Who to Contact When Your Tax Refund Doesn't Arrive

Start with the IRS, not your bank or tax preparer

If your refund is late, the IRS is the first place to contact—not your bank, not the tax preparer who filed your return, and not your employer. The IRS controls when refunds are issued and can tell you exactly where yours is in the system. You can check the status yourself before calling, which often answers the question without a phone wait.

The IRS has three ways to check a refund: the "Where's My Refund?" tool on IRS.gov, the IRS2Go mobile app, or by calling the IRS refund hotline. All three pull from the same system and show the same information. The tool updates once per day, usually overnight, so checking multiple times in a single day will not show new information.

You will need your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact refund amount from your tax return to use any of these methods. Have your return in front of you when you check.

Key Takeaways

The IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool or the phone line 800-829-1954 will tell you whether your refund has been issued and when it should arrive in your bank account.
If the IRS shows your refund as issued but your bank has not received it after the stated arrival date, contact your bank's customer service with the IRS refund tracking number.
If the IRS shows no record of your return or a refund, you may have a filing error—contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 to verify your return was received and processed.
Tax preparers and employers cannot access IRS refund information or speed up processing; they can only direct you to the IRS.
If your refund was issued more than 21 days ago and your bank says it never arrived, the IRS can investigate and reissue the refund to a different account or method.

How to check refund status yourself before calling

Go to IRS.gov and select "Where's My Refund?" from the homepage. Enter your Social Security number, filing status (single, married filing jointly, etc.), and the exact refund amount. The tool will show one of three statuses: "Return Received," "Refund Approved," or "Refund Issued."

"Return Received" means the IRS has your return but has not finished processing it. This is normal for the first few days after filing. "Refund Approved" means the IRS has reviewed your return and decided to send you money, but has not yet transferred it to your bank. "Refund Issued" means the IRS has sent the refund to your bank and gives you the expected arrival date—usually three to five business days from the issue date, though it can take longer depending on your bank.

If you filed by mail rather than electronically, the tool may not show your return for two to three weeks after you mailed it. The IRS processes paper returns more slowly than electronic ones.

When to call the IRS refund line

Call 800-829-1954 if the "Where's My Refund?" tool shows your refund as issued but your bank account has not received it more than five business days after the stated arrival date. Have your return and a pen ready to write down the refund tracking number the IRS provides—you will need this number if you have to contact your bank.

The refund line is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time. Wait times are longest in March and April. If you call outside these hours, you can leave a callback request and the IRS will call you back, though the wait for a callback can be several days during peak season.

The IRS representative will confirm that your refund was issued and provide the exact date it was sent to your bank. If that date has passed and your bank has not received the money, ask the IRS for the refund tracking number and note the representative's name and the time you called.

What to do if your bank received nothing

Once you have the IRS refund tracking number and the issue date, contact your bank's customer service. Tell them the refund was issued on that date and provide the tracking number. Your bank can search their incoming transfers for that amount on that date and tell you whether it arrived.

If your bank confirms the transfer never arrived, the money may have been sent to a closed account, a wrong account number, or an account at a different bank than you expected. This happens most often when someone changes banks between filing and receiving the refund, or when a joint filer's name is on a different account than the one listed on the return.

Ask your bank whether they can trace the transfer. If they cannot find it, contact the IRS again at 800-829-1954 with the information from your bank. The IRS can investigate and reissue the refund to a different account or by check if needed. Reissuing takes two to four weeks.

If the IRS has no record of your return

If "Where's My Refund?" shows no information about your return at all, or says your return was not received, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. This number is for general tax questions and return status, not just refunds. You will need your Social Security number and the date you filed.

The IRS will confirm whether your return reached them. If you filed electronically, the IRS usually receives it within 24 hours. If you filed by mail, allow two to three weeks for it to arrive at the processing center. If the IRS has no record after that time, your return may have been lost in the mail or filed incorrectly.

If your return was not received, the IRS will tell you how to resubmit it. If you filed electronically and the IRS has no record, ask whether there was an error in your filing—sometimes a typo in your Social Security number or bank account information causes the return to be rejected without notifying you.

Contacting a tax preparer or CPA if you used one

If a tax preparer or CPA filed your return, contact them to verify they submitted it correctly and to ask whether they have heard from the IRS about any errors. Tax preparers can see some information about returns they filed, though they cannot access the same real-time status tool that the IRS provides to you.

A tax preparer cannot speed up your refund or retrieve it from the IRS system. They can only confirm that they filed your return and advise you to contact the IRS directly. If the preparer made an error on your return—such as a wrong bank account number—they may offer to file an amended return, though this will delay your refund further.

If you used a tax preparer and the IRS tells you your return has an error, the preparer should help you correct it at no additional charge. Keep records of all communication with the preparer in case you need to dispute a charge later.

What to do if your refund was issued but you still have not received it after 21 days

If the IRS issued your refund more than 21 days ago and your bank has confirmed it never arrived, the IRS will open an investigation. Call 800-829-1954 and ask to file a claim for a missing refund. Provide the refund tracking number, the issue date, and the information from your bank confirming the transfer was not received.

The IRS investigation typically takes 120 days. During this time, the IRS contacts the Federal Reserve and your bank to trace the transfer. If the money cannot be found, the IRS will reissue the refund by check or to a different bank account. You can request a specific method when you file the claim.

Keep a copy of the claim confirmation number the IRS provides. You will need it if you have to follow up on the investigation later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my tax preparer or accountant check my refund status for me?

Your tax preparer can confirm they filed your return, but they cannot access your real-time refund status the way you can. You must check the status yourself using the IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool or by calling 800-829-1954. The IRS only releases refund information to the person whose Social Security number is on the return.

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

If you filed electronically, the IRS usually receives returns within 24 hours. If you filed by mail, allow two to three weeks. If the IRS has no record after that time, your return may have been lost or rejected due to an error. Call 800-829-1040 to ask whether the IRS received your return and why. If it was rejected, the IRS will tell you how to resubmit it.

My refund was issued two weeks ago but my bank says they never got it. What happens next?

Call your bank again and ask them to search for incoming transfers on the exact date the IRS issued the refund. If they confirm nothing arrived, contact the IRS at 800-829-1954 with the refund tracking number and your bank's confirmation. The IRS can investigate and reissue the refund to a different account or by check within two to four weeks.

How long does the IRS take to investigate a missing refund?

The IRS investigation takes up to 120 days. During this time, they contact the Federal Reserve and your bank to trace the transfer. If the money cannot be located, the IRS reissues the refund by the method you request—check, direct deposit to a different account, or another option.

Should I contact my state tax agency if my state refund is also late?

Yes. State refunds are processed separately from federal refunds and have different timelines. Contact your state tax agency directly using the phone number on your state's tax website. Do not assume a delay in your federal refund means your state refund is also delayed.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.