The IRS eliminated the refund schedules that were used in prior years for both direct deposit and mailed refunds. The guideline the IRS is using in 2015 for filing your 2014 tax return is: Don’t count on getting your refund by a certain date to make major purchases or pay other financial obligations. Even though the IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days, it’s possible your tax return may require additional review and take longer.