Where Is My Tax Refund?

If you’ve filed your taxes already and you’re expecting a tax return this year, you’re probably asking, “where is my refund?”  Unfortunately, the IRS doesn’t instantaneously wire your tax refund to you, even if you e-filed using the free 2012 Turbo Tax option.  The good news is that if you e-file, you can get your return in as little as 8 days – more on that in a second.

For those of you who e-filed this year, you can check your refund status with this tool from the IRS.  It’s pretty quick and gives you an estimation of when you can expect to see your tax refund.

Of course I know you already realize that getting a refund from the government isn’t the best use of our tax dollars.  It’s a 0% return on your money!  If you’re tired of lending the government your money, make sure you adjust your withholdings with your HR office.  Use this handy IRA withholding calculator to get an idea of what you should have withheld from your paychecks.

Be smart with your tax return!

If you’re getting a tax refund this year, put it to good use!  Try to pay down some debt or invest it and make your money work for you.

If you want to use your tax return to start an investment account, you can open an account at Betterment and get a $25 bonus.  You can read our Betterment review here if you want to see how easy it is to get started with investing.

IRS efile Tax Refund Cycle Chart

Here is a detailed view on when you can expect to see your tax refund.

If this article and chart is helpful, hit the +1 to the right!