5 ways to get your tax refund faster

Nobody loves giving Uncle Sam his cut, but if you’re lucky the IRS will issue you a tax refund and you’ll get some of your hard-earned money back.

For many Americans, their annual refund isn’t just mad money — it’s a critical part of their budget that goes to pay for essentials. According to a TaxSlayer survey, the biggest expenditures people planned to use their refund on were rent (52% of respondents), groceries (44%) and paying credit card bills (37%)

Given how essential this infusion of capital is, every very minute you wait for it can feel like an eternity.

Fortunately We’ve got some tips on making sure you get your federal tax refund as quickly as possible.

After your federal tax return is processed, the IRS will refund any overpayments you made during the previous year.  That money doesn’t come instantaneously, however: Even if you file electronically and set up direct deposit, the IRS says it can take up to 21 days to get your refund. 

If you file a return in the mail or require a paper check, it can take up to eight weeks

Roughly, 93% of taxpayers file their federal income tax returns electronically. That saves the IRS countless man hours they’d have spend opening scanning and deciphering paper returns. In 2021, the agency was so backlogged that it intentionally destroyed paper documents for an estimated 30 million filers in March 2021.

According to the IRS, e-filers should get their refunds within 21 days, compared to up to eight weeks with a paper return.

If you file a return in the mail or require a paper check, it can take up to eight weeks.

The other half of the equation is setting up direct deposit so the funds are digitally submitted and no one is waiting for a paper check.

Paper refund checks are 16 times more likely to have an issue, according to Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, like being lost, misdirected, undelivered ,stolen or uncashed..

Returns are processed in the order they’re received. The sooner you file, the sooner you get your money.

In addition, it’s hardly a surprise that many people put off filing: A 2025 survey conducted by !PX 1031 found that  31% of U.S. taxpayers said they were procrastinating doing their taxes.

The longer you wait, the more busy the IRS will be when they finally get your return. And if there’s a hiccup with your return, it’ll get stuck in the back of the line.

Making a simple math mistake or switching the last two digits of your Social Security Number can cause big problems for the IRS. Whether you work with a tax professional or use DIY software, go through everything before you submit.

And save copies of all your documentation in case you need to prove your information is accurate.

Many of the best tax software programs will front taxpayers all or most of their refund , as a sort of “advance” on their payment. Because the money is coming from the IRS, it’s considered a low-risk loan and approval is fairly easy.

TurboTax has partnered with WebBank and First Century Bank to provide zero-interest refund advance loans between $250 and $4,000 that go into your Credit Karma Money™ checking or savings account.

The catch is tax prep companies typically only offer these tax advance incentives until the end of February. All three of these companies stopped issuing advances on Feb. 28, 2025.

There are other options: *Chime® Tax Season Unlocked™ offers state and federal tax for free directly through its app and touts simple returns taking as little as 24 minutes and refunds coming six days early in you set up direct deposit.

*Chime offers state and federal tax for free directly through its app, with simple returns completed in as little as 24 minutes. Members who set up direct deposit can get their federal tax refund up to six days early.

Cash App Taxes will also deliver your refund six days earlier if they arrange deposit into a Cash App account.

If you want to know where in the process your individual return is, the IRS advises strongly against calling the agency directly. As you can imagine, it’s a bit busy over there.

The best option is to go to the Where’s My Refund page to check for yourself. You’ll need your Social Security number, filing status and expected refund amount to check your refund status.

Information is updated overnight, so there’s not much point in checking more than once a day.

You can also track your refund status on the IRS2Go mobile app and IRS website, where you can access tax records, payments and payment history, outstanding balances.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every tax article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of tax products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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*Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC