Tax Tools
Check Your Refund Status: Clear Answers for IRS and Michigan Filers
Waiting on a refund or puzzling over an IRS letter is stressful. Check where your refund stands, see what is normal, and find the right official link in one place, with our Enrolled Agents in Portage ready to help if something does not look right.
Davis & Associates is a private tax firm, not the IRS or Michigan Treasury. The trackers below are the official government tools.
Federal
IRS: Where's My Refund?
Updates once a day, usually overnight. Check 24 hours after e-filing, or four weeks after mailing a paper return.
Have to hand
- Social Security number or ITIN
- Filing status
- Exact refund amount
Michigan
Michigan Refund Status
Tracked by the Michigan Department of Treasury, separately from the IRS. Allow four to six weeks after an e-filed return is accepted.
Have to hand
- Social Security number
- Tax year
- Adjusted gross income or total household resources
Links and timing checked against IRS and Michigan Treasury guidance, last checked .
How Long It Takes
Typical Refund Processing Times
From IRS and Michigan Treasury guidance. Most refunds arrive well inside these windows; the ones that do not usually have a reason.
What Where’s My Refund Is Telling You
- Return ReceivedThe IRS has your return and is processing it.
- Refund ApprovedThe amount is confirmed and a date is set.
- Refund SentIt is on the way. Direct deposit can take up to five days to show.
- Federal, e-filedMost within 21 days
- Federal, paperSix weeks or more
- Michigan, e-filedFour to six weeks
- Michigan, paperSix to eight weeks
- Amended federal returnUp to 16 weeks
Official Tools
The IRS and Michigan Links Our Clients Ask For
Pay the IRS or Michigan
Balances, estimated payments and payment plans.
- IRS Direct PayPay from a bank account, no sign-up needed.(opens in a new tab)
- IRS Payment PlansApply online to pay a balance over time.(opens in a new tab)
- All IRS Payment OptionsCard, check and every other way to pay.(opens in a new tab)
- Michigan Individual Income TaxMichigan returns, payments and forms.(opens in a new tab)
Get Your Records
Past returns, income records and what the IRS says you owe.
- IRS TranscriptsPast returns and the wage and income records the IRS has on file.(opens in a new tab)
- Your IRS Online AccountYour balance, payment history and the notices the IRS has sent.(opens in a new tab)
- Where's My Amended Return?Status of a return you have amended.(opens in a new tab)
- Understanding Your IRS LetterLook up any notice by the number in its corner.(opens in a new tab)
Protect Your Identity
Stop anyone filing a return in your name.
- Identity Protection PINA six-digit PIN, new each year, that locks your return.(opens in a new tab)
- Report Identity TheftThe federal site for reporting and recovering from identity theft.(opens in a new tab)
- IRS Withholding EstimatorCheck your paycheck withholding so the return is no surprise.(opens in a new tab)
For Business Owners
Payroll deposits, an EIN and Michigan business taxes.
Slow, or Something Wrong?
When a Tracker Cannot Fix It
A refund held up by a notice, an offset or an unfiled year will not move on its own. Any of these means it is time to call:
- More than 21 days since an e-filed return was accepted, and no update
- A letter from the IRS or Michigan Treasury, especially one with a deadline
- The refund came in smaller than your return showed
- A year you did not file is catching up with this one
We take notice work on returns we did not prepare.
- IRS Notice HelpA letter from the IRS or Michigan Treasury: we read it, tell you what it says, and answer it for you.WhenA letter came from the IRSI got a CP2000 and do not understand itI need someone to deal with the IRS for me
- Unfiled & Back TaxesEvery missing year filed and the balance sorted out, starting from whatever records you still have.WhenI have not filed in a few yearsI filed but could not payI want to fix this before the IRS raises it
Questions
Refund and IRS Questions
How long does a federal refund usually take?
The IRS issues most refunds within 21 days of accepting an e-filed return. Paper returns typically take six weeks or longer. Returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit are held by law for the first weeks of filing season.
How long does a Michigan refund take?
Michigan Treasury asks you to allow four to six weeks after an e-filed return is accepted, and six to eight weeks for a paper return. Treasury also runs identity checks that can add time.
What do I need to check my refund?
For both trackers you need your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status, and the exact refund amount on your return. Michigan also asks for the tax year and your adjusted gross income or total household resources.
My refund says it is still being processed. What now?
That usually means a manual review: a mismatch in reported income, an identity check, or a credit that needs verifying. Wait until 21 days have passed on a federal e-filed return before calling the IRS. If a letter arrives, do not ignore it; most have a response deadline.
Why was my refund smaller than expected?
Refunds are often reduced to cover past-due federal or state tax, child support or student loans, and a notice explaining the offset follows. An IRS math-error correction can also change the amount. If the notice does not make sense, bring it in and we will tell you what it says.
How do I check on an amended return?
Use the IRS Where's My Amended Return tool, starting about three weeks after you file. Amended returns take far longer than original ones; the IRS says to allow up to 16 weeks.
What is the easiest way to pay the IRS?
IRS Direct Pay takes a payment straight from a checking or savings account, with no sign-up. You can also pay through your IRS Online Account, set up a payment plan online, or pay by card through an IRS-approved processor, which charges its own fee.
What is an Identity Protection PIN?
A six-digit number from the IRS, issued new each year, that has to be on your return before the IRS will accept it. It stops anyone else filing a return with your Social Security number. Anyone who can verify their identity can request one.
Can you check on my refund or a notice for me?
Yes. If we prepared your return, call the office and we will look at it with you. If we did not, we can still help: as Enrolled Agents we can speak with the IRS for you once you authorize us, and we take notice work on returns we did not prepare.
Still Waiting on a Refund?
Call the office on Portage Road or send us a message. We will look at your return, explain any notice, and deal with the IRS or Michigan Treasury for you, for clients in Portage, Kalamazoo and beyond.