In truth, a tax refund is not a good thing. Yes, you read that correctly. How could it be a bad thing? If you get a tax refund year after year, then there is a problem with the amount of money you are paying in. This is especially true if the refunds are large.
How could a large refund each year be a bad thing? Well, you need to consider that the money you are getting back was originally your money. The IRS is not paying you interest on it, so you are effectively giving the government a free loan each year.
So, you want to know how to find out about the status of your tax refund payment. It is actually pretty easy. The IRS has a reputation for being way behind when it comes to technology. It is, but it also has a very good website where you can get lots of info.
The first step to finding out about your refund is to visit the site for the IRS. You can find it by doing a search for IRS in any search engine. Displayed prominently on the home page you will see a link for finding out about your refund. Click it.
Once on the refund information page, you need to get some information together. You need to know your social security number, filing status and exact amount you claimed as a refund.
Once you fill out the form, the program will grind along for a few seconds and then kick out a status answer. There are three possible answers. The date the refund is issued. A problem with mail delivery to you. A problem with your tax return delaying the issuance.
Obviously, this final answer may cause most people to faint at their computer. Don't. It is not necessarily an indication of impending doom, to wit, and audit. You may just have forgotten to fill in a necessary box or the computer may have had a problem with the form.
Even if you are audited, it is important to know that most audits are correspondence audits. You will get a letter in the mail raising some issue with your return. You can agree to the proposed change by the IRS or contest it.
There are more than a few funny quotes about the joy of tax refunds. While funny, they are misguided. I personally prefer not to give the government a free loan in the first place. If you get big refunds each year, make sure to adjust what you are paying in.
