Tax season is underway and the Internal Revenue Service expects to receive some 140 million returns before the April 15 deadline. Almost two-thirds of those returns will include a refund to taxpayers.

How long it takes to get your money back depends on several factors.

People who file electronically with refunds going to direct deposit generally receive their refunds within 21 days, as long as there are no other issues. People who file a paper return or don’t use direct deposit can expect to wait 6-8 weeks. Filers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit will wait until at least March 3 for their refunds, assuming there are no other issues with the return. The delay is due to verification measures required by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes, or PATH, Act.

If there are issues, the IRS will contact taxpayers by mail.

Where is my refund?

The IRS “Where’s My Refund” tool lets you track the status of your money. Information is updated once a day, overnight – in other words, there’s no need to check multiple times a day. To find where your money is, you will need your Social Security or individual taxpayer ID number, filing status and exact amount of refund on your return.

You will see one of three answers:

• Return receive – The IRS has received your return and it’s being processed
• Refund approved – IRS has approved the refund and is preparing to issue it on the date shown
• Refund sent – The refund has been sent via direct deposit or in the mail. It can take up to five days to show in a bank account or several weeks for the check to arrive.

According to the IRS, you should only call about the status of your refund if the “Where’s My Refund” tool directs you to do so. You can see IRS numbers here.