There are three status updates which the taxpayer might see: “received return,” “refund approved,” or “refund sent.” If the refund has been sent, it could be up to 5 days before the money shows up in your bank account or a few weeks before your check has been received.

The IRS expects more than 140 million individual tax returns for tax year 2024. Here's how to make your filing and refund go smoothly.