Have you filed your taxes yet?
According to a recent survey by Intuit Credit Karma, 52% of U.S. adults expect a refund this year, and 54% of taxpayers plan to file early to expedite their refunds.
But will the current partial government shutdown impact how quickly you get your refund? The shutdown is due to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) previous funding agreement lapsing on Friday, Feb. 13, as Congress failed to reach a new funding agreement in time.
The Senate has failed four times to reach the 60 votes needed to end the shutdown. It has now become the second-longest government shutdown in history, including partial shutdowns. The longest shutdown occurred last year, lasting 43 days.
Here’s when your refund may arrive and how to check its status.
Where is my federal tax refund?
If you filed your federal taxes electronically and included your banking information, then you may expect a direct deposit within 21 days. If you did not include banking information, you may expect a paper check refund by mail within six to eight weeks.
Submitting your return is not the same as the IRS accepting your return. You can check whether it has been accepted by checking your tax return status online and looking for a “Refund Sent” alert. From that point, you won’t have to wait long for the funds to appear in your account.
Will I get my tax refund later due to the government shutdown?
During a government shutdown, the IRS typically operates with significantly fewer employees, which can result in slower processing times for tax refunds.
Essential services, such as processing electronic returns, may be delayed, and returns may take longer to process, potentially affecting the financial planning of many households.
Other complications of a shutdown could include delays in processing paper-filed returns and disruptions in in-person and phone services.
How to track your refund
The IRS has an online tool called “Where’s My Refund” that lets you check the status of your refund.
You can check the status of your refund within 24 hours of e-filing your return. The refund information is updated on the IRS website overnight.
Once the IRS approves your refund, it could be deposited into your bank account within days via direct deposit.
The online tool requires you to enter your Social Security number, filing status and exact refund amount on the return. It will then respond with a return received (processing), refund approved (preparing to issue the refund by the date shown), or refund sent (sent to your bank or in the mail).
Another way to check the status is to call the IRS at 800-829-1954.
What is the tax filing deadline?
The deadline to file your taxes in 2026 is Wednesday, April 15.
To file for an extension on their federal income tax, taxpayers can fill out Form 4868 by April 15. Filing this form will give filers an additional 6 months to complete their tax return, until Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Tax returns can still be filed after April 15 without filing for an extension, but you may be subject to a penalty if you owe taxes.
Contributing: Travis Jacque Rose, USA TODAY Network
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Will my tax return be affected by 2026 government shutdown?
Reporting by Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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