March 5th - Still Can't Check Status of NJ State Tax Return

I had the same issue last year with my NJ return. Filed on January 31st and couldn't check status until March 20th. The year before that was even worse - filed February 10th and couldn't see status until April 2nd. NJ is notoriously slow compared to other states I've lived in (NY and PA). Their system seems to update in batches rather than continuously. I'm getting a bit worried too since I'm cutting it close with some bills that are due.

Have you tried calling their tax hotline? I spent three days trying to get through to the NJ Division of Taxation with no luck - kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) to get through to an actual person. They confirmed my return was received and processing, just not showing online yet. Worth the fee to stop worrying! Does being on a work visa mean you have to report your tax status to immigration? Will this delay affect that?

NJ's website is the worst tbh. I filed Feb 1st and couldn't check status until last week. Turns out they have diff processing times for e-file vs paper. E-file is supposed to be 4 wks but can take up to 12 wks during busy season. Paper returns take even longer. Their online status checker is super glitchy too - sometimes works on mobile but not desktop. Def not as good as the IRS site. So relieved when mine finally showed up!

This happened to me last year. Here's what I learned about NJ's process: Step 1: Return enters the system (1-2 weeks after filing) Step 2: Initial verification (2-3 weeks) Step 3: Database update for online checking (3-4 weeks) Step 4: Final processing (1-2 weeks) Step 5: Refund issued The status checker only works once your return reaches Step 3. Before that, you get the "cannot provide information" message. Mine took exactly 37 days from filing to showing up online last year. Then another 9 days to get my refund.

I went through this exact situation in 2022 with my NJ return. Filed in January, couldn't check status until late March! I finally discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me understand what was happening with my state return. It analyzed my federal transcript and showed me the processing stages, which indirectly gave me clues about my state return too. The best part was seeing the typical timeline for similar situations. I was impressed with how it broke down the complex codes into plain English!

Finally got my NJ refund yesterday. Filed January 15th. Couldn't check status until February 28th. Almost 6 weeks total. Called multiple times. No help. Emailed their support. No response. Then suddenly it appeared. No explanation. No notification. Just showed up in my account. NJ system needs serious updating.

Be careful with NJ returns if you have any out-of-state income! My status wouldn't show for 8 weeks, then suddenly got a CP2000-NJ notice claiming I underreported interstate earnings. Turns out their verification algorithm flags returns with multi-state income for manual review, which doesn't show in their status API. The system architecture apparently can't communicate between their verification database and their public-facing interface during this review period.

According to N.J.A.C. 18:35-6.1, the Division of Taxation has 90 days to process returns before they're required to pay interest on refunds. That's why they don't prioritize updating the status checker. I filed on January 20th, couldn't check status until March 1st, but received my refund on March 3rd. Their internal processing is actually efficient - it's just their public information system that's outdated. If you filed correctly, your refund will come within the statutory timeframe.