Your tax refund could be delayed in NC this year. Here’s why
Tax returns started going out weeks ago, but some North Carolina residents are still waiting on their money.
A Raleigh resident took to Reddit on Wednesday, April 23 saying their state refund check had been mailed at the end of February, but it hasn’t arrived yet, and their federal refund hasn’t been approved.
“Is my state return probably lost in the mail or is this normal?” the user asked. “Or is it waiting for my federal return to be approved? Not sure why my federal return is taking so long as well, my taxes aren’t complex at all..”
Another user commented on the post saying they have not yet received their state refund.
“I filed 2 months ago and received my federal about 5 weeks after and no state yet,” they said. “No idea why it’s taking so long.”
Tax refund delays
Some tax refunds could be delayed if a taxpayer requested a paper check or filed a paper return, or if additional measures were implemented for identity protection, NC Department of Revenue (NCDOR) Public Affairs Director Dia Harris told The Charlotte Observer.
“Typically, electronic filers can expect to receive their refunds within 6 weeks, while paper filers can expect to receive their refunds within 12 weeks,” she said.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that enacted a hiring freeze for federal employees, including those in the IRS, The Observer previously reported. Many expected this would delay tax refunds.
“Every facet of IRS operations will be significantly impacted by the current hiring freeze,” Charles Rettig, who served as IRS commissioner from 2018 to 2022, wrote in a LinkedIn post at the time.
The IRS press office would not comment on the record about tax refund delays this spring.
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State and federal tax deadlines
The IRS recently extended the federal tax deadline to Thursday, Sept. 25 for individuals and households that reside or have a business anywhere in North Carolina.
North Carolina residents have until Thursday, May 1 to file and pay their income taxes without penalties, according to a recent news release from NCDOR.
Individuals residing in counties not designated as disaster areas will incur interest charges if they pay after Tax Day : “Interest on an underpayment of tax for a non-disaster county will begin to accrue on April 15, 2025,” Harris previously told The News & Observer.
How to check tax refund status
Those who file online can check the status of their returns after 24 hours have passed from the file date.
This can be done on the IRS2Go app or through the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS website. You can also check on the status of your state refund by going to The North Carolina Department of Revenue site (ncdor.gov) and clicking “Where’s My Refund?”
If it has been at least four weeks since you filed a paper return, you can check on the status of your refund by calling the IRS TeleTax System at 1-800-829-4477. You will be asked to provide the first Social Security number shown on the return, your filing status and the amount of the refund. If the IRS has processed your return, the system will tell you the date your refund will be sent.
This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Your tax refund could be delayed in NC this year. Here’s why."
