You can check the status of your California state tax refund online through the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) website at the "Where's My Refund?" page. To check your refund status, you will need:
- Your Social Security number
- The numbers in your mailing address (e.g., if your address is 1234 Main Street, enter 1234)
- Your ZIP code
- The exact amount of your expected refund
The refund processing time is typically up to 3 weeks if you e-filed your return, and up to 3 months if you filed a paper return. Some returns may take longer due to extra review for accuracy or fraud prevention. If your refund amount differs from what you expected, the FTB will send you a letter explaining the difference, and you should wait for that letter before contacting them
. You can also check your refund status by phone at 1-800-338-0505 or by chat through your MyFTB account during business hours
. If you want to check a prior year refund, you must contact the FTB directly
. In summary, the best way to find out where your California refund is:
- Visit the FTB refund status page online.
- Enter your SSN, address numbers, ZIP code, and refund amount.
- Check the status and wait for any mailed correspondence if there are issues.
This is the official and most reliable method to track your California state tax refund
