Your tax return: There’s an app for it

Douglas Shulman, the IRS commissioner, said in a statement that, with younger taxpayers accessing information through new methods, the application showed his agency was committed to modernizing. 

“This phone app is a first step for us,” Shulman said. “We will look for additional ways to expand and refine our use of smartphones and other new technologies to help meet the needs of taxpayers.”

The application, dubbed IRS2Go, is available to both Apple and Android users. With the app, users will be able to monitor their refund status after entering their Social Security number, which the IRS says will be securely protected. Taxpayers will also have to identify their filing status and the amount of their expected refund.

Those who file online can start checking the status of their refund on IRS2Go within roughly 72 hours, with papers filers having to wait around three or four weeks.