The IRS processes 2020 returns in the order they arrive, and most refunds take 21 days from the date they accept your return

If you filed your 2020 return in 2020 or early 2021, your refund should have arrived by mid-2021. If you filed later — or if your return required manual review — the timeline extended well into 2022 and beyond. The IRS faced a significant backlog during 2021 and 2022, which delayed many returns that would normally process in weeks.

The 21-day standard assumes your return was accepted without errors and you chose direct deposit. Paper checks took longer, sometimes 4 to 6 weeks after acceptance. If the IRS needed to verify information on your return — income, dependents, credits — processing could stretch to several months.

At this point in 2024, if you have not received a 2020 refund, the issue is almost certainly that your return was flagged for review, rejected, or never processed at all. The steps to find out which one are the same regardless of how long you have been waiting.

Key Takeaways

  • Most 2020 refunds that were filed on time arrived between April and June 2021, but the IRS backlog delayed many returns into 2022.
  • You can check the status of your 2020 return right now using the IRS Where's My Refund tool with your Social Security number, filing status, and refund amount.
  • If the tool says your return is still being processed after several years, the return likely needs manual review or was rejected for a specific reason.
  • If you never received your refund and the tool shows it was issued, contact the IRS or your bank to trace a lost or misdirected payment.

How to check the status of your 2020 refund right now

Go to irs.gov/refunds and use the "Where's My Refund?" tool. You will need your Social Security number, filing status (single, married filing jointly, etc.), and the exact refund amount from your return. The tool will show you one of four statuses: accepted and processing, approved and issued, rejected, or still under review.

If the tool says your refund was issued, it will give you the date and the method (direct deposit or check). If it says still processing or under review after years have passed, your return hit a problem that requires human review. If it says rejected, your return was not accepted at all.

The tool updates once per day, usually overnight. Checking multiple times in one day will not change the result. If you filed by mail, allow extra time for the IRS to receive and scan your return before it appears in the system.

What to do if the tool says your refund was issued but you never got it

If the IRS says your refund was issued by direct deposit, contact your bank or credit union with the date shown in the tool. Ask them to search their records for a deposit from the IRS in that amount on or near that date. Banks can sometimes locate deposits that were rejected or sent to a closed account, and they can tell you where the money went.

If the IRS says a check was issued, the check may have been lost in the mail, sent to an old address, or deposited by someone else. Contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 to request a trace on the check. The IRS can confirm whether the check cleared and, if so, which bank deposited it. This process takes several weeks.

If neither your bank nor the IRS can locate the payment, you can request a refund of the refund — essentially asking the IRS to issue a replacement. This requires filing Form 3115 (process for Change in Accounting Method) or working with a tax professional, and it can take months.

If the tool says your return is still under review

A 2020 return that is still showing as under review in 2024 is almost certainly stuck in the IRS backlog or flagged for a specific issue. The IRS does not always contact taxpayers about delays, so you may not know why your return is held up.

Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and ask to speak with a representative about your 2020 return. Have your Social Security number, filing status, and refund amount ready. The representative can see notes on your account that do not appear in the online tool — for example, whether the IRS is waiting for you to send documents, whether there is a discrepancy in your income, or whether your return is straightforward in a queue waiting for review.

If the IRS tells you they need documents from you, they will usually provide a list and a important date. Send those documents by certified mail so you have proof of delivery. If the IRS says your return is in the queue, ask for an estimate of when it might be reviewed — the representative may not have a firm date, but they can tell you whether you are weeks or months away.

If the tool says your return was rejected

A rejected return means the IRS did not accept it at all. This usually happens because of a mismatch in information — for example, a Social Security number that does not match IRS records, a dependent claimed twice, or income reported by your employer that does not match what you reported.

The IRS typically sends a notice to the address on your return explaining why it was rejected. Check your mail, including your spam folder if you have an IRS online account. If you cannot find the notice, call 1-800-829-1040 and ask why your 2020 return was rejected.

Once you know the reason, you will need to file an amended return (Form 1040-X) or a new return with the corrected information. If the error was on your part, you can file the corrected return when ready. If the error was on the IRS side — for example, their records show income you did not earn — you will need to provide documentation to correct their records first.

What happens if you never filed a 2020 return at all

If you did not file a 2020 return and are owed a refund, you can still file one now. The statute of limitations for refunds is generally three years from the filing important date, which means you can claim a 2020 refund through April 15, 2024. After that date, you lose the right to that refund.

File your 2020 return using the same method you would use for a current-year return: through tax software, a tax professional, or by mail. The IRS will process it in the normal order, which means it may take several weeks to several months depending on the current backlog. Once processed, your refund will be issued by direct deposit or check.

If you are past April 15, 2024, you cannot claim the 2020 refund through the normal process. You would need to file a claim with the IRS Refund Claims office, which is a more complex process and not may provide to succeed. A tax professional can advise you on whether this is worth pursuing.

Why 2020 refunds took so long

The IRS faced an unprecedented backlog in 2021 and 2022 due to a combination of factors: the volume of returns increased, staffing was reduced due to the pandemic, and many returns required manual review because of changes to tax credits and income verification rules.

Returns that claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) were held for extra review as a fraud prevention measure. Returns filed by mail took longer than those filed electronically. Returns with errors or missing information were set aside for manual correction, which could take months.

By 2023, the IRS had worked through most of the backlog, but some returns — particularly those requiring extensive review — continued to process slowly. If your 2020 return is still pending, it is likely one of the cases that required more investigation than a standard return.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my 2020 refund if I filed late?

Yes, as long as you file before April 15, 2024. The IRS will process your return and issue your refund, though it may take longer than a return filed on time. After April 15, 2024, you lose the right to claim that refund through the normal process.

What if I filed my 2020 return but the IRS says they never received it?

If you filed by mail, the return may have been lost in transit. If you filed electronically, check your email for a confirmation number — that proves the IRS received it. If you have a confirmation number but the tool does not show your return, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 with that number.

Can the IRS send my refund to a different bank account than the one I listed?

No. If you provided a bank account number on your return and the IRS issued the refund by direct deposit, it went to that account. If the account was closed or the number was wrong, the bank rejected the deposit and it went back to the IRS. Contact your bank to confirm what happened.

How long do I have to claim a 2020 refund?

You have three years from the filing important date to claim a refund. For 2020 returns, that important date is April 15, 2024. After that date, you cannot claim the refund through the normal process, though you may be able to file a claim with the IRS Refund Claims office.

What if I owe taxes instead of getting a refund?

If your 2020 return shows you owe taxes, the IRS will not issue a refund. You will receive a bill instead. If you have not paid, the IRS may have added penalties and interest. Contact the IRS or a tax professional to discuss a payment plan if you cannot pay in full.