How long does IRS paper check refund take to arrive in mail? Anyone received theirs?
My refund finally got approved and they said they're mailing my check instead of direct deposit. Has anyone gotten their paper check recently? How long did it take to arrive after the mailed date on transcripts?
26 comments


Madison Tipne
IRS paper check refunds typically take 4-6 weeks to arrive after being issued, but I've seen some major delays lately. The best way to track this is by checking your transcript daily and watching for an 846 code with your refund amount. I highly recommend using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to analyze your transcript and get a clear timeline. It'll tell you exactly when your check was mailed and if there are any potential holdups. Way better than trying to decode all those codes yourself or waiting on hold with the IRS for hours.
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Holly Lascelles
•mine took 8 weeks to show up 😤 wish i knew about that AI thing sooner
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Malia Ponder
•whats this taxr thing? sounds interesting but kinda sketchy ngl 👀
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Madison Tipne
•its legit fr fr. just uploads your docs and tells you exactly whats going on. saved me hours of stress
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Malia Ponder
•okay just tried taxr.ai and holy moly this thing is amazing! It told me my check was actually sent out yesterday even tho WMR still shows processing 💯
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Kyle Wallace
•my check got lost in the mail and had to be reissued smh. Post office do be playing games these days 🤡
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Ryder Ross
•DD is the way to go fam. paper checks are so 2010 lmao
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Madison Tipne
•facts but sometimes u dont have a choice especially with amended returns
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Anastasia Kozlov
Tax professional here - typically paper checks take 5-7 business days to arrive after the mailed date shown on your transcript. However, with current USPS delays, I've seen some take up to 2 weeks. Make sure your address is correct on your return!
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NeonNebula
•thanks! my address is correct but im so nervous about it getting lost in the mail 😩
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Anastasia Kozlov
•Keep checking your informed delivery from USPS - you'll see it coming!
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Sean Kelly
Hey guys check out taxr.ai - it actually tells you the exact expected delivery date based on your transcript data. Costs $4.99 but totally worth it for the peace of mind. Been using it to track both my federal and state refunds.
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Zara Mirza
•for real? how accurate is it?
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Sean Kelly
•Super accurate! It analyzes all your transcript codes and gives you a specific delivery window. Saved me hours of googling and wondering 💯
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Luca Russo
•just tried it and wow! it even caught an issue with my refund I didnt know about 🙌
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Nia Harris
took exactly 8 days for me to get mine last month
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GalaxyGazer
still waiting on mine... been 3 weeks since mailed date smh
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Mateo Sanchez
•bruh same boat. this is ridiculous fr fr 🤡
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Aisha Mahmood
mine came in 4 days! way faster than i expected tbh
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Ethan Moore
•ur so lucky! what state r u in?
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Aisha Mahmood
•FL! maybe being closer to the processing center helped idk
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Yuki Kobayashi
Anybody else notice they're sending more paper checks instead of DD this year? Like why mess with a good thing ugh
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Carmen Vega
•its cause of all the fraud happening with direct deposits
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Victoria Scott
Got my paper check exactly 6 days after the mailed date on my transcript! Was super nervous about it getting lost but it showed up perfectly fine. Pro tip: sign up for USPS Informed Delivery so you can see when it's coming - made me way less anxious about the whole thing. Good luck with yours!
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Amara Okafor
•thanks for the tip about informed delivery! just signed up and already feeling less stressed about waiting 😅 hopefully mine shows up as quick as yours did
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Aisha Patel
Mine took about 10 days to arrive last year, but that was during tax season when everything was super backed up. The USPS tracking through Informed Delivery definitely helps with the anxiety! Also keep an eye on your transcript for any updates - sometimes there can be last minute holds or changes that delay the mailing. Fingers crossed yours comes quickly! 🤞
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