Skip to main content

IRS app lets you check refund status!

The IRS unveiled a smartphone app Monday that will let taxpayers check the status of their tax refunds and get other information about their tax returns. The app, IRS2Go, can be downloaded for free on iPhones and Androids, the IRS said.

Taxpayers will need to provide some basic information to check the status of their refund on the app. They’ll need to enter their Social Security number, which will be masked and encrypted for security purposes, the IRS said. After that, they’ll need to select the filing status they used on their tax return and enter the amount of refund they expect to receive.

For taxpayers who e-file, the refund function of the smartphone app will work within about 72 hours after they receive an e-mail acknowledgment from the IRS confirming receipt of their return. Taxpayers who file paper tax returns will need to wait three to four weeks to check their refund status, the IRS said.

App users can also sign up to receive daily tax tips from the IRS via e-mail.

Earlier this month, TurboTax, the nation’s largest tax software provider, released a mobile application that allows taxpayers who file a 1040EZ to prepare and file their federal and state income taxes on their smartphones. Customers can download the SnapTax app for free but will have to pay $14.99 to file their tax returns.

“This phone app is a first step for us,” IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. “We will look for additional ways to expand and refine our use of smartphones and other new technologies to help meet the needs of taxpayers.”

© Copyright 2011 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.