How do you get your tax return

Q: How do I know if I am getting a tax return?

Tracking the status of a tax refund is easy with the Wheres My Refund? tool. Its available anytime on IRS.gov or through the IRS2Go App. Taxpayers can start checking their refund status within 24 hours after an e-filed return is received.

A tax return is a form you complete online, on paper or get a tax agent or our Tax Help program to help you with. Your tax return that tells us:

Table of Contents Show

Lodgment options
Due dates for your tax return
If you miss the due date
Boosting your tax refund
1. Rethink your filing status
2. Embrace tax deductions
3. Maximize your IRA and HSA contributions
4. Remember, timing can boost your tax refund
5. Become tax credit savvy
How do you get a tax refund?
How do I get my tax return 2022?
How do I get my tax return from the IRS?
How do I know if I am getting a tax return?

how much money (income) you earn
if you are claiming any deductions.

We use this information to check if you:

have paid enough tax or too much
need to pay the Medicare levy or surcharge
can get any tax offsets (for example, the low and middle income tax offsets).

If you pay more tax than you need to, we will refund the extra amount to you (this is known as a tax refund). If you don't pay enough tax then you may receive a tax bill.

Your tax return covers the income year from 1 July to 30 June. If you need to complete a tax return you must lodge it or engage with a tax agent, by 31 October.

When you lodge a tax return you include how much money you earn (income) and any expenses you can claim as a deduction.

Lodgment options

If you need to lodge a tax return, you can choose from of the following options depending on your circumstances.

Lodge your tax return online with myTax
Prepare and lodge your own tax return online it is the quick, safe and secure way to lodge, most process in 2 weeks.
Lodge your tax return with a registered tax agent
Use a registered tax agent to prepare and lodge your tax return, they are the only people that can charge a fee.
Lodge a paper tax return
You can use the paper tax return to lodge your tax return by mail, most refunds issue within 50 business days.

Find out more about how to lodge in specific circumstances:

Lodging your first tax return
Find out what you need to do if you are preparing and lodging a tax return for the first time.
Lodge your tax return before leaving Australia
Find out if you can lodge your tax return early (by paper) if you are leaving Australia permanently.
Lodge your tax return from outside Australia
Find out how you can lodge if you are outside Australia when your tax return is due.
Lodge a prior year tax return
Find out how to lodge if you still need to lodge a tax return for a prior year.
Lodge a non-lodgment advice
Check what you need to do if you don't need to lodge a tax return.

After you lodge you can check the progress of your tax return using our self-serve options.

We also have Help and support to lodge your tax return available for eligible individuals.

Due dates for your tax return

If you’re lodging your own tax return, you need to lodge it by 31 October each year.

If 31 October falls on a weekend, the due date to lodge your tax return is the next business day after 31 October.

If you choose to use the services of a registered tax agent, they will generally have special lodgment schedules and can lodge returns for clients later than 31 October. If you are using a registered tax agent, you need to engage them before 31 October.

If you're having difficulties meeting your tax obligations or are unable to lodge by 31 October, contact us as soon as possible.

If you lodge your own tax return and it results in a tax bill, payment is due by 21 November even if you lodge:

between 1 July and 31 October
after the 31 October.

If you miss the due date

Even if you miss the due date, it is important to lodge as soon as you can.

If you expect a tax bill, don't delay lodging. The due date for payment when you lodge your own tax return is 21 November even if you lodge late. Interest will apply to any amount you owe after 21 November.

Having your tax documents arrive in January or February gives you about two months to prepare your tax return by the usual due date of April 15. Plan the date when you’ll start your return, and make sure it’s early enough that you can plan another session or two in case you need to spend time locating more documents or getting help.

In general, experts recommend filing tax returns earlier rather than later. The earlier you file, the better your chances of avoiding tax-related identity theft, a crime that’s on the rise. Plus, if you’re owed a refund, you will get it sooner.

For information on the third coronavirus relief package, please visit our “American Rescue Plan: What Does it Mean for You and a Third Stimulus Check” blog post.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio

Boosting your tax refund

While Americans may disagree on how the government spends their taxes, at tax time, many of us are looking for ways to pay no more than we owe — or even boost our tax refunds. These strategies go beyond the obvious to give you tried-and-true ways to reduce your tax liability.

1. Rethink your filing status

One of the first decisions you make when completing your tax return — choosing a filing status — can affect your refund's size, especially if you're married. While approximately 96% of married couples file jointly each year, a joint return is not always the most beneficial option.

Married Filing Separately status often requires more effort, but the time you invest can offer tax savings — under the right conditions. For example, if one spouse has a lot of medical expenses, such as COBRA payments resulting from a job loss, computing taxes individually might allow for a larger deduction.
The Child Tax Credit is available to separately filing spouses. For 2020, the credit is $2,000 per child under 17 years old in 2020, and it can now be claimed by a separate filer with less than $200,000 in adjusted gross income (it's $400,000 for joint filers).
- For tax year 2021 only, the Child Tax Credit is expanded by the American Rescue Plan raising the per-child credit to $3,600 or $3,000 depending on the age of your child and includes 17 year-olds. The credit is also fully refundable for 2021. To get money into the hands of families faster, the IRS will be sending out advance payments of the 2021 Child Tax Credit beginning in July of 2021. For updates and more information, please visit our 2021 Child Tax Credit blog post.

Choosing to file separate returns can have its drawbacks, such as losing certain deductions and credits available to joint filers. You'll need to weigh this carefully to maximize your refund potential. Also, both spouses must take either the standard deduction or itemize their deductions. You can’t mix-and-match between the two returns.

Calculating your taxes both ways will point you in the higher refund direction.
When you use TurboTax, we’ll do this calculation for you and recommend the best filing status.

Unmarried taxpayers who claim a qualifying dependent can often cut their tax bills by filing as Head of Household if they meet the requirements.

This filing status enjoys a higher standard deduction and more favorable tax brackets than filing as Single.
A qualifying dependent can be a child you supported financially and who lived with you for more than six months. Or, it can be an elderly parent you supported.

Many taxpayers who care for elderly parents don't realize they can claim Head of Household status. If you provide more than half your parent’s financial support — even if your parent doesn’t live with you — you can likely file as Head of Household.

2. Embrace tax deductions

Many deductions exist that you may not be aware of, and several of them are pretty commonly overlooked. The deductions you qualify for can make a significant difference on your tax refund. They include:

State sales tax – Using the IRS's calculator, you can determine how much of your state and local sales taxes you can deduct.
Reinvested dividends – This one technically isn't a deduction, but it can reduce your overall tax liability. When you automatically have dividends from mutual funds reinvested, include that in your cost basis. This way, when you sell shares, you might reduce your taxable capital gain.
Out-of-pocket charitable contributions – Big donations aren't the only way to get a write-off. Keep track of the qualified small expenses too, like ingredients for the yummy cake that you donated to the bake sale. You might find yourself surprised by how quickly a few charitable expenditures here and there can add up.
Student loan interest – Even if you didn't pay this yourself, you can take the deduction for it as long as you are the one who is obligated to pay. Under new guidelines, if someone else pays the loan, the IRS views it as if you were given the money and used it to pay the student loan. If you meet all of the requirements then you would be eligible for the deduction.
Child and dependent care – For 2022, up to $6,000 of qualifying expenses can be used for the Child and Dependent Care Credit.

For 2021 only:

For tax year 2021, the American Rescue Plan brings significant changes to the amount and way that the child and dependent care tax credit can be claimed. The plan increases the amount of expense eligible for the credit, relaxes the credit reduction due to income levels, and also makes it fully refundable. This means that, unlike other years, you can still get the credit even if you don’t owe taxes.

So, for tax year 2021:

The amount of qualifying expenses for 2021 is $8,000 for one qualifying person and $16,000 for two or more qualifying individuals
The percentage of qualifying expenses eligible for the credit is 50%
The beginning of the reduction of the credit is $125,000 of adjusted gross income (AGI)

Also for tax year 2021, the maximum amount that can be contributed to a dependent care flexible spending account and the amount of tax-free employer-provided dependent care benefits is increased from $5,000 to $10,500.

Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC – This credit helps families with low and moderate income levels. It's meant to benefit working families with children. If you have three or more qualifying kids, the credit could be worth up to $6,935 for you for tax year 2022 — and could net you a refund even if you don’t have any tax.
State income tax paid on last year’s return – If you paid money on your state income tax return last year, you can add that to any other state and local taxes, up to a total of $10,000, and use it as an itemized deduction.
Certain jury duty fees – If your company paid you while on jury duty and your employer required you to hand over your jury duty pay from the court; you can claim the amount that you handed over as an adjustment to your income.
Medical miles - Subject to an overall AGI threshold for total medical expenses and worth 18 or 22 cents per mile in 2022 depending on the part of the year. Qualifying unreimbursed medical expenses have to exceed 7.5% of your AGI to be deductible.
Charity miles - Fully deductible at 14 cents per mile in 2022. So, if you drove 50 miles per week to volunteer for a charity, that’s an additional $364 deduction:
- 52 weeks/year x 50 miles/week = 2,600 miles you drove in a year
- 2,600 miles x $0.14/mile = $364

It’s important to keep good records for your deductions especially when you don’t receive some type of receipt as with some charitable contributions and charitable or medical miles. Nothing fancy is required — even a spiral notebook in your glove compartment is fine. Make sure to keep track of:

The date, miles and medical or charitable purpose of each trip
The market value of any in-kind donations, such as clothing and household goods
The dollars you spend in order to do charity work — for example, when you bake for a fundraiser the cost of your ingredients is deductible, but the value of the time you spent baking isn't

3. Maximize your IRA and HSA contributions

You have until the filing deadline (unless it's delayed due to a weekend or holiday) to open or contribute to a traditional IRA for the previous tax year. That gives you the flexibility of claiming the credit on your return, filing early and using your refund to open the account.

Traditional IRA contributions can reduce your taxable income. You can take advantage of the maximum contribution and, if you're at least 50 years old, the catch-up provision can add to your IRA.
Although contributions to a Roth IRA don't give you a deduction, they still qualify for the valuable Saver's Credit if you meet income guidelines.
If you're self-employed, you have until October 15 to contribute to a certain self-employed retirement plans, provided that you timely file an extension. If you don't file for an extension, the regular filing deadline for that year is the deadline for most contributions.

Pre-tax contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) can also reduce your taxable income. You can make these up until the filing deadline as well. Certain requirements must be met in order to open and contribute to an HSA:

You must be enrolled in a health insurance plan that has high deductibles that meet or exceed the IRS’s required amounts.
That plan must also impose the maximum annual out-of-pocket cost ceilings that meet the IRS’s limitations.

You won’t be able to participate in an HSA if any of the following are true:

You have other “first-dollar” medical coverage
You enroll in Medicare
You are claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return

Read this article to learn more about HSA requirements and how these accounts work.

4. Remember, timing can boost your tax refund

Taxpayers who watch the calendar improve their chances of getting a larger refund. Look for payments or contributions you can make before the end of the year that will reduce your taxable income. For example:

If you can, make January's mortgage payment before December 31 and get the added interest for your mortgage interest deduction.
Schedule health-related treatments and exams in the last quarter of the year to boost your medical expense deduction potential.
This could be the time to make some charitable contributions — but make sure it’s a qualified charity and be sure to keep track of your expenditures in your records.
If you’re self-employed, look at any purchases you’ll need to make that can qualify for deductions. Buy things like office equipment and software before the end of the year to help boost your refund.
If you are able to claim the home office deduction, you can even deduct the cost of painting your home office if you want to start the new year with a fresh new look in your workspace.

5. Become tax credit savvy

Tax credits usually work better than deductions as refund boosters because they're a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your taxes. If you get a $100 credit, you get $100 off your taxes. Many Americans leave money on the table when it comes to claiming tax credits.

Did you know that 20% of eligible Americans don't claim the Earned Income Tax Credit? If you meet the guidelines, you may be eligible for the EITC, even if you're single with no children.
If you have no qualifying children, the maximum credit amount is $560 for 2022.
If you have three or more qualifying children for the maximum credit jumps to $6,935.
If you have kids, it also pays to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) was signed into law on December 27, 2020 as a stimulus measure to provide relief to those affected by the pandemic. For tax year 2020, the CAA allows taxpayers to use their 2019 earned income if it was higher than their 2020 earned income in calculating the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) as well as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). For 2021, taxpayers can use either their 2021 or 2019 income to maximize the credit.

If you're a college student or supporting a child in college, you may be eligible to claim valuable education credits.

The American Opportunity Credit is refundable up to $1,000. This means you could receive as much as $1,000, even if you don't have a tax bill. The total credit is $2,500 per student and applies only to funds paid towards the first four years of qualified undergraduate higher education expenses.
If you're in graduate school or beyond, you may be eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit. You can claim 20% of your qualified costs up to $10,000, or a maximum of $2,000 per tax return, depending on your income.

Tax credits for energy-saving home improvements can also keep more money in your wallet throughout the year and at tax time.

The credit for 2022 is up to 30% of the cost of certain qualified energy expenditures. That means if you installed solar panels at a cost of $20,000, your total credit is $6,000 in 2022.
Any portion unused in 2022 carries over to 2023.

Let an expert do your taxes for you, start to finish with TurboTax Live Full Service. Or you can get your taxes done right, with experts by your side with TurboTax Live Assisted. File your own taxes with confidence using TurboTax. Just answer simple questions, and we’ll guide you through filing your taxes with confidence. Whichever way you choose, get your maximum refund guaranteed.

How do you get a tax refund?

How to Claim Income Tax Refund? The simplest way to claim your income tax refund is by filing a correct income tax return before the due date. While filing your return you can check the total advance tax payments under Form 26AS.

How do I get my tax return 2022?

Direct deposit into your bank account (this is the fastest way to get your refund). Paper check sent through the mail.

How do I get my tax return from the IRS?

You can also order tax return and account transcripts by calling 800-908-9946 and following the prompts in the recorded message, or by completing Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return or Form 4506-T-EZ, Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript and mailing it to the address listed in the ...

How do I know if I am getting a tax return?

Tracking the status of a tax refund is easy with the Where's My Refund? tool. It's available anytime on IRS.gov or through the IRS2Go App. Taxpayers can start checking their refund status within 24 hours after an e-filed return is received.