Louisiana State Tax Refund Issued 2/13/2025 - Is It Normal To Receive State Before Federal?

Just checked my Louisiana state refund status and it's showing something really weird. I'm Head of Household status for tax year 2024, and the system shows my refund was forwarded to my financial institution on 2/13/2025. The website specifically says to "allow three (3) days for the refund to post to your account." But here's what's strange - my federal return is still processing? I've never had state come before federal in my life. I went to the Louisiana Department of Revenue website (p.revenue.louisiana.gov) to check my refund status. I entered the required information - my Social Security Number (for joint returns, they ask for the Social Security Number of the primary taxpayer OR spouse), the exact refund amount shown on my return, selected Tax Year 2024, and chose Filing Status 4. Head of Household. The results page shows exactly this message: "Your refund was forwarded to your financial institution on 2/13/2025. Please allow three (3) days for the refund to post to your account. If you have not received your refund within this time, please contact your bank. If you have not received your refund after 30 days, please call us at 855-307-3893 during regular business hours Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:20 PM and Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:20 PM" I'm confused because my federal refund is still being processed, and I've always had my federal come through first in previous years. Has the IRS slowed down processing this year or is Louisiana just really efficient suddenly? It's been a couple days since the state forwarded it, but nothing has shown up in my account yet. My bank usually posts deposits right away. Anyone else experiencing this? It just seems really unusual for state to process before federal. Should I wait the full 3 days before contacting my bank as the website suggests?

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14 comments

Alicia Stern

The OCR shows a Louisiana state tax refund status page for a Head of Household filer in tax year 2024. The refund was forwarded to the financial institution on February 13, 2025, which is a standard processing timeframe for early filers. The 3-day posting window mentioned is typical for ACH transfers between government entities and banks. What's notable here is the detailed two-tier support structure: first contacting your bank if the refund doesn't post within 3 days, then escalating to the Louisiana Revenue Department (855-307-3893) if it's not received within 30 days. Their business hours are specific but unusual - running until 4:20 PM rather than the typical 5:00 PM, with a later start on Fridays at 9:00 AM. While it may seem unusual for state processing to complete before federal, many states have modernized their processing systems and now frequently issue refunds before the IRS. This is especially true during peak filing season when the IRS is handling a much larger volume of returns nationwide. The status page requires specific information for verification - the primary taxpayer's Social Security Number (or spouse's for joint returns) and the exact refund amount, which helps prevent unauthorized access to refund information.

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