There are three status updates which the taxpayer might see: “received return,” “refund approved,” or “refund sent.” If the refund has been sent, it could be up to 5 days before the money shows up in your bank account or a few weeks before your check has been received.

The IRS started accepting 2024 tax returns on Jan. 27, and the agency posted the first statistics from tax season 2025 last Friday, Feb. 7. This year's numbers show that the agency has already processed more than 11 million returns and issued more than 3.

While the Internal Revenue Service began accepting returns late last month, it still might be too early to expect a refund in your bank account. Luckily, you can track the status of your refund through the IRS’s “Where’s My Refund” tool.