Many people across the U.S. are still waiting for their 2025 tax refunds. While the IRS normally sends refunds within 21 days for most electronic returns, several reasons are causing delays this year. These include mistakes in the tax return, extra checks to confirm identity, and changes in how refunds are sent.
How Long Does the IRS Take to Process Refunds?
Usually, the IRS processes 90% of electronic tax returns within 21 days. But if there are any errors or if special tax credits are claimed, your refund may take longer—sometimes up to 60 days.
Tax returns that include the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) take more time. These require extra checks to prevent fraud, which is why the IRS delays them.
Biggest Reasons for Tax Refund Delays in 2025
The most common reason for delay is errors or missing information. If your return has a mistake—like a wrong Social Security number, incorrect math, or a missing signature—the IRS has to manually review it. This can add another 6 weeks to your wait time.
Returns that claim certain tax credits also take longer. The IRS checks these claims with other government records, which slows everything down.
Another major reason is identity verification. If the IRS finds something that doesn’t match their records—like your reported income or Social Security info—they will hold your refund until they verify who you are.
Other Reasons Your Refund Might Be Late
If your refund is more than $10,000, or your tax deductions seem unusual, the IRS may flag your return for a deeper review. This process compares your current return with your past records and can take up to 45 more days.
Also, the IRS stopped sending paper checks in November 2024. If your bank account details were wrong—like a wrong routing number or a closed account—your payment will need to be rescheduled. Updating this information can take up to 3 extra weeks.
How to Check the Status of Your Refund
The easiest way to know where your refund is: use the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the official IRS website. You’ll need your Social Security number, filing status, and exact refund amount to use it.
You can also use the IRS2Go mobile app, which gives updates and even sends alerts to your phone. For people who filed paper returns, the wait is even longer—usually over 8 weeks.
State Refund Delays and Staffing Problems
Some delays are happening at the state level too. For example, in North Carolina, 400,000 refunds were delayed due to the shutdown of the state’s check-printing company, PrintTech. The state is now trying to switch all payments to direct deposit.
At the federal level, things are slow too. In March 2025, the IRS lost 11% of its staff. With fewer employees, the IRS is struggling to keep up. According to a report, each agent now handles 18% more work than before.