Patrick Semansky/AP
Keith Srakocic/Associated Press
Tax season officially began on Jan. 27, when the Internal Revenue Service began accepting tax returns.
For tax preparers, the season won’t end until the last day to file taxes, Tuesday, April 15. But for everyone else, what matters most is the refund.
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If you’ve already filed your taxes, you may be not-so-patiently waiting for that refund to hit your account. Here’s what you need to know about when to expect that refund:
The IRS may lay off thousands of workers in the middle of tax season, according to the Associated Press, possibly delaying the processing of tax returns. Of the approximately 90,000 full-time employees at the IRS, 15,000 could be fired within weeks, about 17 percent, the Associated Press reported.. Most are those in lower level, junior positions, including divisions that communicate with taxpayers by phone and conduct basic audits.
Mark Koziel, the president and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs, told trade publication CPA Practice Advisor that the impending layoffs have created a time of “uncertainty.”
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“Many are concerned with potential challenges that could arise from recent changes throughout government,” he said.
The IRS does maintain a tool that allows filers to check the status of their federal refund. Called “Where’s My Refund,” the online tool will provide a status of the refund 24 hours after taxes are e-filed for a current-year’s return, three or four days after a previous year’s taxes are filed or four weeks after you file a paper return.
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In order to check the status of a refund, you will need your Social Security or individual taxpayer ID number, filing status and the exact refund amount on your return.
The IRS says on the agency’s website that most refunds are issued within 21 days, though some can take longer.
Tax returns must be reviewed before a refund is issued if there are errors or if a tax return is incomplete, or if the taxpayer filed an injured spouse claim.
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If you’re waiting for you Connecticut state tax refund, you can check the status on the Department of Revenue Service’s myconneCT webpage.
The state also maintains an automated phone system that can provide the status of a refund. That system can be reached at (860) 297-5962.
In order to obtain the status of a refund, online or by phone, filers must have their social security number, the tax year and the exact amount of the refund request as reported on the Connecticut income tax return.
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Paper returns take much, much longer to process than those that are e-filed.
The state warns on its website that, during the filing season, “It takes 10 to 12 weeks to process paper returns.”
