INDIANAPOLIS — The average Indiana taxpayer will receive a $3,200 refund on their taxes this year.
In this week’s Tax Tip Tuesday, WRTV is finding out how you can get your refund quickly.
During the pandemic, many taxpayers were frustrated with refund delays.
The IRS says you may see a delay if your return:
- Includes errors
- Is incomplete
- Is affected by identity theft or fraud
- Needs further review in general
Here’s how to increase your chances of getting your money quickly.
First of all, prepare your taxes electronically using IRS Free File or other software.
This is always faster than mailing in your paper tax forms.
Second, select direct deposit.
This is quicker than asking the IRS to send you a paper check.
Just doing those two things should get you your tax refund within 21 days, according to the IRS.
The IRS has updated its Where’s My Refund tool on its website, and will now allow you to see if the IRS received your return, if it’s in process, or if the refund has been sent to you.
"The 3 million Hoosiers who filed their taxes received an average of $3,200 in refunds last year,” said Stacy Engle, an IRS spokesperson based in Indianapolis. “People should file and get that because there are a lot of people who don't realize they're eligible for a refund."
80% of taxpayers use direct deposit, plus it avoids the possibility that your refund check could get lost, stolen or returned to the IRS as undeliverable.
“If you do a paper return, processing for a paper return generally takes 6-12 weeks to get the return processed and then 6-8 weeks to the check actually mailed,” said Engle.
Direct deposit also saves taxpayer money.
It costs more than $1 for every paper refund issued, but only a dime for each direct deposit, according to the IRS.
