Income tax return & refund process template

Steps in this flowchart

• Tax year ends
• Collect W-2, 1099 or Form 16 & receipts
• Itemise deductions or take standard?
• Total mortgage interest, donations & medical costs
• Apply standard deduction
• Prepare return in tax software or with accountant
• Claim credits & calculate tax owed
• Withholding greater than tax owed?
• Pay balance due by deadline
• Refund amount calculated
• E-file return & choose direct deposit
• Tax authority accepts return
• Flagged for review or identity check?
• Respond to notice & verify identity
• Return processed
• Refund approved
• Track with Where is my refund tool
• Refund deposited
• Return filed

How to use this flowchart template

1. Click Open in the editor. The flowchart opens on a new page in FlowDiagram — nothing is uploaded and there is no sign-up.
2. Rename, add or delete shapes and drag them where you want; connectors stay attached as things move.
3. Drop in vendor logos from the library — 1,160 of them, including every AWS, Azure and Google Cloud service icon — or restyle it with the colour and theme controls.
4. Prefer text? Edit the Mermaid source below and paste it in through ☰ → Import diagram (see the Mermaid editor); it imports as an editable diagram.
5. Export to PNG, SVG or PDF, or press Ctrl+L for a link that carries the whole diagram.

Mermaid source

The whole template is the text below. Paste it into FlowDiagram, keep it in Git next to the code it describes, or hand it to an AI assistant to extend.

flowchart TD
  A((Tax year ends)) --> B[Collect W-2, 1099 or Form 16 & receipts]
  B --> C{Itemise deductions or take standard?}
  C -->|Itemise| D[Total mortgage interest, donations & medical costs]
  C -->|Standard| E[Apply standard deduction]
  D --> F[Prepare return in tax software or with accountant]
  E --> F
  F --> G[Claim credits & calculate tax owed]
  G --> H{Withholding greater than tax owed?}
  H -->|No| I[Pay balance due by deadline]
  H -->|Yes| J[Refund amount calculated]
  J --> K[E-file return & choose direct deposit]
  K --> L[Tax authority accepts return]
  L --> M{Flagged for review or identity check?}
  M -->|Yes| N[Respond to notice & verify identity]
  N --> O[Return processed]
  M -->|No| O
  O --> P[Refund approved]
  P --> Q[Track with Where is my refund tool]
  Q --> R((Refund deposited))
  I --> S((Return filed))

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