This situation involves several different tax issues that need to be untangled: • Dependency claims - He cannot claim you unless you lived with him ALL year and meet other tests • Child Tax Credit - Advanced payments went to whoever claimed the kids in the previous year • Third stimulus (EIP3) - Also went to whoever claimed the kids previously • Newborn child - Special rules apply for children born in 2023 The IRS actually has a pretty robust system for handling conflicting claims! They don't just automatically give credits to whoever files first anymore. They look at who received advance payments and who has legitimate claim to the dependents.

My sister went through this exact scenario last tax season. Her ex claimed their two kids despite them living with her full-time. You know what happened? The IRS froze both refunds and sent both parents a letter requesting documentation. She sent in school records showing her address, medical bills she paid, and their custody agreement. Guess what? Her ex's tax return was adjusted, the kids were removed from his return, and he had to pay back the refundable credits he'd incorrectly received. The IRS actually handles these situations pretty effectively, don't you think? The key is responding quickly to any IRS notices and having your documentation ready.

This is a known issue for people who had to verify ID. The system often switches to paper checks as a security measure, but doesn't update all their systems accordingly. The check is probably already on its way to you. In my experience, paper checks typically arrive 5-14 days after the date shown on your transcript. So I'd give it until at least April 19th before calling again.

Just curious - did you have any offset conditions or did you owe any back taxes? Sometimes that can trigger a switch to paper check too.

If you're really concerned, you could always call TurboTax directly to confirm that your direct deposit info was correctly transmitted to the IRS. Their customer service line is actually pretty decent compared to trying to reach the IRS! Just be prepared with your TurboTax account info and they can tell you exactly what happened with both the advance program and your regular refund. I had to do this last year when I had a similar confusion, and they cleared it right up in about 10 minutes. 🤷‍♀️ Sometimes the simplest solution works!

Just to clarify - the message you received is specifically about TurboTax's Refund Advance program, which is a loan product offered through their banking partners. This is completely separate from your actual tax refund from the IRS. The message means you didn't qualify for their loan product (which is actually good because you avoid those fees!), but your tax refund will still be processed normally by the IRS and sent via whatever method you selected when filing (direct deposit if you provided bank details). The fact that you filed jointly for the first time shouldn't affect your direct deposit - the IRS handles joint returns every day without issues.

Last year I had this exact issue with my state return. After waiting 3 weeks for a check that never came, I called and learned they had an incorrect mailing address. The best approach is to call your state tax department ASAP and verify they have your correct address on file. If they confirm the check was actually mailed to the right address, they can typically initiate a trace after 21-30 days (varies by state). Some states will even cancel the original check and reissue immediately if you explain it's been more than 14 days.

Be very careful about this! On February 15th last year, my state tax website showed my refund check was mailed on January 28th. After not receiving it by February 20th, I called and they confirmed it had been mailed. On March 7th, I called again and requested a replacement check. They told me I needed to wait until April 1st (a full 60 days) before they could reissue. When I finally got the replacement in mid-April, I discovered someone had intercepted my original check, forged my signature, and cashed it. This triggered a fraud investigation that took 5 months to resolve. Document everything and call immediately to verify the status.

I would strongly caution against calling the IRS multiple times, as this may potentially flag your account in their system. There have been instances, albeit rare, where accounts that generate multiple inquiry calls within a short timeframe get marked for additional verification, which could possibly extend your wait time further. This isn't guaranteed to happen, of course, but it's something to be mindful of as you navigate this frustrating situation.

Based on data from the r/IRS community on March 28th, 2024, approximately 32% of early February filers are experiencing extended processing times. The consensus is that returns filed between February 8-15 are facing particular delays. Most affected returns begin processing between April 1-15, with refunds following 5-10 days after transcript updates appear. Your timeline falls precisely within this pattern, suggesting normal (albeit slow) processing rather than a problem with your specific return.