Check your status
Use Where's my Refund from Virginia Tax, or call 804.367.2486 for the automated refund system. Both work 24 hours a day and show the same information customer service staff see. The tool asks for:
- Your Social Security number
- The tax year of the return
- Your expected refund amount, to the nearest dollar
- Whether you e-filed or filed on paper
You can leave an email address to be told when your status changes.
How long a Virginia refund takes
| Situation | What Virginia Tax says |
|---|---|
| E-filed return | Up to 4 weeks (general processing time during filing season) |
| Paper return | Up to 10 weeks |
| Sent by certified mail | Allow an additional 3 weeks |
| Bank details wrong, so a check is sent | May take an additional 2 weeks |
| Refund issued as a check | Allow 10 days for it to arrive |
Virginia Tax says processing times vary based on individual factors. When it has finished your return, the tool shows the date your refund was sent.
What the status messages mean
- We've received your return, We're processing your return and We've issued your refund: the three steps the tool shows; Virginia Tax doesn't explain them further. For a direct deposit, the date shown is the scheduled deposit date.
- Refund issued as a Check: the tool says to allow 10 days for it to arrive.
- Your tax refund has been reduced to $0: the tool says a letter explaining why should arrive within 10 days. The same applies if the amount issued is different from what you expected.
Why your Virginia refund is late or smaller
- Additional review. Virginia Tax uses an automated system to spot possible fraud. If your return is picked, its Refund Review Team checks it by hand and may send a letter. Virginia Tax says a letter doesn't mean you did anything wrong.
- A refund verification letter. Letters titled "Refund Verification Needed," "Refund Verification" or "Did you file a Virginia income tax return?" (letter numbers AUIN073A, AUIN073M, AUIN273A, AUIN373A, AUIN473A and AUIN573A) can be answered online, which Virginia Tax calls the fastest way to get your refund. You need your SSN or ITIN, the Correspondence ID from the letter and the tax year. Other letters: follow the instructions in the letter.
- Missing information or errors. You get a letter asking for documents or explaining the changes.
- Debts. Virginia must use your refund to pay debts owed to Virginia Tax, the Department of Social Services, other Virginia agencies and courts, local governments, the IRS and some federal agencies. You get a letter naming the agency; Virginia Tax has no details about other agencies' debts. Any remaining refund comes as a check, never a direct deposit.
- A check instead of direct deposit. Virginia sends a check if the refund was reduced or adjusted, the bank details were wrong or the account was closed, or the bank is outside the United States.
If your refund is late
Answer any letter quickly. For questions about a verification letter, call 804.404.4185. For other individual tax questions, call customer service at 804.367.8031, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Virginia Tax says lines are busiest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., all day Monday and the day after a holiday. For a Virginia tax debt taken from your refund, call Collections at 804.367.8045. Virginia returns are usually due May 1, with an automatic 6-month extension to file (November 1 for most filers).
Virginia and the new federal deductions
Virginia Tax has not stated yet whether the federal deductions for overtime, tips, seniors and car loan interest change your Virginia return. Check Virginia Tax's guidance for the year you are filing. Compare every state in our state-by-state tips and overtime tracker.
Your federal refund is separate
The IRS pays your federal refund on its own schedule. Track it with IRS Where's My Refund, see the week-by-week IRS refund schedule, or estimate your date with the refund date calculator. To see how big your federal refund should be, try the tax refund calculator.
Common questions
How long does a Virginia tax refund take? Virginia Tax gives general processing times during filing season of up to 4 weeks for e-filed returns and up to 10 weeks for paper returns. Returns sent by certified mail need an additional 3 weeks. Processing times vary, and returns picked for review take longer.
What do I need to check my Virginia refund? Your Social Security number, the tax year of the return, your expected refund amount to the nearest dollar and whether you e-filed or filed on paper. Use Where's my Refund on the Virginia Tax website or call 804.367.2486.
What does Refund issued as a Check mean in Virginia's tool? Your refund was mailed as a paper check. The tool says to allow 10 days for it to arrive. Virginia sends a check instead of a deposit if the refund was reduced or adjusted or if your bank details didn't work.
Does Virginia tax tips and overtime? Virginia Tax has not stated yet whether the federal tips and overtime deductions change the Virginia return.
Updated November 7, 2026. Sources: Virginia Tax, "Where's my Refund?" (tax.virginia.gov/wheres-my-refund), the Where's my Refund tool's own screens, "Refund Verification Letter", "Refund Fraud Prevention", "Why was your refund reduced or withheld (offset)?", "Contact Us" (Virginia Tax) and "When to File" (all checked November 7, 2026). Timelines are the state's own published guidance; your refund can take longer if your return needs review.