Many taxpayers are eagerly awaiting their refunds as the tax filing deadline looms, but despite filing early, they could be waiting a bit longer than usual for their windfall.
President Trump’s tax and spending bill ushered in a series of brand new tax breaks last year, but some states are still in the process of implementing them or are on the fence about adopting them altogether.
As of mid-February — the latest information available from the IRS — 41,892,000 tax returns had been received, with 41,362,000 returns processed and 28,738,000 refunds issued.
Read more: Where’s my refund? 4 reasons the IRS may be holding it up.
Most tax refunds are issued within 21 days if you filed your return electronically. If you filed a paper return, this could double your processing time and delay your refund. You could also experience delays if your tax return requires additional review. This can happen for a few different reasons:
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Errors on your tax return: If there are errors or missing fields on your tax return, the IRS will require additional information to be able to process your return and issue your refund.
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You’re a victim of identity theft or fraud: If a tax return is filed on your behalf but it contains incorrect or suspicious information, this could be a sign that you are a victim of identity theft or fraud, and in these instances, the IRS may hit pause on processing your return and refund.
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Your bank’s payment processing schedule: Or if your refund is issued on a day your bank may not process payments.
In any case, the IRS will contact you via mail if additional information is needed to process your tax return.
Read more: 5 smart ways to put your tax refund to use
A number of states are experiencing delays in state tax refunds. This includes:
Idaho state officials say refunds could be delayed after budget cuts reduced the number of temporary workers hired during tax season. This could slow processing by 12 to 24 weeks and delay refunds by up to six weeks — costing taxpayers up to $7 million in increased refund-interest payments.
In addition to a slimmer workforce, Idaho’s governor recently signed House Bill 559, the conformity bill, giving taxpayers the ability to claim new conformity deductions. However, this comes as more than 158,000 taxpayers have already filed their 2025 income taxes.
Some taxpayers have reported issues with Intuit TurboTax software that may be contributing to delayed refunds. Taxpayers who filed their taxes before TurboTax’s software was updated to reflect the latest tax breaks may face delayed return processing.
Intuit was also working to update the software so it could accurately calculate New York taxes after New Yorkers received an “Inflation Refund” check last year. The platform said the issue would be resolved by Feb. 4.
The Oregon Department of Revenue has said electronically filed tax returns are being processed in the order they are received; however, paper returns won’t start being processed until the end of March.
At the end of 2025, the IRS was late in providing necessary tax forms and information to the Oregon Department of Revenue that is essential in programming the department’s computer system to be able to process paper returns.
As a result, the state’s processing of paper-filed Oregon personal income tax returns can’t begin until the end of March. The state says that the best way to avoid a delay is to file electronically.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue has issued a notice stating that 2025 tax return processing is taking longer than usual because South Carolina does not “currently conform to the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).”
Typically, if you file your taxes online and there are no errors on your return, it should only take up to eight weeks to get your refund. However, due to the new federal tax changes, South Carolina residents can expect delays.
Tax filing in the District of Columbia has been delayed due to a legal dispute over whether D.C. must implement the new federal tax rules.
Congress voted during tax season to overturn the district’s earlier decision not to conform to the new law, and Trump signed the measure in February.
D.C.’s Office of Tax and Revenue has posted a notice on its website stating that “electronic and paper versions of the 2025 District income tax forms will be delayed; however, taxpayers may continue to file their returns electronically.”
If you’ve already filed your return, there are several ways to check the status of your refund.
You can access your online account with the IRS at Where’s My Refund or through the IRS2Go mobile app. You’ll need to provide personal identifying information, such as your Social Security number, the tax year, and your filing status.
Status tracking should be available within 24 hours after you e-file a tax return or up to four weeks after you send a paper return.
For state refund tracking, your state’s Department of Revenue website may be able to offer similar trackers. Check the Federation of Tax Administrators for more information on your particular state.