Anyone Gotten Their NJ State Refund Yet? First Time Filing in Jersey!

NJ is notoriously slow with refunds. Last year I filed in early February and didn't get my refund until mid-May. The year before that was similar. They claim 12 weeks processing time, but in reality, it can take even longer. I'd say if you filed electronically and it's been less than 8 weeks, you're still within their normal timeframe. Their system is archaic compared to other states I've filed in (NY and PA were much faster).

Did u check the NJ Division of Taxation website? There's a "Where's My Refund" tool similar to the IRS one. Sometimes it's more accurate than calling them. Also, did u file electronically or paper? Paper takes wayyy longer in NJ from what I've heard.

I think I might be in the same boat as you... I filed around mid-February and I'm still waiting on my NJ refund too. It's sort of frustrating because I kind of counted on that money for some car repairs. The website just shows "in process" which doesn't really tell me anything useful. Maybe they're just backed up this year?

NJ is absolutely one of the slowest states for tax refunds. I've been filing here for 7 years now. If you need to actually speak to someone at the NJ Division of Taxation, good luck getting through on their regular line. I wasted 3 days trying last year. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through to them - they got me connected to an actual human in about 30 minutes. The agent confirmed my refund was just in the queue and nothing was wrong. Worth the fee to save hours of redial hell. Here's their link: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

I'm a bit wary of these services that charge you to reach government agencies. It's like paying a toll to use a public road that should be free. Have you tried using the NJ Taxpayer Advocate Service? They're specifically designed to help when you can't resolve issues through normal channels.

I think the service some people mentioned might be worth it in certain situations. If you're facing financial hardship because of the delay, or if you suspect there might be an issue with your return, getting answers sooner rather than later could be important. Otherwise, it's probably best to just wait it out if you can.

Be careful about counting on state refunds for immediate expenses. NJ is worse than most states I've dealt with. Pennsylvania processed mine in 2 weeks, New York took about 3 weeks, but NJ consistently takes 10-12 weeks. Last year they had a system upgrade that delayed some refunds until June, even for people who filed in February. Better to adjust your expectations and budget accordingly.

The NJ Division of Taxation officially states that e-filed returns take approximately 4 weeks to process, while paper returns take a minimum of 12 weeks. However, these are best-case scenarios. If your return was selected for additional review or if you claimed certain credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, processing can take significantly longer. The 'in process' status on their Where's My Refund tool simply means they've received your return and it's in the queue for processing - it doesn't indicate where in the process your return actually is.

I'm going through the exact same thing! Filed my NJ return in early February and still waiting. The frustrating part is that their "Where's My Refund" tool hasn't been updated in weeks - just shows "processing" with no timeline. I've heard from other people that NJ really struggles with their outdated systems. At this point I'm just trying to be patient, but it's tough when you're counting on that money. Hang in there - sounds like we're all in the same boat this year!