Your Tax Refund Will Come in 21 Days or Less

Despite stories about delays with refunds this year, most of the experts seem to think you'll get your tax refund within 21 days of the time you file.  And if taxes stress you out, you may be able to get some free help in Lufkin.

In years past, the Lufkin and Nacogdoches Public Libraries have offered free tax prep services if you meet certain requirements.  They'll announce more about sessions for this year in the coming days.  Once you have your documents gathered up, those meetings allow you to sit down and get your tax questions answered face-to-face instead of scouring the internet for answers.

Goodwill Industries will also prepare tax returns for those in low-income categories, and in fact, they've been looking for volunteers through Facebook to help prepare the tax returns this spring.  It's part of the Goodwill Industries Lufkin-Diboll-Nacogdoches VITA Program, or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

If you get a jump on things and your tax return is filed this week, one expert says based on refund schedules in past years, you can expect this year's refund to hit your account by direct deposit February 10th.  The paper refund check would be mailed February 13th. That seems quick!  Even if there are delays, the general expectation is that you'll receive your refund within 21 days or less from the time you file.

And if there's no refund in the cards and you have to pay taxes this year, well, you have a couple of extra days to procrastinate.  The deadline is usually April 15th, but because of holidays and Sundays, you have until April 18th this year.