'Where's my refund?' Here's what to know as tax season is underway.

With tax season in full swing, and many Long Islanders reliant on refunds to cover expenses, experts say there are ways to monitor and even speed up refund timelines. 

Jeffrey Gentner, executive director of the New York State Society of Enrolled Agents, a 600-member trade group for tax professionals, said the best way to ensure a speedy refund is to file early and sign up for direct deposit.

“Direct deposit is the way to go,” Gentner said, adding, “If you have your refund directly deposited you’ll get it quicker and it’s more secure. If you do a paper check it could be lost and it will take longer.”

Still, some Long Islanders may be disappointed by their tax bills again this year, as the federal cap on SALT (state and local taxes) deductions means fewer opportunities for those saddled with high property taxes to find savings.

The $10,000 SALT cap comes out of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump. The cap puts a limit on taxpayers’ ability to deduct SALT from their federal income tax liability. The cap is set to expire at the end of 2025, barring congressional action.

“Long Island has high real estate taxes, so limiting SALT deductions to $10,000 could mean a loss of $15,000, $20,000 in deductions if not more," said Lynne M. Fuentes, managing partner at Jericho-based Fuentes & Angel CPAs.

Here are five things to know about tax refunds for this year’s filing season:

Where is my refund?

For returns filed on paper, the Internal Revenue Service said to expect a refund within six to eight weeks, while digital filers can expect a refund in three weeks or less. New York State's Department of Taxation and Finance said over 50% of filers get their refunds in 15 days or less, while over 80% receive their state refunds within 30 days. 

“The IRS is pretty determined to make that turnaround quick,” Gentner said. 

“Because there’s this push to do this quick turnaround, they issue the refunds and maybe a year later they look at them closely" for auditing purposes,” Gentner said. “The state is the exact opposite. They look at the returns and then send them out later.” 

Those with more complicated tax returns might experience more of a delay in their refund, Gentner said.

How many Long Islanders file tax returns? 

The state Department of Taxation and Finance said 1.47 million Long Islanders (698,066 in Nassau and 772,568 in Suffolk) filed tax returns in 2022, the latest year data is available.

The state does not have exact figures on how many Suffolk and Nassau residents are expected to receive refunds this year.

“We can’t say how many people will receive refunds,” Darren Dopp, a state Taxation and Finance Department spokesperson, said in an email. “Taxpayers’ circumstances change from year to year, and we have no control over things like withholding rates, eligibility for credits, etc.”

What is the average refund amount filers receive?

As of Jan. 31, the average refund amount for processed returns was $1,928, about 38% higher than the average refund of $1,395 from the same time period during last year’s tax season, according to national IRS data.

Refund averages aren’t available for Long Island.

“The size of a person’s refund depends on whether they are withholding the right amount from their paycheck,” Dopp said. “If they owe money, they generally aren’t withholding enough. If they are getting a big refund, they are likely withholding too much.”

In either case, taxpayers can change their withholding amounts with their employer.

“Some people look at it as giving the government an interest-free loan all year long,” she said. “Others look at it as forced savings.”

“It’s always better to get a small refund than to have to owe,” Fuentes said.

How can I track the status of my refund?

Long Islanders have a few ways to check their refund’s status. Taxpayers can visit the IRS’ online Where’s My Refund? Tool or its IRS2Go smartphone app. The IRS also has an automated phone line at 800-829-1954.

To check the status of a state tax refund, Dopp said, Islanders can visit the state Department of Taxation and Finance’s online refund status tool.

What if you can’t pay what you owe by tax filing deadline?

Taxpayers unable to pay their tax bills may qualify for a short-term or a long-term online repayment plan with the IRS, according to the tax agency’s website. Under the plans, filers may “pay off an outstanding balance over time,” but they must first apply and be approved.

For a short-term plan, taxpayers have up to 120 days to pay tax bills that are less than $100,000. Those seeking a long-term plan must owe less than $50,000 and will have longer than 120 days to make monthly payments.

“They will usually want you to pay during that year so the following year you won’t have an open balance,” Gentner said.