Illinois State Tax Refund Processing Times for 2024 Filing Season?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Thanks for starting this data collection thread! I filed my Illinois return on March 5th and received my refund on March 28th - so 23 days total. E-filed with direct deposit, standard W-2 income plus some investment income from a 1099-DIV. The mytax.illinois.gov portal showed "being processed" for about 18 days, then switched to "refund approved" and I had the deposit 2 days later. One thing I noticed is that Illinois seems to have fewer status updates compared to the federal system - it's more of a binary "processing" vs "approved" rather than the detailed tracking you get with the IRS. Hope this data point helps with your analysis!

Filed my Illinois return on February 18th and received my refund on March 12th - exactly 22 days processing time. E-filed with direct deposit, had W-2 income plus some freelance 1099-NEC income. The status on mytax.illinois.gov showed "being processed" for about 19 days, then switched to "refund approved" and I got the deposit within 48 hours. One thing I noticed is that the Illinois system seems much less transparent than the federal system - you really just have to wait and trust the process. No detailed milestones like "return received," "return approved," "refund sent" that you get with the IRS. For your data collection, it seems like the 20-25 day range is pretty consistent for clean e-filed returns with direct deposit. Hope this helps with your analysis!

This is incredibly valuable data everyone! I filed my Illinois return on February 22nd and received my refund on March 15th - so 21 days exactly. E-filed with direct deposit, had W-2 income plus some small rental property income from Schedule E. The mytax.illinois.gov portal was pretty basic compared to the federal system - just showed "being processed" for about 18 days, then "refund approved" and the deposit hit my account 2 days later. What's interesting is that despite having rental income which I thought might trigger additional review, my processing time fell right into that 20-25 day sweet spot others have mentioned. For Jordan's data collection, it really does seem like clean e-filed returns with direct deposit are clustering around 3 weeks regardless of moderate income complexity. The consistency is actually pretty reassuring once you know what to expect!

This is exactly the kind of comprehensive data I was hoping to gather! Based on everyone's contributions, I'm seeing a clear pattern emerging for Illinois state tax refunds in 2024. The 20-25 day processing window for clean e-filed returns with direct deposit seems remarkably consistent across different income complexities - from simple W-2 only returns to those including 1099s, rental income, and investment dividends. What's particularly fascinating as a newcomer is how Illinois operates differently from the federal system - that binary "processing" vs "approved" status approach rather than detailed milestone tracking. The Tuesday/Friday batch processing schedule that several people mentioned also explains why you might see no movement for days then sudden progress. For anyone still waiting, it seems like the key factors are: e-file + direct deposit for fastest processing, and expect that 3-week timeframe regardless of moderate income complexity. This informal data collection has been incredibly valuable for understanding state-level processing variations. Thank you all for sharing your specific timelines and experiences!

This thread has been incredibly enlightening! As a newcomer to the US tax system, I'm amazed by the level of detail everyone has shared. Filed my Illinois return on February 14th and received my refund on March 8th - exactly 22 days. E-filed with direct deposit, had W-2 income plus some small freelance payments on 1099-MISC. The mytax.illinois.gov portal showed "being processed" for 19 days, then switched to "refund approved" and the deposit appeared 2 business days later. What struck me most was how the Illinois system feels more "black box" compared to what I expected from government services - you really do just have to trust the process and wait. But seeing everyone's data points clustering around that 20-25 day range regardless of income complexity is actually quite reassuring. The predictability is there, even if the transparency isn't. Coming from a different tax system, I initially found the limited status updates frustrating, but now I see it might actually reduce anxiety compared to obsessively checking for micro-updates. Thanks Jordan for starting this data collection - it's exactly what newcomers need to understand these state-specific processing patterns!

This has been such an informative thread! As a newcomer to the US tax system, I'm really grateful for all the detailed data everyone has shared. I filed my Illinois return on March 3rd and just received my refund yesterday (March 26th) - so 23 days total. E-filed with direct deposit, had W-2 income plus some investment income from a 1099-INT. The mytax.illinois.gov portal showed "being processed" for about 20 days, then switched to "refund approved" on Monday and the deposit hit my account Wednesday morning. What's fascinating is how this falls right into that 20-25 day pattern everyone has identified, regardless of having the additional 1099-INT income. Coming from a different country's tax system, I was initially frustrated by the limited status updates compared to what I expected from government digital services. But seeing this consistent processing timeline across everyone's experiences - from simple W-2 returns to those with rental income, freelance payments, and investments - is actually quite reassuring. The predictability is definitely there, even if the transparency isn't what we might expect. Jordan, your data collection has been incredibly valuable for understanding these state-specific processing patterns. It's exactly the kind of practical information newcomers need to set proper expectations and realize that "being processed" for 3 weeks doesn't mean something's wrong!