If you are anticipating a refund from either the IRS or the State of New York and you want to determine the status, you can access online tools via the agencies’ websites to obtain a status update.
1. Federal Refund Status
- Use the ‘Where’s My Refund? tool at .
- Required information: Social Security Number, filing status (Single, Married filing joint, Head of household etc.) and exact refund amount.
- Updates are available 24 hours after e-filing or 4 weeks after mailing a paper return.
- Stages: Return Received, Refund Approved, Refund Sent.
- Common tips
- When entering the data above, you can use the “?” website feature to assist where to find information on your return such as the refund amount.
- The IRS will provide the refund status results which could include that the return is still in process, or the refund was issued on a specific date as a direct deposit to a bank account.
2. New York Refund Status
- Use the NY Refund Status Tool on the state tax website.
- Required information: Tax year, Social Security Number, and form filed (e.g., IT-201).
- Updates may take a few days after e-filing or several weeks for paper returns.
- NY will provide the refund status which could include: (1) return is still in processing or (2) return has been processed. A refund is scheduled to be issued on a specific date.
When verifying the status of your refunds, be sure to enter the details exactly as on your return. Be sure to avoid third party sites and always use the official IRS or state portals.