Got My State Refund Yesterday - Any Indication When Federal Will Follow?

Unfortunately, state and federal tax processing systems operate independently per IRS Publication 5348. Your state refund timeline doesn't necessarily correlate with federal processing speed. According to current IRS guidelines, standard processing for e-filed returns takes 21 days minimum, though many taxpayers are experiencing delays of 30-45 days this season. I'd recommend waiting at least until the 21-day mark before becoming concerned, as premature inquiries typically don't expedite processing.

If you're anxious about the wait and need to speak with someone at the IRS, good luck with their regular phone line. According to the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service website, average hold times are exceeding 2 hours this season. I recently used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) when I was worried about my delayed refund - they got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed my return was just in normal processing with no issues. Saved me hours of stress and redial attempts.

My state and federal refunds had absolutely no correlation this year. I received my state refund on March 3rd but my federal refund wasn't deposited until April 19th. The IRS Master File processing system and state tax authority systems utilize completely different verification protocols and processing queues. My transcript showed TC 570 (additional account action pending) for weeks before finally updating with TC 571 (resolved) and then TC 846 (refund issued).

If you want to get more insight into your federal refund status, I'd recommend checking your IRS transcript rather than just the WMR tool. The transcript contains Transaction Codes (TCs) that reveal exactly where your return is in the processing pipeline. You can access this through IRS.gov, but interpreting the codes can be challenging. I've found taxr.ai to be extremely helpful - it analyzes your transcript and explains each code in plain English, plus gives you a more accurate estimated refund date based on the specific codes in your file.

I've been through this before and developed a system that helps track both refunds: • Create a spreadsheet with key dates for both returns • Track cycle dates (IRS updates happen on weekly cycles) • Note any correspondence received • Record transcript codes when they appear • Document WMR status changes This helped me identify patterns over several years. For what it's worth, my federal refund typically arrives 12-18 days after state, but there's no official correlation. The peace of mind from having organized tracking was worth the effort!

Have you checked if you have any credits on your return that might trigger additional review? Did you claim the Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Credit? Are there any education credits or recovery rebate adjustments? These factors can significantly extend processing time regardless of when your state refund arrived. Have you verified your identity with the IRS through ID.me? Sometimes returns are held until identity verification is complete, even if you haven't received a letter requesting it.

State and federal are separate systems. They don't coordinate. Your state refund means nothing for federal timing. Each state has different processing capacity. Some states are faster than the IRS. Others are slower. The IRS is handling over 150 million returns. Your state might be processing a fraction of that. Check your federal transcript for actual status. The 21-day guideline is just that - a guideline. Many refunds take longer.

Just a word of caution here - I got my state refund quickly last year and assumed federal would follow soon after. I made financial commitments based on that assumption 😬 and ended up waiting another 7 weeks for my federal refund! The IRS had flagged my return for a random review (no errors on my part). If you're counting on that money for a house down payment, you might want to have a backup plan just in case. Nothing worse than telling a seller you need to delay because the IRS is moving at glacier speed!

Have you tried calling your local Taxpayer Advocate Service? They can sometimes help if your refund is causing financial hardship - like if you need it for that house down payment you mentioned. They won't help just because you're waiting, but if you can demonstrate actual hardship (like losing your chance at a house), they might intervene. Worth a shot if you're getting close to needing those funds.

Here's exactly what happened with my returns this year: 1. Filed both state and federal on February 3rd, 2024 2. State refund received February 15th (12 days) 3. WMR showed processing until February 28th 4. Transcript updated March 1st with code 570 5. Called IRS on March 8th - told to wait 6. Transcript updated March 15th with code 571 7. Refund approved March 16th 8. Money deposited March 20th (46 days total) So in my case, state came 34 days before federal with no correlation between them.