Refund Sent: where the money is.
The IRS sent your refund to your bank, or mailed a check, on the date shown.
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Your account transcript shows the code behind your status. Add it for a likely date from people in the same situation.
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Direct deposit
Banks post deposits on their own schedule. If the money is not in your account a few days after the date shown, ask your bank whether a deposit from the U.S. Treasury is pending or was returned.
If the bank rejected the deposit (for example a closed account), the IRS mails a paper check or, since the paper-check phase-out, sends a CP53E notice.
Paper check
A replacement can be requested if more than 28 days have passed since the check was mailed. Single, head of household and married filing separately filers can start a trace online or by phone; married couples filing jointly use Form 3911.
Questions people ask
How long after Refund Sent does a check arrive?
Mail time varies. The IRS lets you claim a replacement once more than 28 days have passed since it mailed the check.
What if the bank returned my deposit?
The IRS reissues the refund. Watch for a CP53E notice, which explains how to add a bank account in your IRS online account.
Sources
Checked against these sources on October 30, 2026.