Here's What You Need to Remember: The pandemic forced the agency to close several of its processing centers for weeks, setting the IRS back on reviewing, processing and disbursing coronavirus-related federal aid to millions of Americans and families. While the IRS has reopened, the coronavirus “continues to cause delays in some of our services,” according to the agency. 

Although Tax Day just passed, you may already be wondering where your income tax refund money is. 

The Internal Revenue Service is anticipating a delay in sending out refund payments this year, largely due to the impacts of the coronavirus, as the agency abruptly halted in-person work at processing centers at the onset of the pandemic. 

Receiving the payment is also dependent upon how you filed your tax return, whether that was electronically or by mail.

Here is some more information about when to expect your tax refund and how you can track the status of it. 

When will I get my income tax refund money? 

The IRS typically sends out tax refunds within twenty-one days, but some taxpayers can see the money far sooner. This year, however, with the enhanced tax credits that some Americans can qualify for, the payments might be delayed.

The agency reported a number of reasons for a delay in getting the refund money, including that it includes errors; it’s incomplete; it’s impacted by identity theft or fraud; it features a claim for an earned income tax credit or an additional child tax credit; it includes Form 8379, injured spouse allocation, which could take fourteen weeks to process; and it needs further review.  

It’s also important to consider how you filed your return. If you filed it with the option to receive the money via direct deposit into a bank account, then that could take up to five additional days for a bank to post it on your account. That means it could take as long as twenty-six days to see the money. 

And if you submitted a tax return by mail, the IRS noted that it could take six to eight weeks for your tax refund to hit your mailbox.  

How can I find the status of my tax refund? 

To check the status of your refund, use the agency’s Where’s My Refund tool, and enter your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, your filing status—single, married or head of household—and the expected refund amount. But first, wait twenty-four hours after you file to check the status. 

If you completed the form correctly and clicked submit, then it will direct you to a page that identifies the status of your refund. If not, try re-entering the information. 

The IRS also offers a mobile app, titled IRS2Go, that allows you to check where your tax refund money is.  

Why is the IRS taking longer to process and disburse tax refunds this year? 

The pandemic forced the agency to close several of its processing centers for weeks, setting the IRS back on reviewing, processing and disbursing coronavirus-related federal aid to millions of Americans and families. While the IRS has reopened, the coronavirus “continues to cause delays in some of our services,” according to the agency.  

So expect delays in live phone support, processing tax returns filed on paper, answering mail from taxpayers and reviewing tax returns, even if it was filed electronically, the agency said. 

The IRS also noted that it could take longer than twenty-one days to receive your income tax refund money if you qualify for the Recovery Rebate Credit, which allows you to claim any of the $1,200 or $600 from the first two rounds of stimulus payments. 

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill. This article first appeared earlier this year.

Image: Reuters