First you should check with the IRS at “Where’s my Refund” (https://www.irs.gov/refunds). You will need some information off of your tax return: 1) The tax year you are inquiring about (if it is last year’s tax return it is 2021); 2) Your social security number; 3) your filing status; and 4) the refund amount as shown on your return (this is on line 35a of your Form 1040)
Typically the IRS will share information about the status of your return, if the refund was sent or if it is still being processed. If the IRS has your return and you have not received your refund you can contact them for a further update.
If the IRS does not have a record of your return, it is important to reach out to your tax preparer or login to your tax software to make sure that your return was submitted.
If you had to mail your tax return in (a paper copy), the IRS may still be processing your tax return. Due to the pandemic, the IRS is still catching up with all the returns that were mailed in. Call to make sure that the IRS received your return because they should at least have a record of your return being received. This IRS number for individuals is 800-829-1040
