To get a tax return filed, you need to gather your income documents, choose a filing method, and submit your return to the IRS by the annual deadline, typically April 15. If you’re really asking how to get a tax refund (the money back), that happens automatically when you’ve overpaid taxes during the year, and the IRS sends your refund after processing your return. Here’s how to handle the entire process from start to finish.
Tax Return vs. Tax Refund
People use “tax return” and “tax refund” interchangeably, but they mean different things. Your tax return is the form you file with the IRS reporting your income, deductions, and credits for the year. Your tax refund is the money the IRS sends back to you if you paid more in taxes than you actually owed. You file a return to find out whether you’re getting a refund, owe more, or break even.
Most people who earn wages from a regular job have taxes withheld from each paycheck throughout the year. If your employer withheld more than your actual tax bill, you get the difference back as a refund. If they withheld too little, you owe the balance when you file.
Do You Need to File?
Not everyone is required to file a federal tax return. Whether you need to depends on your income, filing status, and age. For the 2025 tax year, you generally must file if your gross income meets or exceeds these thresholds:
- Single (under 65): $15,750
- Single (65 or older): $17,550
- Head of household (under 65): $23,625
- Married filing jointly (both under 65): $31,500
- Married filing separately: $5
If you earned more than $400 in net self-employment income (freelancing, gig work, selling goods), you must file regardless of your total income. Even if your income falls below these thresholds, you should still file if your employer withheld federal taxes from your paycheck. Filing is the only way to claim that money back as a refund.
Documents You’ll Need
Before you sit down to file, collect everything you’ll need so you’re not scrambling mid-process. Start with your personal information: your Social Security number (or ITIN), your bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit, and your prior year’s adjusted gross income if you filed electronically last year. The IRS uses last year’s AGI to verify your identity when you e-file.
Next, gather your income forms. These typically arrive by mail or are available online by late January:
- W-2: From each employer, showing your wages and taxes withheld
- 1099-NEC: For freelance or independent contractor income
- 1099-INT / 1099-DIV: For bank interest and investment dividends
- 1099-G: For unemployment benefits or state tax refunds
- 1099-K: For payments received through payment apps or online marketplaces
- 1099-R: For retirement plan distributions
- SSA-1099: For Social Security benefits
If you plan to claim deductions or credits, you’ll also want records of mortgage interest and property taxes, charitable donations, childcare expenses, education costs like tuition and textbooks, health savings account contributions, and retirement contributions. Keep receipts for anything related to self-employment, including mileage logs, office expenses, and business-related purchases.
How to File Your Return
You have three main options for actually preparing and submitting your tax return: free IRS tools, commercial tax software, or a paid tax preparer.
IRS Free File
If your adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less, you can use IRS Free File, which partners with private tax software companies to offer guided preparation at no cost for your federal return. Each partner sets its own eligibility criteria beyond the income cap, so you may need to check a couple of options to find one that fits. Active-duty military members can use any Free File partner as long as their AGI falls within the program threshold.
If your income is above $89,000, the IRS offers Free File Fillable Forms. These are essentially blank digital versions of the paper forms. There’s no income limit, but the software provides minimal guidance and limited calculations, so you need to be comfortable doing the math yourself. Fillable Forms also don’t cover state returns.
Commercial Tax Software
Paid software from companies like TurboTax, H&R Block, and TaxAct walks you through your return with interview-style questions. Prices typically range from free for simple returns to $100 or more for complex situations involving self-employment, rental income, or investments. State returns usually cost extra. The benefit is a more polished experience with error checking and audit support.
Professional Tax Preparers
If your situation is complicated, or you simply want someone else to handle it, you can hire a tax professional. Enrolled agents, CPAs, and tax attorneys are all authorized to prepare returns and represent you before the IRS. Costs vary widely based on the complexity of your return, but expect to pay anywhere from $150 to $500 or more for a straightforward individual filing.
Filing Step by Step
Regardless of which method you choose, the basic process is the same. First, you’ll enter your personal information and choose your filing status: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, or qualifying surviving spouse. Your filing status affects your tax brackets and standard deduction, so picking the right one matters.
Next, you’ll report all your income using the W-2s and 1099s you collected. Then you’ll decide whether to take the standard deduction or itemize your deductions. Most taxpayers take the standard deduction because it’s simpler and often larger than the total of individual deductions. After deductions, you’ll apply any tax credits you qualify for, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, or education credits. Credits reduce your tax bill dollar for dollar, making them more valuable than deductions of the same amount.
Finally, the software or your preparer calculates whether you owe taxes or are due a refund. You’ll submit the return electronically (the fastest and most reliable method) or print and mail it. If you owe, you can pay online, by check, or set up a payment plan. If you’re getting a refund, enter your bank account details for direct deposit.
How Long Until You Get Your Refund
If you e-file and choose direct deposit, the IRS typically issues your refund within three weeks. Paper returns take six weeks or longer from the date the IRS receives them. Direct deposit is the fastest way to get your money, and the IRS can split your refund across up to three bank accounts if you’d like.
Returns that claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit face a legally required delay. The IRS cannot issue those refunds before mid-February, even if you file on the first day the season opens.
How to Track Your Refund
Once your return is filed, you can check its status using the IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool on irs.gov or through the IRS2Go mobile app. You’ll need your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact refund amount shown on your return. The tool updates once per day, usually overnight, so checking more than once a day won’t give you new information. For e-filed returns, refund status is typically available within 24 hours of the IRS acknowledging receipt. For mailed returns, allow about four weeks before checking.
What If You Can’t File by the Deadline
If you aren’t ready by the April deadline, you can request an automatic six-month extension by filing Form 4868. This gives you until October 15 to submit your return. An extension to file is not an extension to pay, though. If you owe taxes, you’re still expected to estimate and pay that amount by April 15 to avoid interest and late-payment penalties. If you’re expecting a refund, there’s no penalty for filing late, but there’s also no reason to wait since you’re just delaying your own money.