What happens to your refund during a shutdown

A government shutdown pauses most IRS operations, which means the agency stops processing tax returns and issuing refunds. The IRS does not close entirely—employees handling criminal investigations and certain compliance work stay on the job—but the staff who review returns, verify information, and send out refund payments go unpaid and do not work.

The timing of your refund depends on when you filed and how far along your return was in the processing queue when the shutdown began. If your return was already processed and approved before the shutdown started, your refund may still be issued. If it was still waiting for review, it will sit in the queue until the IRS reopens and staff return to work.

The IRS has no authority to issue refunds during a shutdown unless Congress passes a law specifically allowing it. This has happened in some past shutdowns, but it is not automatic. The agency cannot spend money it has not been appropriated, and refund payments require active appropriation.

Key Takeaways

  • The IRS stops processing returns and issuing refunds during a shutdown, though returns already approved before the shutdown may still be paid out.
  • How long your refund is delayed depends on when you filed and where your return was in the processing pipeline when operations paused.
  • Congress can pass a law to allow refunds during a shutdown, but this is not may provide and has only happened in some past shutdowns.
  • You can check the status of your return using the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool before the shutdown and again once the agency reopens.

How long refunds are typically delayed

The length of the delay depends on how long the shutdown lasts. Recent shutdowns have ranged from a few days to 35 days. During that entire period, no refunds are issued and no returns are processed, so your refund is frozen in place.

Once the IRS reopens, the agency does not when ready catch up. Staff must return to work, systems must be brought back online, and the backlog of returns begins moving through the queue again. A shutdown that lasted two weeks typically adds two to three weeks to the normal processing time for returns that were waiting when operations paused.

Returns that were already approved and scheduled for payment before the shutdown may be issued within days of reopening. Returns that were still under review when the shutdown began will move back into the processing queue and may take several weeks longer than normal.

Which refunds are most likely to be delayed

Returns filed close to the shutdown date are most vulnerable to delay, because they are still in the early stages of processing when the IRS closes. A return filed the day before a shutdown begins will almost certainly be delayed.

Returns that require additional verification are also more likely to experience longer delays. The IRS may need to contact you to confirm information, request documents, or investigate discrepancies. During a shutdown, none of this communication happens. Once the agency reopens, these returns move back into the queue behind simpler returns that can be processed more quickly.

Returns claiming certain credits—the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, or the American Opportunity Credit—often require extra review. If your return claims one of these credits and was filed shortly before the shutdown, expect a longer delay than the average.

Checking your refund status before and after a shutdown

The IRS "Where's My Refund" tool is available on the IRS website at irs.gov. You can use it to check the status of your return before a shutdown begins. The tool shows whether your return has been received, whether it is being processed, and whether your refund has been approved or issued.

If you check the tool and see that your refund has been approved but not yet issued, there is a chance it will be paid out even if a shutdown begins before the payment is sent. If the tool shows your return is still being processed, the shutdown will pause that work.

Once the IRS reopens, the tool will resume updating. You can check it again to see whether your return has moved forward in the queue. The tool typically updates once per day, usually overnight.

What to do if your refund is delayed by a shutdown

If you filed your return before the shutdown and were expecting your refund, you have limited options while the IRS is closed. The agency does not answer phones or respond to mail during a shutdown, so contacting them will not speed up the process.

Keep a record of when you filed and what the "Where's My Refund" tool showed before the shutdown. Once the IRS reopens, check the tool again to see whether your return has been processed. If your refund is significantly delayed after the agency reopens—more than a few weeks longer than the normal processing time—you can contact the IRS to ask about the status.

If you need the money urgently, you may want to explore other options: a short-term loan, a line of credit, or asking your employer about an advance on your next paycheck. These are not ideal, but they can bridge the gap if your refund is delayed by several weeks.

How shutdowns have affected refunds in the past

The 2018–2019 shutdown lasted 35 days and delayed refunds for millions of taxpayers. The IRS was closed during the peak filing season, which meant returns filed in January and February were stuck in the queue for weeks. Some taxpayers did not receive their refunds until April or May.

The 2013 shutdown lasted 16 days and occurred in October, outside the main filing season. Fewer returns were affected, but those that were filed during the shutdown still experienced delays of several weeks.

In some past shutdowns, Congress has passed legislation allowing the IRS to issue refunds even while the agency was technically closed. This happened during parts of the 2018–2019 shutdown, though the authorization came partway through and did not cover all refunds. Whether Congress will do this in a future shutdown is not predictable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file my tax return during a government shutdown?

You can file electronically through tax software or a tax professional, and your return will be received and timestamped by the IRS system. However, the IRS will not begin processing your return until the agency reopens. Filing during a shutdown means your return will be further back in the processing queue once work resumes.

Will I lose my refund if the government shuts down?

No. Your refund will not disappear. It will be delayed until the IRS reopens and processes your return, but the money is yours and will be issued once the agency resumes operations. The shutdown pauses the process; it does not cancel it.

What if I need my refund before the shutdown ends?

The IRS cannot issue refunds during a shutdown unless Congress passes a specific law allowing it. If you need money urgently, you may need to explore other sources: a personal loan, a line of credit, or asking your employer for an advance. Once the IRS reopens, your refund will be processed according to where it was in the queue.

Does a shutdown affect refunds issued by direct deposit differently than paper checks?

No. Both direct deposit and paper check refunds are paused during a shutdown. Direct deposit refunds may be issued slightly faster once the IRS reopens, but both methods experience the same delay while the agency is closed.

Should I file my return early to avoid shutdown delays?

Filing early is generally a good idea because it gets your return into the processing queue sooner. However, if a shutdown occurs after you file but before your return is processed, the timing of your filing will not protect you from the delay. The shutdown will pause processing regardless of when you filed.