Check the IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool first

The fastest way to locate your 2020 refund is the IRS Where's My Refund? tool at irs.gov. You will need your Social Security number, filing status (single, married filing jointly, etc.), and the exact refund amount from your 2020 tax return. The tool updates once per day, usually overnight, so checking multiple times in the same day will not show new information.

The tool will tell you one of three things: your refund is still being processed, it has been approved and a payment date has been set, or it has already been issued. If the tool says your refund was issued but you have not received it, the next step depends on how the IRS sent it — by direct deposit, check, or debit card.

If you filed your 2020 return in 2021, your refund may have already arrived years ago. The IRS stops showing refund status 120 days after the payment was issued, so very old refunds will not appear in the tool at all. If you cannot find any record of receiving it, you will need to contact the IRS directly.

Key Takeaways

  • The IRS Where's My Refund? tool at irs.gov is the official source and updates once daily with your refund status.
  • If your refund was issued by direct deposit but never arrived, contact your bank to check if it was rejected or sent to the wrong account.
  • If your refund was issued by check and you never received it, you can request a replacement check or have the IRS issue a refund by direct deposit instead.
  • The IRS stops showing refund status 120 days after payment, so very old refunds require a phone call or written request to trace.
  • If you owe back taxes or child support, the IRS may have offset your refund to pay those debts — the Where's My Refund? tool will tell you this.

What to do if your refund was sent by direct deposit but never arrived

Direct deposit is the fastest refund method, but sometimes the payment is rejected by your bank or sent to an old account. Call your bank first and give them the refund amount and the date the IRS says it was issued. Ask whether the deposit was received and rejected, or never arrived at all. If it was rejected, your bank can tell you why — common reasons are a closed account, a name mismatch, or an account number error on your return.

If your bank confirms the deposit never arrived, or if it was rejected and your bank cannot reverse it, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. Have your Social Security number, filing status, and the refund amount ready. The IRS can reissue your refund by direct deposit to a corrected account, or by check if you prefer. Processing a replacement refund typically takes two to four weeks.

What to do if your refund was sent by check and you never received it

Refund checks can be lost in the mail, especially if you have moved since filing. The Where's My Refund? tool will show the date the check was issued. If more than 60 days have passed since that date and you still have not received it, you can request a replacement.

Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and provide your Social Security number, filing status, and the refund amount. The IRS will verify that the original check was issued and has not been cashed. If it has been cashed, you will need to investigate who cashed it — this may require a police report if you suspect fraud. If the check was never cashed, the IRS can issue a replacement check or send the refund by direct deposit instead, which is faster.

What to do if the IRS offset your refund

The Where's My Refund? tool will tell you if your refund was reduced or withheld to pay a debt. The IRS can offset your refund to cover back taxes you owe, unpaid child support, unpaid spousal support, or a defaulted federal student loan. If this happened, you will see a message in the tool explaining the offset.

If you believe the offset was wrong — for example, if you already paid the debt, or if the debt belongs to someone else — you have the right to dispute it. Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 with proof of payment or documentation showing the debt is not yours. The process can take several months, and you may need to file a written protest with the IRS if the phone call does not resolve it.

How to reach the IRS if the tool does not show your refund

If the Where's My Refund? tool says it cannot find your return, or if your 2020 refund is so old that the tool no longer displays it, you will need to contact the IRS directly. Call 1-800-829-1040 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time. Wait times are often long, especially during tax season (January through April), so call early in the morning or late in the afternoon for shorter holds.

Have your Social Security number, filing status, and the refund amount from your 2020 return ready. The IRS representative can look up your return in their system and tell you whether it was processed, whether a refund was issued, and if so, how it was sent and when. If your refund was issued more than three years ago and you never received it, the IRS may not be able to reissue it — you would need to file a claim with the U.S. Treasury instead.

Tracing a refund that was issued more than three years ago

The IRS can only reissue a refund within three years of the original issue date. If your 2020 refund was issued in 2021 and you never received it, you are still within the window. However, if you are reading this in 2024 or later and your refund was issued in early 2021, you may be approaching or past the three-year deadline.

If you are past the deadline, you cannot get the refund from the IRS. Instead, you must file a claim with the U.S. Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service. This requires a written request and proof that you never received the refund. The process is slow and success is not may provide, so it is worth calling the IRS first to confirm the refund was actually issued and that you did not receive it.

What to do if you never filed a 2020 return but are owed a refund

If you did not file a 2020 tax return but had taxes withheld from your pay, or if you are owed a refund for another reason, you can still file a return now. The IRS does not have a deadline to file a return and claim a refund, but the longer you wait, the more complicated it becomes. File your 2020 return as soon as you can, either on your own using tax software or with the help of a tax preparer.

Once you file, you can use the Where's My Refund? tool to track your refund just like anyone else. Processing time for a return filed years late is typically longer than for a return filed on time, sometimes taking three to six months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my 2020 refund if I moved and did not update my address with the IRS?

If your refund was sent by check to an old address, it may have been returned to the IRS as undeliverable. Call 1-800-829-1040 and provide your current address. The IRS can reissue the refund by check to your new address or by direct deposit instead, which is faster and avoids mail delays.

What if the Where's My Refund? tool says my refund was issued but my bank says they never received it?

This usually means the direct deposit was rejected by your bank. Ask your bank why — common reasons are a closed account, incorrect account number, or a name mismatch. Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 with the rejection reason and they can reissue the refund to a corrected account or by check.

How long does it take to get a replacement refund?

A replacement refund by direct deposit typically takes two to four weeks. A replacement check takes longer because it must be printed and mailed, usually four to six weeks. Ask the IRS representative which method is faster for your situation.

Can I get my 2020 refund if I owe taxes for other years?

Not automatically. If you owe back taxes from a different year, the IRS may offset your 2020 refund to pay that debt. The Where's My Refund? tool will tell you if this happened. You can dispute the offset if you believe it was wrong, but the process takes time.

What if someone else cashed my refund check?

If your refund check was cashed by someone other than you, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 immediately. You may need to file a police report for fraud. The IRS can investigate and may reissue the refund, but this process is slow and requires documentation.