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 expects more than 140 million individual tax returns for tax year 2024 to be filed ahead of the federal deadline. The IRS urges taxpayers to always use direct deposit for their refunds.

It’s officially tax season, and Americans can start checking the status of their refunds within 24 hours after an e-filed return is received.