The average 2025 tax refund is nearly $2,000. Here’s how to get yours faster in NC
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and North Carolina began accepting tax returns in January, and refunds are already being issued.
As of Friday, Jan. 31, the IRS had issued 3.2 million refunds for this tax year, with an average refund amount of $1,928.
Here’s the fastest way to get your tax refund — and why it could be delayed.
What is the fastest way to get a tax refund?
According to the IRS, the fastest way to get your tax refund is to have it electronically deposited free of charge into your bank account through direct deposit. Taxpayers can use it to deposit their refunds in up to three accounts.
“Eight out of 10 taxpayers get their refunds by using direct deposit,” the IRS website says. “It is simple, safe and secure. This is the same electronic transfers system used to deposit nearly 98 percent of all Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits into millions of accounts.”
Combining electronic filing and direct deposit to file early produces the fastest refunds, according to the IRS, and some may be eligible to file electronically for free.
Smartphone apps, like TurboTax, H&R Block and TaxSlayer, can be a convenient way to file your taxes, but they usually charge a fee that can be deducted from your refund.
How fast will my refund come if I file a paper return?
If you file a complete an accurate paper return, your refund should be issued within six to eight weeks from the date the IRS receives your return, according to the IRS.
How can I check the status of my refund?
Those who file online can check the status of their returns after 24 hours have passed from the file date. This can be done on the IRS2Go app or through the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS website. You can also check on the status of your state refund by going to The North Carolina Department of Revenue site (ncdor.gov) and clicking “Where’s My Refund”).
If it has been at least four weeks since you filed a paper return, you can check on the status of your refund by calling the IRS TeleTax System at 1-800-829-4477. You will be asked to provide the first Social Security number shown on the return, your filing status, and the amount of the refund. If the IRS has processed your return, the system will tell you the date your refund will be sent.
Why could your tax refund be delayed?
President Trump signed an executive order last month that enacted a hiring freeze for federal employees, including those in the IRS, The Charlotte Observer reported.
That means the IRS could be short-staffed during filing season. The agency expects more than 140 million individual tax returns to be filed over the next few months.
Trump signed another executive order that forced all federal employees who work remotely to return the office. This move could result in a wave of early retirements, Nina Olson, executive director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, told the Journal of Accountancy.
“Many of the IRS employees who are retirement age and currently teleworking may just decide to retire and lock in their retirement benefits,” Olson said.
Some tax returns can take longer to process for many reasons, the IRS says, including when a return:
Is sent by mail
Contains errors or is incomplete
Is affected by identity theft or fraud
Was referred to the IRS by the bank due to suspicious activity
Includes a claim filed for an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit
Includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which could take up to 14 weeks to process
Needs further review in general
If more information is needed to process returns, the IRS will contact those taxpayers by mail.
This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "The average 2025 tax refund is nearly $2,000. Here’s how to get yours faster in NC."
