Illinois State Tax Refund Processing Times for 2024 Filing Season?
Greetings fellow taxpayers! I'm compiling some data on IL state tax refund processing metrics for 2024. If you've filed your Illinois state return already, could you please share your filing timeline parameters? Specifically interested in: submission date, acceptance confirmation timestamp, and refund disbursement date (if applicable). Trying to establish a statistically relevant sample size to determine average processing intervals. As a newcomer to the US tax system, I'm fascinated by the state-by-state variations in processing efficiency. Thanks in advance for contributing to this informal data collection!
16 comments
Natalie Adams
Based on my research, Illinois state refunds are generally processing in about 2-4 weeks this tax season, though there might be some variations depending on your specific circumstances. The Illinois Department of Revenue website seems to indicate that e-filed returns with direct deposit typically process faster, usually within 10-14 business days, while paper returns could potentially take 8-12 weeks, especially during peak filing periods.
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Elijah O'Reilly
You can actually check your Illinois refund status directly at mytax.illinois.gov - it's their equivalent of the IRS Where's My Refund tool. According to the IDOR website, they're currently processing most clean e-filed returns within 4 weeks. I've noticed they tend to batch process refunds, so you might see nothing for a while and then suddenly get your deposit. Make sure you have your IL-PIN if you created one, as you'll need it to check your status.
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Amara Torres
I filed on February 12th and still haven't gotten my IL refund. My federal came weeks ago! Last year I got my Illinois refund in like 10 days, but this year they seem way behind. I've checked the refund status and it just says "being processed" for almost 6 weeks now. Starting to get worried they lost my return or something.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
Did you file electronically or paper? I've heard paper returns are significantly delayed this year due to staffing issues at IDOR processing centers.
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Mason Kaczka
Is it normal for state refunds to take longer than federal? I always assumed state would be faster since they're processing fewer returns than the IRS. Makes you wonder what's happening behind the scenes, doesn't it?
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Sophia Russo
I was in the same boat waiting for my IL refund. Called their help line every day for a week and couldn't get through - always disconnected after 30+ minutes on hold. Finally used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) to get through to an actual human at IDOR. First: call early morning. Second: have your IL-1040 handy. Third: be polite but persistent. The agent I spoke with confirmed my return was just in the regular processing queue with no issues. Got my refund 3 days later! Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to move things along.
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Evelyn Xu
Illinois refund processing follows a predictable pattern this year. Here's what's happening: 1. Returns filed before March 1st: 15-21 day processing 2. Returns filed March 1-April 1st: 21-28 day processing 3. Returns filed April 1-15th: 28-35 day processing 4. Returns filed after April 15th: 14-21 day processing This pattern occurs because IDOR prioritizes early filers initially, then gets backlogged during peak season, then catches up after the deadline. Direct deposit speeds things up by 3-5 days. If you claimed property tax credit or earned income credit, add 7-10 days. Paper returns add 4-6 weeks minimum.
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Dominic Green
Is this pattern consistent with previous years, or is 2024 showing different processing times? I'm comparing to my experience in 2022 when I received my refund in just 9 days after filing in early February.
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Hannah Flores
This matches exactly what happened with my return! Filed March 10th, got my refund April 5th - so about 26 days. It's like the tax department is a restaurant kitchen - they handle the early and late diners efficiently, but get slammed during the dinner rush.
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Kayla Jacobson
Last year I filed on April 14th and waited nearly 2 months for my Illinois refund. This year I filed February 20th and received it March 10th. The timing difference is remarkable - your breakdown explains exactly why!
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William Rivera
This is incredibly helpful! I've been trying to understand the rhyme and reason to state processing times. Do you happen to know if there's a specific day of the week they tend to issue refunds? I've been checking my account daily!
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Grace Lee
I filed my IL return on February 28th and received my refund on March 19th, so exactly 20 days for me. Have you checked if you have any offset conditions that might be delaying your refund? Things like unpaid state debts, child support, or even parking tickets can sometimes cause holds. Did you file a complete return with all required schedules?
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Mia Roberts
If you need your Illinois refund quickly, file electronically and opt for direct deposit. I submitted on March 12th, 2024 and had my refund by March 29th. Illinois also has a tax refund debit card option, but that typically adds 3-5 business days compared to direct deposit. The mytax.illinois.gov portal updates every Tuesday and Friday night, so check on Wednesday and Saturday mornings for the most current status.
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The Boss
The Tuesday/Friday update schedule is accurate. IDOR processes batches twice weekly, unlike the IRS which updates their system daily. This is why you might see no movement for days then sudden progress.
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Evan Kalinowski
Is there any advantage to filing state and federal simultaneously versus separately? I filed federal on February 15th but waited until March 10th to submit my Illinois return. Wonder if that 23-day gap affected my processing time?
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Victoria Charity
Filed Feb 3. Accepted Feb 4. Refund deposited Feb 25. Exactly 21 days. No complications. Direct deposit. E-filed. Clean return. No credits or deductions that trigger extra review. Simple W-2 income only. Hope this helps your data collection.
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