In addition, taxpayers can: View the amount they owe. Pay online or set up an online payment agreement. Access their tax records. Review the past 18 months of their payment history. View key tax return information for the most recent tax return they filed. To access their information online, taxpayers must register through Secure Access, the IRS’ two-factor authentication process. This identity-proofing process rigorously protects sensitive information. Check Your Federal Tax Refund Status. If you have filed your federal income taxes and expect to receive a refund, you can track its status. Have your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund ready. If you owe money to the IRS, you typically will receive a notice with the amount you owe. You can also check your balance by requesting a transcript, which gives you more detail than a notice would. If you can't pay your balance in full, you can set up an online payment agreement to avoid additional fees and penalties.