IRS Refund Schedule

An IRS refund schedule will tell you when you get your money back from the IRS after filing taxes.  The refund date depends on when the IRS accepts your tax return, not on when you submit your tax return.  What’s the difference?  If you paper file, the IRS will accept your return once the papers make their way through the US mail system and are processed by the IRS offices.  Usually that’s a few days at least.  If you e-file, the acceptance by the IRS will be faster, usually the same day or in some cases one day later.

It can take your bank up to five days to post the direct deposit refund to your account, however.

The IRS refund schedule also indicates that if you choose direct deposit of your refund you will also get your money faster.  The projected date of direct deposit will be one week after your refund is accepted by the IRS.  That is, if you have e-filed.

If you e-filed and chose to receive a paper check, it’s a week plus two days and then your check will be mailed.  Then of course it takes another few days for the check to make its way to your mailbox, then a few days more for the check to clear.