Republic Bank does not hold your tax refund — the IRS or your state revenue office does

If you chose to have your federal tax refund deposited into a Republic Bank account, the bank is the destination, not the source. The IRS sends the money, Republic Bank receives it into your account, and you see it there. To check the status of your refund before it arrives, you need to check with the IRS or your state tax authority, not with Republic Bank.

Republic Bank can tell you whether a deposit has hit your account, but they cannot tell you where your refund is in the IRS queue or why it has not arrived yet. That information comes only from the agency that issued the refund.

Key Takeaways

  • The IRS or your state revenue office controls your refund status; Republic Bank only receives the deposit once it is sent.
  • Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool at irs.gov or your state tax authority's tracking system to check federal or state refund progress.
  • Republic Bank can confirm whether a deposit has posted to your account, but cannot explain delays or missing refunds.
  • If your refund was supposed to arrive but did not, contact the IRS or state authority first; contact Republic Bank only if the deposit shows as sent but never appeared in your account.

How to check your federal tax refund status with the IRS

Go to irs.gov and select "Where's My Refund?" from the homepage. You will need your Social Security number, filing status (single, married filing jointly, etc.), and the exact refund amount from your tax return. The tool updates once per day, usually overnight.

The IRS will show you one of three statuses: "Return Received" (the IRS has your return but has not processed it yet), "Approved" (the IRS approved your refund and sent it to your bank), or "Deposited" (the bank received the money). If it shows "Deposited," the money should be in your Republic Bank account within one to two business days, depending on your bank's processing speed.

If the tool says your refund was "Deposited" but you do not see it in your account after two business days, contact Republic Bank's customer service to confirm the deposit arrived. If Republic Bank confirms they received it, the delay is on their end; if they say they never received it, the IRS may have sent it to the wrong account number.

How to check your state tax refund status

Each state runs its own tax refund tracking system. Search "[your state] tax refund status" or go directly to your state's revenue or taxation department website. Most states have a tracking tool similar to the IRS version, though some require your Social Security number and others ask for your last name and refund amount.

State refunds typically take longer than federal refunds — often four to eight weeks from the time you file. If your state shows the refund was sent but you have not received it after the stated timeframe, contact your state revenue office before contacting Republic Bank.

What to do if your refund shows as deposited but is not in your account

First, confirm the deposit date. The IRS or state system will tell you when the money was sent to your bank. Wait two full business days after that date — weekends and bank holidays do not count as business days.

If two business days have passed and the money is not there, call Republic Bank's customer service line. Have your account number and the exact refund amount ready. Ask them to confirm whether the deposit arrived in their system. If it did, ask why it has not posted to your account and when it will. If it did not arrive, ask them for the routing number and account number on file for your account — you will need this to report the issue to the IRS or state authority.

If Republic Bank confirms they never received the deposit, contact the IRS or your state revenue office and report that the refund was sent but never arrived. Provide them with the routing and account numbers Republic Bank gave you. The agency can investigate whether the money went to the wrong account or was lost in transit.

What Republic Bank can and cannot tell you about your refund

Republic Bank can tell you: whether a deposit has posted to your account, the date it posted, and the amount. They can also confirm your routing number and account number are correct on file.

Republic Bank cannot tell you: why your refund is delayed, whether the IRS or state has processed your return, or where your refund is in the queue. Those questions go to the IRS or your state revenue office.

If a Republic Bank representative tells you to call the IRS or state authority, that is the correct answer. Do not ask the bank to investigate your refund status with the IRS — they do not have that access.

If you filed through a tax preparer and used Republic Bank's refund advance

Some tax preparers offer refund advances through Republic Bank — the bank lends you money against your expected refund, and when the IRS sends the refund, it goes to the bank to repay the loan. If you took a refund advance, the timeline is different.

The bank will deposit the advance into your account within one to three business days of approval. The IRS refund goes to Republic Bank, not to you, to settle the loan. You will not see the IRS refund in your account — instead, the bank deducts the loan amount, fees, and any tax prep costs, and sends you whatever is left over (if anything). Check your loan agreement or ask your tax preparer for the exact terms and when you can expect the final payment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for a refund to show up in my Republic Bank account after the IRS sends it?

Once the IRS marks your refund as "Deposited," Republic Bank typically posts it to your account within one to two business days. Weekends and bank holidays do not count. If more than two business days have passed, contact Republic Bank to confirm they received the deposit.

Can Republic Bank speed up my refund?

No. Republic Bank receives the refund after the IRS sends it. The speed depends on how long the IRS takes to process your return and approve the refund. Republic Bank cannot make the IRS move faster.

What if the IRS says my refund was deposited but Republic Bank says they never received it?

This usually means the routing number or account number on your tax return was wrong. Contact the IRS or your state revenue office with the correct routing and account numbers. They can investigate and may reissue the refund to the correct account, though this can take several weeks.

Do I need to call Republic Bank if my refund is taking a long time?

Only if the IRS or state system shows your refund was deposited and more than two business days have passed. Otherwise, check the IRS or state tracking tool first — they control the timeline, not the bank.

Can Republic Bank tell me if my tax return was accepted by the IRS?

No. Only the IRS can confirm your return was received and accepted. Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool or call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to check your return status.