructions below on how to check your IRS refund direct deposit status for 2026.
- Go to the Internal Revenue Service official website at irs.gov.
- Find and click on the ‘Use refund tracker’ option.
- Enter your social security number.
- Choose your tax year as 2025.
- Opt filing status as Single, Married-Filing Joint Return, Married-Filing Separate Return, Head of Household and Qualifying Widow(er) / Surviving Spouse.
- Enter the refund amount and click on the Submit button.
After going through the step-by-step instructions above, you will successfully have checked that your tax refund is received, approved or sent.
Notes:
- If your tax return has been approved by the Internal Revenue Service, you will see the date on which your tax refund will be received. Direct deposit is usually received within 5 days of approval.
- With electronic return filing, the return is usually approved within hardly two weeks if all the details are accurate. However, if there are any missing details or documents, the processing may take longer than the normal time.
- If your refund status shows something other than “received,” “approved,” or “sent,” then in this situation, you first need to understand what that refund status means. You can do this by talking to a tax professional or by contacting the IRS directly.
IRS Direct Deposit Estimated Refund Schedule 2026
The Internal Revenue Service began accepting tax return filings for tax year 2025 on January 9, 2026, and processing began on January 26, 2026.
Those who filed their returns on January 9 had their returns accepted on January 26, 2026, and received their direct deposit on January 31, 2026. Based on this timeline, we have shared the estimated schedule below for receiving your refund.
| Filing Date Range | Estimated Approved Date | Estimated Direct Deposit Date |
| January 10 – January 15 | January 27 – January 30 | February 1 – February 5 |
| January 16 – January 20 | January 31 – February 3 | February 5 – February 9 |
| January 21 – January 25 | February 4 – February 7 | February 9 – February 13 |
| January 26 – January 31 | February 8 – February 12 | February 13 – February 18 |
| February 1 – February 5 | February 13 – February 17 | February 18 – February 22 |
| February 6 – February 10 | February 18 – February 22 | February 23 – February 27 |
| February 11 – February 15 | February 23 – February 27 | February 28 – March 4 |
| February 16 – February 20 | February 28 – March 4 | March 5 – March 9 |
If you don’t receive your direct deposit by the estimated time, first check your filing status to confirm whether the IRS has approved your tax return. If there is a delay in receiving your refund even after approval, contact the IRS to find out the reason.