How Long Does it Take to Get an IRS Refund Check?

If you call the IRS, you will be on hold for at least seven to 10 minutes waiting to speak to a person, so don't bother. I have the answers for you here. All they will tell you is what they have been instructed to tell you, that your refund could take six to eight weeks to process assuming there are no complications or errors on your form. But it is possible to ensure you get your refund as early as possible. Follow these simple tips when filing a paper return and you will get your refund as early as possible.

FILE EARLY

The IRS starts accepting tax returns on January 15 of each year. People who want to file early if they have a refund coming to them, but sometimes they can't file immediately because they have not received their W-2 from their employer. Since employers do not have to provide W-2's until their deadline of January 31st, most people will have to wait to complete their return.

If however, you have an employer that was timely in sending you your W-2, you can file immediately and should. The more returns the IRS has, the longer it will take them to process each return. They operate on a first received first processed basis. So, if you can get your forms mailed in with a copy of your W-2, you will be ahead of everyone else and this could reduce the amount of time it takes to get your refund.

HAVE YOUR REFUND DIRECT DEPOSITED

You can save yourself an additional week of waiting by asking for your refund to go into your bank via the direct deposit block on the second page at the bottom of your 1040.

BE THOROUGH

If you prepared your own taxes, as many people do, ensure you have completed everything on your 1040 that is required and submitted any additional forms like the Schedule C & SE for business owners and such. By being thorough you can avoid having to resubmit any required forms or having your return rejected or returned to you.

DON'T FORGET THE STAMP & RETURN ADDRESS

After going through all the trouble of trying to get your return in early, don't forget to put a stamp and a return address on your letter. You wouldn't want to waste a week or more by having your letter returned to you or ending up in the dead letter office. If you do remember the stamp, you may want to wait 2 or 3 days and then contact the IRS to see if your refund has been processed.

ALWAYS KEEP A COPY

Always keep a copy of your return for your records. If you have to call the IRS for anything, they will need your social security number, the amount of your adjusted gross income, and the exact amount of your return before providing you with any information about the return.