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Franchise Tax Board

Where Is My California Refund?

Pick the day you mailed your California return and see what the Franchise Tax Board says about its timing, then what Where's My Refund? asks for.

Your California refund

Mailed March 1, 2027

  1. You mail itMarch 1, 2027

    Send it by Certified Mail: the receipt proves the date.

  2. Your refundBy May 31, 2027

    FTB says a paper return's refund can take up to 3 months. Its wait-times page, which changes through the year, showed 4 months on October 26, 2026.

What Where's My Refund? asks for

Social Security Number
Yours. You type it on the agency's own site
Numbers in Mailing Address
The house number of the address on your return: 1234 for 1234 Main Street
ZIP Code
The ZIP code on your return
Refund Amount
Whole dollars, from Form 540NR line 103 (2025 forms)
Open Where's My Refund? on ftb.ca.gov

F1TaxReturn isn't part of the California government and can't see your refund. Every wait above is the agency's own published figure; where it publishes none, we give no date.

How long does a paper California refund take?

FTB says a paper return's refund can take up to 3 months. Its wait-times page, which changes through the year, showed 4 months on October 26, 2026.

The Franchise Tax Board does not say how soon a paper return first shows in Where's My Refund?

For example, if you mail it on March 1, 2027, the refund should come by May 31, 2027.

How do I check my California refund status?

Use Where's My Refund? on ftb.ca.gov.

It asks for these, in this order:

  1. Social Security Number. Yours. You type it on the agency's own site
  2. Numbers in Mailing Address. The house number of the address on your return: 1234 for 1234 Main Street
  3. ZIP Code. The ZIP code on your return
  4. Refund Amount. Whole dollars, from Form 540NR line 103 (2025 forms)

What else should I know about California's Where's My Refund?

It shows the current tax year only; for an earlier year, contact FTB.

  • If FTB changes your refund, it mails you a letter. Wait for it before you call.
  • FTB's refund line is 800-852-5711, or 916-845-6500 from outside the US.

Can F1TaxReturn track my California refund?

If you file your California return with F1TaxReturn, your dashboard has a refund tracker: every box Where's My Refund? asks for, filled in from your return except your SSN, with a copy button beside each, a timeline from the day you mail it, and an email when it is time to check.

F1TaxReturn prepares paper returns: you print, sign and mail them, and it never sees your refund status. Your federal return is free; the California return is a paid add-on.

Other refund trackers

Compare every tracker

Your Federal Return, Free

File with F1TaxReturn and your dashboard tracks each refund: the exact amount from your return, a copy button beside every box, and an email when it's time to check.

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