Where’s My Refund? What Pennsylvania Taxpayers Need To Know

Andrea Norris
Fly View Productions / iStock.com
Fly View Productions / iStock.com

If you’re expecting a refund on a Pennsylvania state tax return, the quickest way to find your refund status is to use the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s online refund tracking tool. The following is a guide to the refund tracking tool, more ways to check your refund status, and answers to common questions Pennsylvania taxpayers have about refund timelines and delays.

See: 3 Ways Smart People Save Money When Filing Their Taxes

How Can I Check My Refund Status?

Once you’ve submitted your Pennsylvania state tax return, you have two online options for checking your tax refund status, or you can contact the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue by phone. Here’s a look at each option.

‘Where’s My Refund?’ Tracking Tool

If you don’t want to create an online account on the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s website, click the “Where’s My Refund?” link on the agency’s homepage to check the status of your refund. You’ll need to select a tax year as far back as 2019 and provide the expected refund amount and your Social Security number.

myPATH Portal

You can also determine your refund status by logging in to the myPATH portal on the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s website. If you don’t yet have a myPATH account, you’ll need to enter your email address and phone number to create one.

To access a personal tax account using myPATH, you’ll need your PATH ID or Social Security number and one of the following:

  • A return line-item amount from one of your last five personal tax returns from the previous two years

  • A payment amount from one of your last five payments from the previous two years, excluding those that are newer than 15 days

  • Your PATH Letter ID, if applicable

Check the Status by Phone

You can call the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s automated toll-free line at 888-PATAXES to check the status of your personal tax account at any time. You can also contact the agency’s customer service department at 717-787-8201.

How Long Are Pennsylvania Tax Refunds Taking?

In Pennsylvania, electronic tax returns typically take one to three business days to post to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s online portal. It takes about eight to 10 weeks for a mailed paper return to post.

Tax filings generally have up to a four-week review and processing period. This period may be longer if there is a processing delay.

Why Is My Pennsylvania Tax Refund Delayed?

During peak season, it can take the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue longer than four weeks to review and process returns. According to H&R Block, delays can also occur whenever the state revenue department:

  • Spots missing or incomplete return information

  • Finds mistakes in a return or needs to make other adjustments

  • Has to verify details reported on a return

  • Encounters a return that uses multiple tax forms

Takeaway

To keep tabs on the status of your refund, you can use the “Where’s My Refund?” tracking tool on the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s website. Alternatively, you can use myPATH, the agency’s online portal. If it has been more than a week since you filed your return electronically or 10 weeks since you mailed it, and there is no record of it when you check your refund status online, call 717-787-8201 for assistance.

Moubin Ghafoory contributed to the reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Where’s My Refund? What Pennsylvania Taxpayers Need To Know

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