Why your tax refund is late — and how to track it
Why your tax refund is late — and how to track it
Damon C. Williams, USA TODAY NETWORKTue, May 5, 2026 at 10:06 AM UTC
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The IRS processed over 130 million federal income tax returns as of mid-April, according to the revenue department's latest available tax-filing data. But what if you filed your tax return weeks ago and haven't yet received your tax refund?
Several issues can cause the IRS to delay your refund. Here are a few of the main culprits.
Why haven't I received my tax refund yet?
It can take the IRS longer to scrutinize your 2025 tax return if it included errors or if you applied for additional tax credits.
There are five broad reasons the IRS outlined which could delay your tax refund:
Common mistakes, such as forgetting to sign your return or making a math error
Claiming the Earned Income Credit
Claiming the Additional Child Tax Credit
Filing an amended return
Requesting injured spouse relief
How to track your 2025 income tax refund
You can track the status of your 2025 federal income tax refund by using the IRS refund status tool.
Several issues can cause the IRS to delay your refund.
By using the IRS tool, you can also track the status of income tax refunds for 2023 and 2024.
You will need to enter your Social Security number, filing status and the exact amount of your expected refund, which is shown on your income tax return.
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Financial resource Kiplinger created a breakdown of the IRS tax refund schedule:
Refund Delivery Time
Filing and Refund Delivery Methods
3 weeks
E-file and direct deposit
4 weeks
E-file and check
4 to 8 weeks
Mail in return and direct deposit
4 to 9 weeks
Mail in return and check
Average 2026 tax refund tops $3,200
The average 2026 refund is nearly $300 higher than the average refund at this point last year, IRS data show, so filers have more reason to look for their checks.
According to the IRS, as of April 18, the average tax refund stood at $3,275 — an 11.1% increase over the $2,942 average from this point last year.
Overall, the revenue service as has refunded $296.067 billion to tax filers, 17% higher than the $253.116 billion refunded to this point last year.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending, breaking and service-related topics across the Mid-Atlantic region for the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Why your tax refund is delayed and how to track it
Source: “AOL Money”
