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.

Typically, a paper check will take three to eight weeks to arrive in your mailbox, but you can track exactly where your tax refund is and when you can expect to receive it with the USPS' tracking tool, Informed Delivery. The free service sends you alerts for all new mail and provides images of the front of envelopes.