How long do tax returns take?

Completed and accurate electronic income tax returns are processed by the IRS within 21 days. Paper returns take longer to process, typically six to eight weeks from the date received.

The IRS generally processes nine out of 10 returns received within 21 days; the remaining one out of 10 is usually held up in processing due to being incomplete or requiring a review. As of 2014, the status of a return can be viewed by logging into the "Where's My Refund?" portion of the official IRS website. This tool of the website is updated daily with the most current information regarding each individual income tax return.