Your IRS Tax Refund Schedule
The IRS tax refund schedule can give you an estimate as to when you can expect your refund, but there are some circumstances which may delay the process. One of these is suspected fraud.
The IRS has been implementing huge efforts to curb IRS tax fraud and identity theft this year. There has been much success in this department but the drawback has been that some taxpayers have seen huge delays in the IRS tax refund schedule.
The electronic system used to e-file taxes has been strengthened by the IRS, to screen potentially fraudulent returns. Thieves steal Social Security numbers and file fake claims in order to have the refund deposited in their own bank accounts.
If the computer detects something unusual about a submitted claim, the claim will be flagged for investigation. That will hold up the process and you can forget about the ordinary IRS tax refund schedule…it will be weeks more.
Most people who e-file their tax returns see the refund within 10 to 21 days, according to the IRS. Paper returns take much longer.
Another reason for some delays in the IRS tax refund schedule have been computer glitches. The IRS says these have now been fixed. But the main reason for delays has been the number of claims that have tripped the filters for possibly fraudulent claims.