Has anyone tried doing the taxes the old school way with the free IRS fillable forms? I know it's not as fancy but it's literally free for everyone regardless of income and they support all forms.

I've been using TaxAct's free version for the past few years and it's worked well for my situation with W2 and multiple 1099s. Unlike some of the other "free" options that force upgrades, TaxAct's free version actually includes 1099 support without any hidden fees for federal filing. The interface is pretty clean and intuitive - not as flashy as some of the bigger names, but it gets the job done without being frustrating to navigate. It walks you through each section step by step and has good error checking to catch mistakes before you file. One thing I really like is that it imports W2s electronically from most major employers, and you can easily add multiple 1099s without any upgrade prompts. It also has a decent selection of deduction categories if you're itemizing, though the standard deduction is probably better for most people anyway. The only downside is you do have to pay for state filing (around $15-20 depending on your state), but federal is completely free even with the 1099 income. Given how much time it saves compared to doing everything manually, I think it's worth considering alongside the other options mentioned here.

According to N.J.A.C. 18:35-6.1, the Division of Taxation has 90 days to process returns before they're required to pay interest on refunds. That's why they don't prioritize updating the status checker. I filed on January 20th, couldn't check status until March 1st, but received my refund on March 3rd. Their internal processing is actually efficient - it's just their public information system that's outdated. If you filed correctly, your refund will come within the statutory timeframe.

I'm dealing with something similar - filed my NJ return on February 8th and still can't check status online. What's particularly frustrating is that I got my federal refund three weeks ago, but NJ's system still shows nothing. I called yesterday and waited 2.5 hours just to be told "your return is in process" with no timeline. Since you mentioned being on a work visa, have you considered reaching out to a tax professional? They might have better insight into whether visa status affects NJ processing times or if there are additional verification steps for non-citizens. At this point I'm just hoping it processes before I need to make quarterly payments in April!

Does anyone know if the IRS is processing refunds faster or slower this year compared to last? I filed on February 1st last year and got my refund by Valentine's Day. Wondering what to expect this time.

I'm in a very similar boat to you, Connor! Filed early last year and got around $2,600 back, but this year I'm honestly not sure what to expect. I did get a small raise too (about 3%), but I also started contributing to an HSA mid-year which should help lower my taxable income. One thing I noticed when I started preparing my taxes is that the standard deduction increase is nice, but it's not as dramatic as some years. The real wildcard for me is that my employer switched payroll systems last year and I'm not 100% confident they adjusted withholdings correctly when they migrated everything over. I'm planning to file within the next week or two. Might be worth both of us comparing notes once we see our actual numbers! The uncertainty is definitely stressing me out more than usual this year.

23 Pro tip: Ask for Schedule B of the 1040 specifically. That's where interest and dividends are reported AND there's a section that asks about foreign accounts. If your ex checked "yes" but you never knew about foreign accounts, that's a red flag to investigate further. I discovered my ex had an offshore account this way.

25 This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my ex provided minimal financial documentation. One thing I learned from my attorney is that you can also request Schedule K-1 forms if your ex was involved in any partnerships, S-corporations, or LLCs. These show income from business partnerships that wouldn't appear on a W2. Also, don't forget about Schedule D for capital gains/losses from stock sales or property transactions. My ex "forgot" to mention he sold some rental property during our separation year, and this is where it showed up. The 1040 really is the complete picture - the W2 is just one piece of the puzzle. For anyone going through this, document everything and be persistent about requesting complete tax returns through your attorney. The difference between what's on a W2 versus the full 1040 can be substantial.

Here's what actually happens: The IRS sends the payment to your bank on the DDD. Then it's up to your bank when they post it to your account. Some banks post as soon as they receive the ACH transfer, others wait until the next business day. For TurboTax specifically - if you had fees taken out of your refund, that adds an extra step because it goes through Santa Barbara Tax Products Group first, which can add 1-2 days.

Chase typically processes refunds pretty quickly in my experience. I've been filing with TurboTax for years and banking with Chase, and I'd say about 70% of the time my refund hits on the actual DDD, usually early morning around 2-4am. The other 30% it's the next business day. Since tomorrow is your DDD, I'd check your account first thing in the morning and if it's not there, definitely check Friday morning. Good luck with the car repairs!