IRS shows "Refund Sent" check mark but no deposit in bank on promised February 27th date - should I wait until March 4th deadline?
I filed my taxes on February 4th and got accepted the same day. I've been checking the Where's My Refund tool religiously since then. About two weeks ago, it updated to show all three check marks and said my refund was approved and scheduled to be direct deposited to my bank by February 27th, 2025. The exact message on the Refund Status Results page shows: "Return Received ✓ Refund Approved ✓ Refund Sent ✓ Your tax refund is scheduled to be sent to your bank by February 27th, 2025. If your refund is not credited to your account by March 4th, 2025, check with your bank to see if it has been received." Well, today is February 27th and I still don't see anything in my account. The WMR tool still shows the same message that my refund is scheduled to be sent to my bank by February 27th, 2025, and if I don't see it by March 4th, 2025, I should check with my bank. At the bottom of the page, there's also a note that says: "Please Note For refund information, please continue to check here, or use our free mobile app, IRS2Go. Updates to refund status are made no more than once a day." I was really counting on this money to pay some bills this month. Has anyone else experienced a delay like this? Should I be worried or just keep waiting until March 4th, 2025 like it says? I'm just confused because it shows the "Refund Sent" checkmark is already checked, but I don't have the money yet.
55 comments


Dana Doyle
The "scheduled to be sent" wording means the IRS has approved your refund and instructed the Treasury to issue payment. However, there are several things to understand about this timing: • February 27th is when they INITIATE the direct deposit, not necessarily when it hits your account • Banks typically take 1-3 business days to process incoming ACH transfers • The IRS systems only update once per day, usually overnight • Some banks show pending deposits before they officially post The March 4th date they give is actually the important one - that's the "if you don't have it by THIS date, then something might be wrong" date. Until then, it's still considered normal processing time. I'd recommend checking your bank for any pending transactions, and continue monitoring WMR daily. Only contact your bank if nothing shows up by March 4th as indicated.
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Darcy Moore
•Thank you for the explanation! I'll try to be patient and keep checking my bank account. It's just frustrating not knowing exactly when it will arrive.
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Liam Duke
•also remember some banks dont show pending deposits on weekends so if it lands tomorrw you might not see it til monday
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Manny Lark
•This happened to me last year. Said it would be deposited on the 22nd but didnt show up til the 24th. Just give it a couple more days 👍
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Rita Jacobs
•So true. Also, WMR tool is NOT always accurate. Last year mine said schedule for April 15 and I got it April 10! Go figure.
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Khalid Howes
I was in the exact same situation last week. The WMR tool kept showing the scheduled date, but I was getting anxious waiting. I finally used taxr.ai to actually interpret my transcript and it showed me the exact processing status and expected deposit date - way clearer than WMR. It showed me that my refund was actually in the final processing stage with a specific release code. I could see exactly what was happening instead of that vague WMR message. Got my deposit 2 days later exactly when taxr predicted. Saved me from calling the IRS and waiting on hold for hours. https://taxr.ai
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Ben Cooper
•Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Khalid Howes
•It does way more than just read the transcript! It actually interprets all those crazy IRS codes, explains what each stage means, gives you timeframes based on your specific situation, and even flags potential issues. Way better than trying to decipher that stuff yourself or getting vague info from the WMR tool. It found an issue with my withholding that would have caused problems later, too.
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Ben Cooper
•OMG I just tried this and it's a game changer! I've been staring at those transcript codes for weeks trying to understand what they mean. This broke everything down in plain english and showed me exactly why my refund was taking longer than expected. Looks like I had a review code I didn't understand but taxr showed me it was already cleared. EVERYONE SHOULD USE THIS TOOL!
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Naila Gordon
•does it cost anything? sounds too good to be true tbh
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Khalid Howes
•It's the best money I've ever spent after weeks of anxiety and confusion trying to figure out what was happening with my refund. The peace of mind alone was worth it knowing exactly what was happening instead of guessing.
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Cynthia Love
•I was so confused by all those stupid codes on my transcript. 570 this, 971 that. I tried googling and got 50 different answers. this taxr thing sounds promising
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Darren Brooks
I got fed up with waiting and not knowing what was going on with my refund so I found this app called Claimyr that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 25 minutes! The agent confirmed my refund was processed and gave me the exact date it would hit my account. Honestly worth every penny because I wasted HOURS trying to call them myself and never got through. Check out claimyr.com - total lifesaver when the online tools don't give you the answers you need.
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Rosie Harper
•is this for real? i've been trying to get through to the IRS for weeks with no luck
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Darren Brooks
•100% real. I was skeptical too since I had tried calling the IRS like 20 times before and always got the "try again later" message. This service basically keeps dialing for you using their system until they get through, then they call you and connect you to the agent. Took less than 30 mins when I used it.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•sounds sketchy af...how do they even do that?
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Darren Brooks
•nothing sketchy about it. they have an automated system that keeps calling until it gets through. once they reach an agent, they call you and connect you. Talking to the IRS agent directly got my refund sorted out in 10 minutes - after weeks of checking WMR with no updates.
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Demi Hall
•Seriously saved my sanity with this! I was about to have a meltdown trying to reach someone at the IRS. Got connected in 15 minutes and the agent told me why my refund was delayed and fixed it on the spot.
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Mateusius Townsend
The date they give is the date they SEND it to your bank, not when it will show up in your account. I waited 3 days after my scheduled date last year. Just give it til the 4th like they say before panicking.
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Kara Yoshida
If ur bank account info is correct, don't worry too much yet. The IRS issues the payment on the date shown, but ur bank could take 1-3 business days to process it. Hang tight until at least March 4 before freaking out. That said, I had similar thing happen last year and my bank actually rejected the deposit bc the name on the refund didn't match my account exactly (my middle initial was missing). Had to wait 3 more weeks to get a paper check. Make sure ur name matches exactly whats on file with ur bank.
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Darcy Moore
•Oh no, that would be terrible if that happened! I'm pretty sure my bank info is correct but now you've got me worried. I'll double-check with my bank.
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Philip Cowan
•This happened to me too! My bank rejected it because I got married and changed my name but forgot to update my bank account. Such a headache.
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Kara Yoshida
•yeah the whole system is so annoying. like the irs and banks could easily communicate better but instead we're all left guessing 🤦♀️
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Caesar Grant
the irs is a JOKE 🤡 they expect us to pay taxes on time but can't even send refunds when they say they will. i've been waiting since January for mine and still nothing. meanwhile they charge penalties if we're even a day late 💯 😤
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Lena Schultz
•facts! they take our money instantly but take forever to give it back
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Gemma Andrews
•I hear that! Plus they make everything so complicated. Why can't they just have a REAL status update instead of these vague messages? 🙄
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Pedro Sawyer
Direct deposit dates are never exact. My WMR said Feb 12 but didn't hit my account until Feb 15. Most banks don't process deposits on weekends, so if your scheduled date falls on a Friday, you might not see it until Monday or Tuesday of next week. Give it until that March 4 deadline they mentioned before getting worried.
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Mae Bennett
This actually happened to me earlier this month. It said refund scheduled for Feb 13, but I didn't get it until Feb 16. Some banks just take longer to process. Also, if you claimed any tax credits like EIC or Child Tax Credit, those refunds sometimes have extra processing steps even after the "scheduled" date. Hang in there!
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Darcy Moore
•Yes, I did claim the EIC. That might explain the delay. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Beatrice Marshall
have you checked your transcript online? sometimes it shows more details than the WMR tool. you need to create an account on irs.gov if you dont already have one.
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Darcy Moore
•I tried but I couldn't create an account because I don't have a credit card or loan that they can verify. It's so frustrating.
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Melina Haruko
•I had that same issue! Try using taxr.ai - you can upload your transcript once you get it and it will explain everything. Helped me understand exactly what was happening with my refund when I was in your situation.
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Dallas Villalobos
I work at a bank (not saying which one lol) and I can tell you that even after the IRS sends the payment, we have internal processing time. Some banks show pending deposits, others don't show anything until it fully posts. Also, larger refunds sometimes get additional fraud review on our end which can add a day. I'd say wait until Monday before getting too concerned.
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Reina Salazar
•This is super helpful insight, thanks for sharing this. Is there a certain dollar amount that triggers these reviews?
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Dallas Villalobos
•I cant say exact numbers because it varies by bank and they dont tell us the thresholds (prevents employeess from gaming the system) but generally anything over a couple thousand might get a second look. Also if the account doesnt normally get large deposits or if you've changed banks since last tax season.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
check ur transcript! WMR is always behind in updating. the transcript will show the exact codes and cycle dates. you can see if there's any holds or reviews on ur account. that's how I figured out my refund was delayed due to a random audit. make an account on the irs website and look at ur transcript asap.
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Demi Lagos
•I second this! Transcripts are where the REAL info is. WMR is basically useless.
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Mason Lopez
•but the transcripts are impossible to understand without a decoder ring lol. all those codes make no sense to normal people
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Vera Visnjic
•Thats why I use taxr.ai - it reads all those annoying codes and tells you in plain English what's going on and when to expect your money. Way better than trying to figure it out yourself!
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Jake Sinclair
the same thing happend to me last week. my wmr said scheduled for feb 20. i freaked out when i didn't see anything that day. but it showed up the next morning! banks are slow af sometimes. just wait a couple days.
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Brielle Johnson
FYI - I checked the IRS operational status page and they're currently experiencing some system delays that might be affecting direct deposits scheduled for this week. They posted an update yesterday saying some February 26-28 deposits might be delayed by 1-2 business days. Not sure why they don't communicate this more clearly to taxpayers!
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Darcy Moore
•Thank you for this info! Where did you find this? I didn't see anything about delays on their website.
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Brielle Johnson
•It's buried in their "IRS Operations During COVID-19" page even though it has nothing to do with COVID anymore 🙄 They're so bad at communication. Here's the direct quote: "Some refunds scheduled for direct deposit between February 26-28 may experience a delay of 1-2 business days due to scheduled maintenance." Classic IRS...
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Honorah King
I recieved my state but not federal. Wmr says same as yours. Feb 27th supposed to be DD. Nothing yet. Almost 7pm here and zilch. Totally understand ur frustration. Thid is ridiculous every single year.
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Oliver Brown
Are you using a tax preparation service that takes their fees out of your refund? If so, your refund goes to them first, then they take their cut and send the rest to you. That adds 1-2 days typically. Check with your tax preparer if that applies to you.
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Darcy Moore
•No, I filed myself using free software, so that shouldn't be an issue in my case.
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Mary Bates
Call the IRS! Oh wait... you cant because youll be on hold for 3 hours if you even get through at all 🤣 The system is completely broken. I had to use Claimyr.com to finally get someone on the phone after trying for weeks. The agent told me my refund was actually held up because of a mismatch in my reported W2 income that wouldn't have shown up on WMR. Got it fixed in 10 minutes once I actually talked to someone.
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Clay blendedgen
•did they ask for all your personal info? sounds sketchy
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Mary Bates
•No they don't ask for anything personal. They just connect you with the IRS directly - you talk to a real IRS agent, not someone from the service. It just helps you get through the phone system which is impossible otherwise.
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Ayla Kumar
•I was suspicious too but it actually works. Saved me from taking a day off work just to sit on hold with the IRS.
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Lorenzo McCormick
Same boat. Schedule date was Feb 26, still nothing. Called my bank and they said no pending deposits. Checked wmr again today and it still shows the same message. Starting to get worried because I need this $ for rent!
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Darcy Moore
•Let me know if yours shows up! I'll update if mine does.
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Lorenzo McCormick
•Will do! this is so stressful
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NebulaNova
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed early February, got the "Refund Sent" checkmark with a Feb 27th date, and still nothing in my account as of this evening. It's so nerve-wracking when you're counting on that money. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the Feb 27th date is when the IRS *sends* the payment to the bank, not when it actually hits our accounts. Plus someone mentioned there might be system delays affecting refunds scheduled for this week. I'm trying to stay patient until that March 4th deadline they give us, but it's definitely stressful! I called my bank earlier and they said to check again tomorrow morning since some deposits don't show up until after midnight or early morning. Fingers crossed we both see our refunds soon! 🤞
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Luca Esposito
•Same here! I'm in the exact same situation and it's driving me crazy. Filed on Feb 5th, got all three checkmarks with the Feb 27th date, and still nothing. I keep refreshing my banking app hoping it'll magically appear 😅 At least now I know I'm not alone in this. The waiting is the worst part when you have bills due!
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