WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service has a message for taxpayers
eager to learn the status of their tax refund: Please don't check the
IRS website every five minutes -- once a day is enough.
The IRS
says its "Where's my refund?" website and smartphone app are being
overwhelmed by eager taxpayers. The agency says its systems are only
updated once a day, usually overnight, and the same information is
available on the website, the IRS2go smartphone app and IRS toll-free
phone lines.
The IRS provides three updates: when the tax return
is received, when the refund is approved and when the refund is sent. To
avoid delays, the agency says the best time to check on refunds is
evenings and weekends.
"I think what we're seeing is just part of
the natural evolution in the refund process," said IRS spokesman Terry
Lemons. "Twenty-five years ago, you desperately checked the mailbox
every day."
Lemons said the number of inquiries is up over last
year, probably because it is easier to check on smartphones and computer
tablets.
Nine out of 10 taxpayers typically receive refunds in
less than 21 days when they file returns online and get refunds
deposited directly into bank accounts, the agency said.
The IRS
is receiving more than 1 million returns a day and volume is expected to
increase in the coming days, Lemons said. About 75 percent of
individual filers get refunds. Last year they averaged $2,803.
"Every
year our most common question is about people's refunds," Lemons said.
"For a lot of folks this is the biggest check they will see all year."
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