1. What Did the IRS Dowith Your Refund?

2. Should You Have Received Your Refund By Now? It will typically take two weeks to receive your refund if you e-filed your return. If you mailed in your return, it will take about six weeks to receive your refund. In some cases, the IRS may just be slow at processing your return. You may need to investigate further because the IRS will keep your refund to pay a past due balance.

3. Can the IRS Really Keep My Refund? The IRS doesn’t “keep” your refund if your tax return was filed on time. But they will apply the amount that could have been refunded to you to an outstanding debt that you owe. The IRS refers to this as a refund offset.

4. What Can a Refund Offset Be Used For? There are three major categories of refund offsets: You owe back taxes: If you have an outstanding liability with the IRS, they will apply your refunds directly to that debt. If you are currently in an Installment Agreement or the IRS has determined your account is Currently Not Collectible, your refund will still be applied to the balance due. If you have an Offer in Compromise accepted, the IRS will apply your refund to your liability for the year in which the Offer was accepted.

5. What Can a Refund OffsetBe Used For? Your spouse owes back taxes: If you file a joint return and are due a refund, but your spouse has an unpaid debt with the IRS, the IRS will automatically apply all of the refund to that debt. In these situations, the non-liable spouse can file an Injured Spouse claim on Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, to recoup their part of the refund.

6. What Can a Refund OffsetBe Used For? You have an unpaid liability that falls under the Treasury Offset Program: If you have outstanding child support payments, another federal non-tax debt (such as student loans), or a state tax debt, the IRS will forward your refund for payment.

7. What if I Filed My Return Late? If you filed your return more than three years after the due date, the IRS can keep your refund. The date on which you can no longer receive your refund is known as the Refund Statute Expiration Date. In these cases, it is not applied to any debt – it just becomes the property of Uncle Sam.

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