WMR says check mailed 3/15 - When will it arrive? TurboTax fee deduction question

IRS paper checks typically arrive 5-7 business days after the mailed date shown on WMR. Since your check was mailed on March 15th, you should expect it between March 22nd and March 24th, assuming no postal delays. Regarding your TurboTax question: If you paid for TurboTax services upfront, the check will come directly from the IRS to your address. If you selected to pay TurboTax fees from your refund, then TurboTax's bank partner (SBTPG) would have already processed this electronically - paper checks are sent directly from IRS to taxpayers.

Did you opt for fees to be taken out of your refund when you filed with TurboTax? I've seen different processing depending on your selection. In previous years, I've noticed that if you chose to have fees deducted from your refund, the process can work differently than if you paid upfront with a credit card.

Your situation reminds me of when I was waiting for my mom's medical reimbursement check last year. Paper checks are taking even longer this year compared to previous filing seasons. If you need to confirm the status, calling the IRS is your best bet, but good luck getting through! I spent 3 hours on hold last week. A friend recommended Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed my check was actually mailed 2 days later than WMR showed. Saved me days of anxious waiting for something that wasn't even in the mail yet.

Just to clarify what others have said - if you paid your TurboTax fees upfront with a credit card or debit card when you filed, then the check will come directly from the IRS to your address. But if you selected the option to have fees taken out of your refund, then it might go through their bank partner first. I believe TurboTax uses Santa Barbara Tax Products Group for this. Might be worth checking your TurboTax account to see which option you selected during filing.

Has anyone received a paper check recently? I'm wondering if the mail is running slow in general or if the IRS is behind on sending them out. My WMR also shows mailed but nothing in my mailbox yet!

I keep a spreadsheet tracking refund timelines based on reddit posts and my own experience. For paper checks mailed in March 2024, I'm seeing delivery times of 5-12 calendar days, with most arriving around the 7-day mark. According to the IRS website (https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions), you should wait 4 weeks before requesting a payment trace if your check doesn't arrive. If you need to do a trace, you'll need to fill out Form 3911 'Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund'.

Def check your informed delivery from USPS if you have it set up! That way you'll know for sure if it's coming that day. Also FYI - IRS checks come in an envelope that looks kinda like junk mail tbh, so check everything carefully before tossing anything. I almost threw mine away last yr bc it didn't look official enough lol. The envelope just says "Department of Treasury" not "IRS REFUND CHECK INSIDE" or anything obvious.

According to Internal Revenue Manual section 21.4.1.4.7, the IRS allows 4 weeks from the date a refund check is mailed before initiating a trace. If your check was mailed March 15th, you should wait until April 12th before requesting a trace. Per IRS Publication 556, if you don't receive your check by then, you'll need to call the IRS at 800-829-1040 or submit Form 3911 "Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund" to start the trace process. The IRS will verify the check wasn't cashed and issue a replacement, which takes approximately 6 weeks from the trace initiation date.