IRS Income Tax Refund Schedule 2025: When Will Your Refund Arrive?
Your 2025 IRS tax refund may arrive sooner than you think. Here’s a schedule for when you can expect your check or direct deposit.


The April 15 deadline might have passed, but you'll still want to watch your mailboxes and check your bank accounts: IRS refunds are rolling out.
The average federal tax refund was around $2,825 last filing season. The IRS expects more than 140 million income tax returns to be filed this season, with more than half using a trusted tax professional.
Read on for the 2025 federal tax refund schedule to know when to expect your payment from the IRS.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Related: Five Ways Trump’s 2025 Tax Bill Could Boost Your Tax Refund (or Shrink It).
Where’s my 2025 IRS tax refund?
Your IRS refund depends in part on your filing method. Below are estimated timeframes for when you may expect to receive your tax refund.
- E-filed returns can take up to 21 days to process a refund.
- Mailed returns take 4-8 weeks to process a refund.
Note: The above periods are after the IRS has accepted your return.
It’s also important to note that errors in your tax forms, IRS processing delays, or bank delays may extend the waiting period for your tax refund.
Tax refund timing can be delayed
Certain factors can affect the timing of your tax refund, including:
- When you filed. Filing during the busiest time of the tax season (roughly late March to mid-April) could delay your refund.
- Which credits you claimed. Certain credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), can delay tax returns due to the IRS needing more time to review. Refunds with these credits may not roll out until March.
- How you submitted your return. Electronically filed returns typically process 1-5 weeks faster than mail-in returns.
- If you owed the IRS any money. If you have an outstanding tax liability with the IRS, the tax agency may apply part or all of your refund to repay your debt.
Related: IRS Tax Refunds Are Bigger This Year. Here's Why
IRS refund schedule
Your refund delivery is based partly on which filing method and refund delivery method you chose:
Refund Delivery Time | Filing & Refund Delivery Methods |
---|---|
3 weeks | E-file and direct deposit |
4 weeks | E-file and check |
4 to 8 weeks | Mail in return and direct deposit |
4 to 9 weeks | Mail in return and check |
Note: The above estimates are after the IRS has accepted your return. Processing delays or errors in the return may cause you to receive your federal refund after these dates.
Tax refund calendar 2025
Here is a general estimate of when you may expect your 2024 federal tax refund:
Date return is filed and accepted: | Date Direct Deposit may arrive: | Date mailed check may arrive: |
---|---|---|
January 27 | February 17* | March 28 |
February 3 | February 24 | April 4 |
February 10 | March 3 | April 11 |
February 17* | March 10 | April 18 |
February 24 | March 17 | April 25 |
March 3 | March 24 | May 2 |
March 10 | March 31 | May 9 |
March 17 | April 7 | May 16 |
March 24 | April 14 | May 23 |
March 31 | April 21 | May 30 |
April 7 | April 28 | June 6 |
April 15 | May 6 | June 16 |
*President’s Day is a federal holiday. Returns may experience mail and/or processing delays.
Note: The above table is an estimate and can be influenced by several factors, including but not limited to processing delays, tax credits claimed, and whether you filed during the busiest time of the season.
Tax refund status: How to check it
You can check the status of your tax refund by using the IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool. The webpage will show you the status of your tax refund as early as 24 hours after the IRS has accepted your return.
You can also download the IRS2Go app to check your tax refund status. Or, you can call the automated IRS refund hotline at 800-829-1954.
State income tax refunds
Each state has a different tax refund schedule. For example, North Carolina paper filers may not receive a refund for up to three months, while Oklahoma taxpayers can expect a refund about five to six weeks after the state accepts the return.
However, some states may allow you to check your tax refund status. Visit your state’s Department of Revenue website for more information.
More on 2025 Taxes
- States With 2025 IRS Tax Deadline Extensions
- When Are Taxes Due in 2025? Tax Deadlines by Month
- IRS Direct File 2025 Offers A New Way to File Taxes for Free
- Earned Income Tax Credit: What to Know
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Kate is a CPA with experience in audit and technology. As a Tax Writer at Kiplinger, Kate believes that tax and finance news should meet people where they are today, across cultural, educational, and disciplinary backgrounds.
-
How to Navigate Your Medicare Advantage Plan in a Disaster
If you're a Medicare Advantage member in an area that has been impacted by a disaster, you might be worried about access to care and medicine. Here's what you need to know.
-
Older Investors: Boost Your Savings and Retire Earlier
This one measure can help older investors retire up to two years earlier and potentially double their retirement savings.
-
Ask the Editor, August 8: Tax Questions on Roth IRA Conversions
Ask the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, we answer tax questions from readers on converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
-
Ask the Editor, August 1: Tax Questions on Standard Deductions
Ask the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, we answer tax questions from readers on claiming standard deductions on your tax return.
-
Georgia Could Be Latest State to Eliminate Income Taxes
State Tax Eliminating the Georgia state income tax: Last-minute summer trend or permanent policy?
-
Ask the Editor, July 25: Questions on Four New Tax Deductions
Ask the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, we answer tax questions from readers on four new tax deductions in the "One Big Beautiful Bill."
-
Five Ways Trump’s 2025 Tax Bill Could Boost Your Tax Refund (or Shrink It)
Tax Refunds The tax code is changing again, and if you’re filing for 2025, Trump’s ‘big beautiful’ bill could mean a bigger refund, a smaller one or something in between next year. Here are five ways the new law could impact your bottom line.
-
Ask the Editor, July 18: Questions on the $6,000 Senior Deduction
Ask the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, we answer tax questions from readers on the new $6,000 deduction for taxpayers 65 and older.
-
Key 2025 Tax Changes for Parents in Trump's Megabill
Tax Changes Are you a parent? The so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ (OBBB) impacts several key tax incentives that can affect your family this year and beyond.
-
Ask the Editor, July 17: Tax Questions on the New Tax Law
Ask the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, we answer tax questions from readers on the new tax law.