Have you considered just paying the TurboTax fee upfront instead of having it deducted from your refund? Compared to other tax situations I've dealt with, this approach eliminates the whole dual order number confusion and typically gets your refund processed faster. The refund transfer service usually costs an extra $39-40 and adds 5-7 days to your refund timeline. If you have the means to pay upfront, you'll save both money and time. It's similar to how getting a tax advance loan might seem convenient but actually costs you in the long run.

I just contacted TurboTax support about this exact issue. The representative explained that the first order number is for your TurboTax product purchase (like Deluxe, Premier, etc.) and shows as complete because you've agreed to purchase it. The second order with the 'unknown' status is specifically for the Refund Processing Service that handles deducting fees from your refund. It will remain in 'unknown' status until the IRS deposits your refund into the temporary account, TurboTax deducts their fees, and then forwards the remainder to your personal bank account. This is completely normal and doesn't indicate any problem with your return or refund.

Did you claim any credits? Like EITC or Child Tax Credit? Those take longer. Always do. Especially for joint filers. IRS flags them more often. Just curious about your situation.

I went through this exact situation on February 20th, 2023. TurboTax showed March 13th as my refund date, but the IRS was still processing. I panicked and called them on March 1st. The agent told me everything was fine - just backlogged. I received my refund on March 16th, just a few days later than TurboTax estimated. The IRS is dealing with millions of returns right now, and their systems don't always communicate status updates in real-time. I'm concerned the growing gap between tax software predictions and actual IRS timelines is creating unnecessary anxiety for filers.

I noticed you mentioned filing on February 26th, which means you're approaching the 6-week mark. Did your tax preparer specifically say they would be printing the check themselves? I'm asking because on March 18th, the IRS announced they were experiencing delays with paper check processing for returns filed between February 15th and March 1st due to a printing facility issue. Have you created an account on the IRS website to view your transcript? That would show the exact status including whether a check has been mailed.

Have you verified if your preparer used a Refund Transfer product for your return? These products (sometimes called Refund Anticipation Checks or RACs) involve a temporary bank account that receives your refund, deducts the tax preparation fees, then issues you a new check. This adds significant processing time. Also, did you check if you have any offsets that might be reducing your refund amount? Student loans, child support, or other government debts can cause delays as the Treasury Department's Bureau of the Fiscal Service processes these adjustments before releasing funds.

Has anyone here actually had their return processed using the prior year income election after divorce? I'm filing this weekend and need to know ASAP if there were any issues with processing times or additional verification steps? Did the IRS question your calculation method at all?

I successfully navigated this exact situation last year after my 2022 divorce. I used only my portion of income from our 2020 joint return for EIC calculations. I was worried about it, but my refund came through without any issues or delays. The key was having documentation ready - I kept copies of my individual W-2s from 2020 in case I was asked to verify. Remember that the IRS can already see which income was reported under your SSN versus your ex's, so they know what's yours.

NJ has been surprisingly efficient this year. I got mine in 18 days exactly. My federal took over 6 weeks though! Did you file electronically or paper?

Just a heads up - make sure the deposit actually hits your account. I had an approved date of 2/28 but it didn't show up until 3/4. Apparently there was some processing backlog at their end. But congrats on getting approved!