One of the most pressing questions in the life of an early tax filer – when can I expect my tax refund to come? Before e-filing, this was always difficult to predict. First, you mail in your return. Then someone inputs all your information (and later, computers scanned in your information), then the Treasury had to issue a check, which was then mailed to you. Now, with a free IRS e-file, you can get your refund in as little as 8 days from when you file if you elect for direct deposit.
For 9 out of 10 taxpayers, the IRS issued refunds in less than 21 days from the date the return was received last year.
The IRS has not yet announced when it will begin accepted returns yet. However, based on prior years and the amount of changes that have taken place, we expect tax season to start on January 29, 2019.
2019 Tax Deadline: Monday, April 15, 2019.
The IRS does not release a calendar but continues to issue guidance that most filers should receive their refund within 21 days. They also remind filers that many tax software programs allow you to submit your taxes before the start of tax season. However, these software programs don’t eFile until the IRS opens the system (with a few minor exceptions for testing).
Also, you are legally allowed to mail in your 2018 tax return starting on January 1, 2019. However, if you mail in your return, you can expect to add 6-8 weeks to your processing time (at the low end).
