With tax season underway, here's what you need to know about tracking your tax refund and your new 2025 tax brackets.

If you receive a tax refund of over $1,000, you might have paid too much in taxes throughout the year to the government. With inflation still too high and many of us living paycheck-to-paycheck or leaning on credit to get by, that tax refund might have been more helpful throughout the year.

It depends on how you file your taxes and how you choose to receive your refund. If you file electronically and your return is accurate and complete, the IRS says it should take less than three weeks to receive your refund and even less time if you choose direct deposit.

The IRS began processing tax returns Monday. For filers who submit their returns electronically using direct deposit, refunds are generally issued in less than 21 days. There is a caution from the tax agency, however, that urges “taxpayers not to rely on receiving refund by a certain date, especially when making major purchases or paying bills.

The 2025 tax season officially kicked off on Monday, when the Internal Revenue Service began accepting and processing individual income tax returns at 9 a.m. This means that you could be more likely to receive your tax refund sometime in February — if you file early.

The recently ordered hiring freeze at the IRS might have you worried about what will happen to your tax return. This filing method will speed up the process.