Where your 2020 refund likely is now
If you filed a 2020 tax return and never received your refund, the IRS has processed it but it has not reached you yet. The IRS still holds some 2020 refunds in review — either because the return flagged for verification, because the refund was offset to pay a debt, or because the payment method failed. A smaller number of refunds were issued but lost or stolen in the mail or never deposited to the correct bank account.
The first step is to check the actual status of your refund with the IRS directly. The IRS has a free tool called Where's My Refund that shows whether your refund was issued, when, and how it was sent. If the IRS says it was issued but you never got it, the next step depends on the delivery method — direct deposit, check, or debit card.
Do not file a second 2020 return or contact the IRS by phone first. The phone lines are overwhelmed and will tell you to use Where's My Refund anyway. Start there, get the facts, then act on what you find.
Key Takeaways
- Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool to learn whether your 2020 refund was issued, when, and by what method — this is the only reliable source.
- If the tool shows your refund was issued by direct deposit but never arrived, contact your bank to ask whether it was rejected or sent to the wrong account.
- If the tool shows a check was issued more than a year ago, the check has likely expired and you must request a replacement from the IRS.
- If the tool shows your refund is still under review, the IRS is verifying your return; contact them only if you have new information about the issue flagged.
- If you cannot reach the IRS and your refund is more than four years old, you have lost the legal right to claim it.
How to check your refund status with the IRS
Go to irs.gov/refunds and select "Where's My Refund." You will need your Social Security number, filing status (single, married filing jointly, etc.), and the exact refund amount from your 2020 return. The tool updates once per day, usually overnight.
The tool will show one of three things: your refund was issued (with the date and method), your refund is still being processed, or your refund is under review. If it says issued, note the date and method. If it says under review or still processing, the IRS is holding your refund for a reason — usually income verification, identity verification, or offset to a federal or state debt.
Write down the exact status message and the date shown. You will need this information if you have to contact the IRS or file a complaint later.
If your refund was issued by direct deposit but never arrived
Call your bank and tell them you are looking for a deposit from the IRS dated [the date shown in Where's My Refund]. Ask whether the deposit was received and rejected, sent to a different account, or never received at all. Banks can see rejected deposits in their records even if they never hit your account.
If the bank says the deposit was rejected, ask why — common reasons are a closed account, a name mismatch, or an account number error on your return. If the bank says it never received the deposit, the IRS may have sent it to the wrong routing number. If the bank says it was sent to a different account you own, log into that account and look for the deposit.
Once you know what happened, you have two options. If the bank rejected it and you still have that account open, you can contact the IRS to request a reissue to the same account (the IRS will verify the account is now active). If the account is closed or the routing number was wrong, you will need to request a check instead — see the section below on expired checks.
If your refund was issued by check and you never cashed it
IRS checks expire after one year from the issue date. If Where's My Refund shows your check was issued in 2020 or early 2021, the check has expired and you cannot cash it. You must request a replacement check from the IRS.
To request a replacement, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time). Have your Social Security number, filing status, and the refund amount ready. The IRS will verify your identity and issue a new check, which takes 4 to 6 weeks to arrive. You can also mail Form 3911 (Application for Taxpayer Assistance Order) to the IRS address for your state, but phone is faster if you can get through.
If you lost the original check or it was stolen, tell the IRS that when you call. They will flag the old check so it cannot be cashed if someone finds it.
If your refund was issued by debit card and never arrived
Some 2020 refunds were issued on a temporary debit card mailed by the IRS. If Where's My Refund shows your refund was issued this way, check your mail for a card from a company called MetaBank or Green Dot — these are the card issuers the IRS used.
If you never received the card, call the card issuer directly. MetaBank's number is 866-993-3010 and Green Dot's is 866-795-7597. They can tell you whether the card was mailed and to what address, and whether it was ever activated. If the card was mailed but lost, they can issue a replacement. If it was never mailed, contact the IRS to request a check instead.
If you received the card but the money is not on it, the card issuer can check the balance and transaction history. If the balance is zero but you never spent it, the card may have expired — debit cards issued in 2020 typically expire after 2 to 3 years.
If your refund is still under review
Where's My Refund may show that your 2020 return is still under review. This usually means the IRS flagged something on your return — a mismatch between your return and IRS records, a claim for a credit you may not be may have access to to, or a name or Social Security number discrepancy. The IRS is verifying the information before releasing your refund.
Do not contact the IRS unless you have new information about the issue. The review process takes time, and calling will not speed it up. If you know why your return was flagged — for example, you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit and the IRS is verifying your income — gather the documents that prove your claim (pay stubs, W-2s, bank statements) and keep them ready.
If Where's My Refund has shown "under review" for more than 120 days, you can file a complaint with the Taxpayer Advocate Service, which is a free IRS office that helps when normal channels are not working. Go to taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov or call 877-777-4778.
If your refund is more than four years old and you still have not received it
The IRS can only hold a refund for three years from the original due date of the return. For a 2020 return (due April 15, 2021), the deadline to claim your refund was April 15, 2024. If you have not received your refund by now and Where's My Refund shows it was issued, the refund is legally considered unclaimed.
You can still file a claim, but you will need to file an amended 2020 return (Form 1040-X) and mail it to the IRS with a letter explaining that you never received the original refund. Include a copy of the Where's My Refund status showing the refund was issued. Mail it to the IRS address for your state. Processing takes 6 to 12 months, and there is no may provide the IRS will reissue it after the deadline has passed.
If your refund is older than four years and you have not claimed it, you have lost the legal right to that money. It goes to the U.S. Treasury.
What to do if you cannot reach the IRS by phone
The IRS phone lines are often busy, especially during tax season. If you cannot get through after multiple attempts, use the Taxpayer Advocate Service instead. It is a free office within the IRS that helps when you are stuck, and it has shorter wait times than the main line.
Go to taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov and select "Get Help Now" or call 877-777-4778. You will need to explain that you have not received your 2020 refund and that you have checked Where's My Refund. The Advocate can contact the IRS on your behalf and push your case forward. Response time is usually 2 to 4 weeks.
You can also visit an IRS walk-in office if one is near you. Go to irs.gov/offices to find the nearest location and hours. Bring your Social Security card, photo ID, and a copy of your 2020 return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a new 2020 return if I think my first one was lost?
No. Filing a second return for the same year will delay your refund further and may trigger an IRS audit. Use Where's My Refund first to confirm the status of your original return. If it shows your refund was issued, the problem is with delivery, not the return itself.
What if Where's My Refund says my refund was issued but my bank says they never received it?
The IRS likely sent the deposit to the wrong routing number or account number. Contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 with your correct bank details and ask them to reissue the refund by check instead. Bring your bank's written statement that they never received the deposit.
How long does it take to get a replacement check after I call the IRS?
The IRS typically issues a replacement check within 4 to 6 weeks of your request. You can track it using Where's My Refund once it has been reissued. If you do not receive it within 8 weeks, contact the IRS again with your case number from the first call.
Can I claim my 2020 refund on my 2024 tax return instead?
No. A refund from one year cannot be carried forward to another year's return. You must claim it directly from the IRS using the methods described above. If the three-year deadline has passed, you have lost the right to claim it.
What if someone else cashed my refund check?
Contact the IRS immediately at 800-829-1040 and report the check as stolen. The IRS can flag the check and issue a replacement. You may also file a police report for check fraud, though the IRS will usually reissue without one. Keep the police report number if you file one.