Tax refund payment dates for 2025: IRS tax refund schedule!

As we prepare for the 2025 tax season, taxpayers are sure to be wondering about tax refunds because they get them for overpaid taxes or when they qualify for credits. The 2025 tax season will begin by end of January 2025.

IRS tax refunds are processed based on when your IRS tax return was accepted, how you filed your tax return, and the payment method you chose. Taxpayers who are ready to file their returns for the 2024 tax year can check their refund payment dates here.

Tax refund payment dates for 2025

As the 2025 tax season approaches, taxpayers should be aware that how they file their tax return and how they pay will affect their refund date. Taxpayers reported the refund amount on their tax form and would receive a refund based on the amount of refund or credit they claimed on their return.

The IRS generally processes tax refunds within 3 weeks if the tax return is filed electronically or if taxpayers have chosen direct deposit, while taxpayers who have filed their tax form by mail or have opted for a physical check as their payment method can expect your refund will be paid in a month or two.

Based on these rules, taxpayers can check the following refund payment dates from the time their IRS tax return is accepted based on the payment method they selected on their tax form:

Tax declaration of the Tax Administration accepted	Direct deposit payment date	Paper check Payment date
January 29 – February 8, 2025	February 10, 2025	31 February 2025
February 9 – February 18, 2025	February 29, 2025	March 6, 2025
February 19 – February 26, 2025	March 3, 2025	March 10, 2025
February 27 – March 6, 2025	March 10, 2025	March 14, 2025
March 7 – March 10, 2025	March 14, 2025	March 20, 2025
March 11 – March 19, 2025	March 21, 2025	March 31, 2025
March 20 – March 28, 2025	March 31, 2025	April 6, 2025
March 29 – April 4, 2025	April 6, 2025	April 14, 2025
April 5 – April 12, 2025	April 14, 2025	April 21, 2025
April 13 – April 17, 2025	April 21, 2025	April 28, 2025

Important Note: Taxpayers with credit claims can expect their tax refund to be processed late due to a PATH Act restriction that does not allow the agency to pay tax refunds with an EITC/ACTC credit for processing until February 15th.

When will PATH Act refunds be issued?

As we mentioned, the PATH Act limits the agency from processing tax refunds that have claimed EITC/ACTC credits until February 15th, so even if you filed your taxes for the 2024 tax year in the early days, you won’t get your refund until February 15th in 2025

The PATH Act was enacted by the federal government to prevent fraudulent credit activity and ensure that only eligible individuals receive credit benefits. So, with the PATH Act in the picture, taxpayers can expect their tax refund a week after February 15, 2025.

According to the IRS, taxpayers can expect their refund by February 27, 2025 if it is approved and sent by direct deposit, however, a paper check may take longer, such as the first week of March 2025.

Other things that can delay your IRS tax refund

According to IRS guidelines, there are some reasons other than the PATH Act that can delay a tax refund, such as:

• If the bank account details are incorrect or the bank account is no longer active, this may cause a delay in your tax refund.
• When your mailing address has changed from what you wrote on your physical check delivery tax form, it could result in your physical check being missing because you’ve moved, or worse, the physical check being damaged.
• If you have any previous tax balance or debt, the agency offsets the debt with your tax refund, although the agency will notify you first before using your tax refund to recover the debt. You can also ask the IRS not to use the IRS tax refund to recover the debt because you need the refund due to financial hardship.
• If you entered incorrect information or some tax information is missing from the tax form, the agency may need time to review your tax return or request additional information to accept the tax return, which may result in a delay in the tax return you expected.

How can you track your 2025 tax refund?

The IRS allows taxpayers to track their tax refund status through the Where’s My Refund tool, which you can use on the IRS website or find in the IRS mobile app. The tool allows taxpayers to get real-time tax refund status recorded in the IRS tax system.

In this way, taxpayers can be relaxed and do not have to call the agency and wait in a long line to speak with Tax Administration employees to find out their refund status. The IRS Refund Status Tool allows you to check the current year refund status and prior year refund status, but does not allow you to check the refund status of an amended tax return.

The Where’s My Refund tool notifies the IRS of the status of your tax refund in three stages, one when your IRS tax return is accepted, another when the agency approves the refund amount, and finally when the refund is sent to taxpayers.

So if you want to see what’s happening with your tax refund, go to the Where’s My Refund tool and enter your SSN, tax year, filing status, and refund amount to check the status.

How to get a tax refund faster?

Taxpayers who want to receive their IRS tax refund faster should file their tax return electronically and select direct deposit as the payment option. Here are some things to keep in mind to get your tax refund faster:

• Another thing that the IRS started this year is the IP PIN, which allows taxpayers to duplicate the information about their addicts from the previous year in this year’s tax return and to get a faster review from the agency. Taxpayers can generate an IP PIN through their online account and use it to process their tax returns and returns faster than before.

• The IRS has many tools and services available to help you file an accurate tax return, and you should use them when you file your taxes.

The IRS will soon announce the date of the 2025 tax season, taxpayers should be well prepared to file their taxes early to receive their tax refunds on time.