As an American taxpayer, you could have already received, or you will be receiving an average tax refund of $2,495 anytime between Monday and this weekend. Approximately thousands of eligible citizens who filed their tax refunds electronically between April 15 and April 28 and selected direct deposit as their payment method would see their refund payments being reflected in their bank accounts between May 12 and 18.
It surely would be a great weekend for you if you too receive your tax refund before Sunday. However, if you did not receive this Internal Revenue Service (IRS) refund, you need to understand which citizens make the cut to receive these refunds this week.
The reason why timing and filing matter the most
The IRS provides information as to how refunds are processed, and it is clear that refunds depend on how and when one submitted their return. The best way to ensure that refunds are paid out quickly is to consider the option of e-filing and choose the direct deposit payment method. According to the processing schedule:
- E-file tax returns and direct deposit as payment method- receives payments between 1 to 3 weeks
- E-file tax returns and paper checks as payment method- receives payments within a month
- Mail-in return and direct deposits as payment method – receives payments within 3 weeks
- Mail-in return and paper checks as method – receives payments within 2 months
Taxpayers need to remember that the earlier taxes are filed, the earlier the tax refund will be received. All taxpayers who submitted their returns before the IRS processing period opened on January 27, 2025, would have already received their refunds by the middle of February. Citizens who filed in mid-April closer to the tax deadline would receive their refunds now in May. However, the estimated time when citizens can receive their tax returns depends entirely on the processing capacity of the IRS and the standard waiting times.
While a 21 window is used as a guide to determine how long it will take to process tax returns, this window period is not set in stone. Claiming certain credits, having errors on your returns, or incorrect filing information can certainly delay your tax return.
Tax return delays and tracking payments
For those citizens anticipating a refund and who have not received their refund as yet or will not receive their refunds within this week can consider several factors for the delay.
The IRS information on refunds states that reasons for the delay could include:
- Delays from the bank which can delay deposits considerably, especially during weekend or high-traffic periods.
- Tax debts that are outstanding which could also result in citizens refunds being garnished.
- Claiming for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) could also lead to delays as these tax returns with claims are scrutinized by the IRS and more thoroughly reviewed.
- Any typo errors on the tax returns may also drastically slow down the tax processing period.
Using official IRS tools, such as Where’s My Refund, can assist taxpayers by providing real-time updates on the status of their tax returns. Also, citizens should try to stay aware of possible fraudulent phishing scams where fraudsters pose as the IRS by sending out misleading emails. Citizens must know how to tell the difference between real emails from the IRS and fraudulent emails.
Who will be receiving their tax returns this week?
All taxpayers who filed their tax returns electronically between April 15 and April 28 and who have opted for direct deposit as a payment method would receive their payments anytime in this week between May 12 and May 18. On the other hand, citizens who filed their tax returns between April 14 and April 20, received an average tax refund of $3,186 between May 5 and May 11.
IRS filing season statistics for week ending April 25, 2025, showed that citizens receiving their refunds between May 12 and May 18, 2025, would receive an average payment of $2, 945. Thankfully to the IRS’s 21-day average processing timeline for electronic submissions, these refund payments will arrive exactly on schedule.
