Your state tax refund may take longer to hit your bank account than your federal refund — here's how to find out when it's coming

Tanza Loudenback

January 14, 2020 8:53 PM

You can file taxes as early as January 27, as long as you have all the required forms.

where is my state tax refund

If you e-file and choose direct deposit, your federal tax refund should appear in your account within 21 days.
States that tax income also issue refunds, which may take longer to arrive. You can track your state tax refund on your state's government website.
Filers typically need two numbers to check the status of a refund: a Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the exact refund amount.
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The sooner you file your taxes, the sooner you'll get your refund if you're owed one.

While the IRS is pretty quick about processing tax returns and paying out refunds if you e-file and choose direct deposit, you'll most likely see the money in your account within 21 days each state handles taxes differently.

Tax-return processing times vary among states, and refunds can be issued any time between a few days and a few months after submitting your return.

Although federal and state tax refunds are issued separately, you can easily file your tax returns at the same time if you file electronically. The IRS Free File Lookup tool can help you find free online tax-filing options for those who qualify.

Forty US states and Washington, DC, impose either a flat or progressive income tax . Residents who have too much money withheld from their paychecks for taxes throughout the year are eligible for a tax refund, as is the case with federal taxes.

In order to track your state tax refund, you'll probably need at least two things: a Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and your exact refund amount. Some states also ask for your date of birth, filing status, ZIP code, and the year of your return.

If you aren't quite ready to file yet, you can still find out how much you'll be refunded from the federal government and your state government. As soon as you have your W-2 or 1099 forms from every employer you had in 2019, you can estimate your tax refund (or tax bill, if you underpaid in taxes) with the help of an online tax preparer. H&R Block's refund tool takes just a few minutes to complete and you don't have to sign up for an account or pay for anything up front.