How much tax you owe will depend on several factors, including how much you earn, your filing status, adjustments, deductions, and tax credits. Overpaying can happen, and if you overpay your taxes, you can still get a refund.
In California, you can track the status of your refund using the State of California Franchise Board. The site offers a tool that you can use to track your federal income tax return. The tool requires that you enter your Social Security number, numbers in your mailing address, ZIP code, and the refund amount.
Alternatively, you can also contact the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) directly through phone, chat, or mail. Their contact information is as follows:
Phone
(800) 852-5711
(916) 845-6500 (outside the U.S.)
Weekdays, 7 AM to 5 PM
Chat
Weekdays, 7 AM to 5 PM
Franchise Tax Board
PO Box 942840
Sacramento CA 942840-0040
How Long Will it Take to Get My California Tax Refund?
The time it takes to process your refund will depend on many factors. For one, how you filed your tax return has an effect: individuals who e-filed will have to wait up to two weeks to get the refund, while those who went with paper have up to four weeks. Businesses, however, will have to wait for up to four months, regardless if they used e-file or paper.
Your refund could also be delayed if the FTB sees signs of fraud, inaccuracy because of math errors, or if the return has missing information of incomplete. Any of these reasons could delay the refund by a month as the FTB will require you to furnish it with more information. Additionally, amending your tax return could delay your refund by up to three months.
What if I Don’t Agree with the Refunded Amount?
It is possible that despite submitting an accurate return, the refunded amount will be different from what you were expecting. This can happen if you don’t qualify for a tax credit or you have a past-due tax debt. The FTB will send you a letter called Notice of Tax Return Change that explains the changes.
If you don’t agree with the change, log on to the FTB website, enter the code found at the end of each paragraph of your notice, and then gather and review all relevant tax documents for errors. You can also contact the FTB using the above contact information.
Final Tips
It is advisable to consider e-file options that take a shorter time to process. If you’re waiting for a refund, log on to the FTB website to check its status.
We Can Help
If you need professional help, our experienced tax professionals can help guide you in the right direction. Contact us today at 818-452-2641 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.