Tax season is finally over for most people and that means one of two things. Either you paid money in or you are due a nice refund. If you fall in the refund group, the question is when will that nice check appear in the mail? A quick word about tax refunds. While getting one may seem the greatest of things, it actually should cause you to take some time and analyze how you are paying taxes. Simply put, a tax refund means you are doing something wrong, particularly if it is large.

To find out the status of your tax refund, the easiest method is to visit the IRS site. Just do a search for it. Once there, you want to click on the link that says where’s my refund? It is on the home page and prominently displayed. Now, you need to get out your tax return. Yes, the one you just filed and should have made a copy of. You need it because the IRS form will ask for the amount of the refund you are claiming, the filing status you claimed and your social security number. Once you fill out the form, the program will grind along for a few seconds and then kick out a status answer. There are three possible answers. The date the refund is issued. A problem with mail delivery to you. A problem with your tax return delaying the issuance.

How could a large refund each year be a bad thing? Well, you need to consider that the money you are getting back was originally your money. The IRS is not paying you interest on it, so you are effectively giving the government a free loan each year. Okay, enough about that. You are due a tax refund and want to know when it is going to show up. Do you have to call the IRS? Nope. Despite its reputation for having technology from the stone age, the IRS has a great website you can use for this purpose.

There are more than a few funny quotes about the joy of tax refunds. While funny, they are misguided. I personally prefer not to give the government a free loan in the first place. If you get big refunds each year, make sure to adjust what you are paying in.