CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THE NUMBER? LOAD IRS2GO.

Sometimes the curiosity is overwhelming and you just have to know: “Is my tax refund on its way yet?” (This usually happens at the shopping mall, right?)

Well, the Internal Revenue Service now has added instant tracking via mobile devices for those times when you just can’t wait. A 2014 update to its IRS2GO smartphone app allows users to check the current status of refunds, as well as to order past tax returns and other tax-related records.

•Track refunds. Taxpayers can follow their 2013 returns step-by-step during IRS processing. You’ll need a social security number – the IRS promises it will be “masked and encrypted for security purposes” – along with your filing status and expected amount of the refund. Start checking as soon as 24 hours after the IRS confirms arrival of an e-filed return. Tracking of a paper return takes longer. You can start checking four weeks after mailing the return.

•Order personal tax records and returns – If you need a past tax return, bill or some other IRS-held tax record, you now can request a copy through IRS2GO. You won’t see it instantly on the screen, though. The IRS will send it by mail to your taxpayer address. This feature alone can be a huge time-saver. It used to take several weeks, or longer, to request and receive tax transcripts from the IRS. (By the way, a similar service also is available online at www.irs.gov. See my previous post.)

The tax agency also gave IRS2GO a new look and feel for 2014. Download it free at Apple’s iTunes App Store or Google Play for Android devices.

The IRS says IRS2Go has been downloaded 3.5 million times since its release in 2011. The 2014 edition is Version 4.0, and features are available in both English and Spanish.