There are three status updates which the taxpayer might see: “received return,” “refund approved,” or “refund sent.” If the refund has been sent, it could be up to 5 days before the money shows up in your bank account or a few weeks before your check has been received.

If the IRS owes you a tax refund, it should come within 3 weeks of filing. And in a change, 25 states are now participating in the IRS's free online filing program.