Navigating Your Tax Refund in July: Understanding IRS Status and Delays

The IRS is still working on processing a large number of tax refunds for the 2024 tax year, as of mid-July 2025. tax refund But for those taxpayers who submit their taxes through the online portal, the IRS’s processing systems is set to return taxes owed to the taxpayers within a 21-day limit provided the refund is claimed post April 15 on a error-free return. However, this refund window is complicated by multiple reasons and knowing how to check your refund status is crucial.The IRS provides the most accurate method of tracking your tax refund through their “Where’s My Refund” tool, found on the IRS website and on the IRS2Go mobile application. For this tool to function, you must submit your social security number (or ITIN), your filing status (single, married filing jointly), and the expected refund amount in whole dollars. “Where’s My Refund” updates once daily, usually at night, and provides the following statuses: “Return Received,” “Refund Approved,” and “Refund Sent.” Some of the claims above may vague and generic, but in reality, the IRS has very specific and streamlined processes for all different types of claims. Refund claim submissions may be delayed for reasons such as amended claims, identity verification delays, advanced credit claims like the EITC and ACTC, and tax return audits. Among other credits, the IRS issues most refunds within a specified timeline, but caution against making financial decisions prior to the refund date. Again, as of July 2025, the IRS remains active in resolving outstanding payments for previous EIP (stimulus payments), especially for cases with payments needing adjustments or payment reissues. 2025 is still too far away to make any financial plans based off estimated payments, but as of now, the IRS does not plan on issuing additional federal payments.Returns submitted through the mail can take over four weeks to process, even after the return is accepted. If you haven't filed already, the general deadline to file for the 2024 tax year is April 15, 2025, with the possibility of extensions.