I've been through this exact situation three years in a row now. Each time, my state refund (California) came through about 2 weeks after filing while my federal was held until late February due to EITC. Last year I called my state tax board directly and they confirmed they don't follow the PATH Act restrictions - they have their own fraud prevention systems but they don't automatically hold EITC returns until February 15th like the feds do. I was shocked at how different the processes are! The only time your state might be delayed is if they specifically flag your return for review or if your state tax calculation depends heavily on federal numbers that haven't been verified yet. But that's case-by-case, not a blanket hold like the federal PATH Act.

Let me clarify this based on my experience as someone who's dealt with this for years. The PATH Act is strictly a federal law that requires the IRS to hold refunds claiming EITC or ACTC until February 15th. I remember when it first went into effect in 2017 - what a mess! States have their own tax systems and processing timelines. My wife and I file in Illinois, and we typically get our state refund 2-3 weeks before our federal when we claim EITC. However, there's a small catch - some states use information from your federal return to verify your state return. So while they're not legally required to hold your refund, they might wait until they get certain verification from the feds.

I experienced this exact scenario last tax season when I added my second dependent. The EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) has significant threshold increases with multiple qualifying dependents, especially in the $25k-$30k AGI range. My refund increased by approximately $4,200 from the previous year, primarily due to the EITC differential between one and two qualifying children. I was slightly concerned about potential IRS scrutiny, but everything processed without issues. I'd recommend reviewing the EITC calculation section in your TurboTax summary to verify the numbers.

Based on your income and situation, here's what might be happening: • EITC increases substantially with 2 qualifying children vs 1 • At $30k income with 2 kids, EITC could be around $5,900-6,100 • With 1 kid at same income, EITC is only about $3,900-4,000 • Child Tax Credit adds another $2,000 for the additional child • If you're self-employed, you might qualify for additional credits Before filing, I recommend: • Review the entire return line by line • Use TurboTax's explanation feature on any large credits • Compare with last year's return to spot differences • Print a copy of all supporting documentation

I think we should be careful about suggesting not to file... I'm not a tax professional, but I've heard that the IRS might still expect a return even if you're under the threshold, especially if you received W-2 forms. Maybe it's better to err on the side of caution? I'd hate for the original poster to face penalties later just because they were trying to avoid some paperwork now.

I had this exact situation last year. Here's what I learned: 1. First, determine if you're required to file based on filing status and total income. 2. Second, check if you had any federal taxes withheld from your paychecks. 3. Third, calculate if filing would benefit you (refund of withheld taxes). 4. Fourth, consider if you qualify for refundable credits like EITC. I wasn't required to file but did anyway and got back $380 in withheld taxes. The free filing software took me about 30 minutes. Definitely worth it in my case. Wondering if my situation applies to yours?

Why pay someone else for access to YOUR money? That's exactly what these advances are - you're paying a fee to get what's already yours just a little faster. Would you pay someone $50 to hand you your wallet that's sitting across the room? That's essentially what you're doing with a refund advance. I've been filing early (usually late January) for years and typically get my direct deposit within 2-3 weeks. Just a bit of patience saves you money!

Tax refund advances (TRAs) typically come in two varieties: no-fee advances and fee-based advances. The no-fee options are usually marketing tools designed to attract clients to paid tax preparation services, while fee-based advances function as short-term loans with APRs that can exceed 40% when calculated annually. Most tax professionals recommend avoiding these products unless you're experiencing a genuine financial emergency that cannot wait the typical 21-day processing period for e-filed returns with direct deposit.

Has anyone actually confirmed if the January 27th date was significant this year? I'm fascinated by how the IRS prioritizes returns! Did you notice any pattern with your processing compared to friends or family who filed at different times?

Just to clarify what's happening with the 2024 tax filing season: The IRS officially began accepting returns on January 22nd, 2024. Any returns received before the processing date (January 29th this year) were held in a queue. Being in this early queue can sometimes mean faster processing, but it's not guaranteed. I filed on January 23rd and got my refund on February 12th, while my husband filed on February 1st and is still waiting. The system prioritizes different returns based on multiple factors beyond just submission date.