Your Personal Income Tax Refund

Find out how to get the latest information about your Massachusetts personal income tax refund. Learn why your state income tax refund may be delayed and get answers to common questions.

Updated: December 31, 2025

Where's My Refund?

Check My Refund 

MassTaxConnect's Check the status of your Personal Income Tax refund is the fastest way to check the status of your state tax refund.

You don't need to sign in or register.

On MassTaxConnect, the current Tax Year is filled in. To select a prior-year refund, use the drop-down arrow.

You need to enter:

• Tax year of the refund
• Your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
• Refund amount.

If you don't have access to MassTaxConnect, you may call:

• [phone] or
• Toll-free in Massachusetts [phone].

Why Is There a Delay?

In some cases, your refund may be delayed because you:

• Added a wrong Social Security number
• Included the wrong banking information (routing and account numbers)
• Made a typo, like a spelling mistake
• Made a math mistake
• Submitted a return with more than one filing status
• Amended your return
• Included the incorrect number of dependents
• Filed too early.

In other cases, a delay may be because:

• DOR asked you to verify or provide more information on your return.
• Your return was missing information or was incomplete.
• Your refund (or part of it) was intercepted to pay an existing tax or child support liability.

Paper Is Slower and Leads to Mistakes

Filing on paper is the slowest way to file your state income tax. Delays occur more frequently with paper returns. If you file on paper, remember to:

1. Include all schedules, such as Schedule HC. If you don’t include all the schedules, your return can’t be processed, and your refund will be delayed. The Schedule HC must be completed and enclosed for all resident returns and most part-year resident returns. Nonresidents are not subject to the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law. If you amend your return, include all the schedules filed with the original return, even if you did not make any changes to those schedules.
2. Check your math. When you add or subtract, check your numbers. If you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, make sure the credit amount is correct. Follow each instruction carefully.
3. Don’t use staples or paper clips. Put checks and other documents inside an envelope. Do not use staples or paper clips. Doing so will slow down the processing of your return.
4. Recheck your bank numbers. You can have your refund deposited directly into your savings or checking account. Be sure to enter the correct routing and account numbers on your return.
5. Sign and date your return. Don’t forget to sign your tax return at the bottom of Page 1. The return is not valid without a signature. If married and filing jointly, you and your spouse must both sign the return. When you owe taxes and are paying by check, don’t forget to sign the check.

E-file your return to get the fastest tax refund. If you already filed on paper this year, don't e-file for the same tax year. 

If you filed your taxes on paper, before you contact DOR, you should wait up to 10 weeks to get:

• Your refund or
• A request from DOR for more information.

When Will I Receive My Refund?

E-filed Return	Paper Return
Takes about 4-6 weeks for direct deposit requests If a paper check was requested, add another week.	Takes about 8-10 weeks for direct deposit requests If a paper check was requested, add another week.

Do You Need to Register with MassTaxConnect?

You don't need to sign in or register to check the status of your refund on MassTaxConnect. However, to e-file your state tax return for free using MassTaxConnect, you need to be registered.

To create a MassTaxConnect account, follow the instructions in the guidelines and video.