If you submit a complete and accurate paper tax return, you can expect your refund within six to eight weeks from the date the IRS receives it. For electronic returns, your refund will typically be issued in under three weeks, and even faster if you select direct deposit.

If you have jointly filed your tax return, you may be able to limit how much of the joint refund is reduced. The IRS says that if “you’re not responsible for debt that is subject to offset because it is owed by your spouse, you’re entitled to request your portion of the refund back from the IRS.”