NJ State Return Still Processing While Federal Already Received

I'm in the exact same boat! Filed around the same time (01/29) and got my federal within 2 weeks but my NJ return is still stuck in limbo. Last year I had the opposite problem - state came quick but federal took forever. The NJ Division of Taxation website is absolutely useless compared to the IRS one. I called them last week and after waiting 45 minutes, they just told me "it's still processing" with zero additional info. The frustrating part is there's no equivalent to the federal 'Where's My Refund' tool that actually gives you useful status updates.

NJ is notoriously slow with processing returns this year. Have you checked your state tax transcript? I've been using https://taxr.ai to analyze both my federal and state transcripts. It helped me understand exactly what was happening with my NJ return - apparently they're doing additional verification on returns filed in January. The tool highlighted specific codes on my transcript that showed my return was in the fraud prevention queue, which is why it was taking longer. Saved me from unnecessary worry.

NJ is def having major delays this yr. My friend filed same day as me (1/26) and got her refund 2 wks ago, but mine's still MIA. Checked my info like 100x to make sure I didn't mess up. Are you a first-time NJ filer? Sometimes they put extra verification on new filers in the system. Also did u file electronically or paper? Paper is taking FOREVER rn.

According to N.J.A.C. 18:35-6.1, New Jersey is required to process refunds within a reasonable timeframe, but unlike the federal 21-day guideline, state processing times can legally extend much longer. In my experience, calling the NJ Division of Taxation rarely provides useful information during peak season. I've had success using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent who could see my specific file status. They connected me within 15 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. The agent was able to tell me my return was flagged for a simple verification that was holding up the whole process.

I'm not convinced NJ is actually processing anything right now. Their system architecture is probably overwhelmed with the influx of returns from the January-February filing period. The Automated Refund System might be experiencing a queue backlog, especially if they're implementing enhanced fraud detection algorithms this year. Has anyone received a NJ state refund who filed after January 15th? I'm starting to think they're batching returns and only processing them in specific intervals.

The delays are likely due to enhanced verification procedures that the NJ Division of Taxation implemented this year. Most states, including New Jersey, are perhaps dealing with staffing shortages in their tax departments, which may be contributing to the slower processing times. Additionally, it seems that returns claiming certain credits or deductions might potentially be subject to additional review. Based on previous years' patterns, you might possibly see movement in the next 7-10 business days as they tend to process returns in batches.

I've been dealing with NJ tax returns for 15 years and this year is worse than most. My federal was processed and deposited in 9 days, but NJ is going on 8 weeks now. It's like comparing Amazon Prime delivery to sending a letter by carrier pigeon. I've seen similar situations in other high-tax states like NY and CA where their systems just can't handle the volume like the IRS can. Last year I got my NJ refund in March after filing in early February. The year before that was mid-April. There's absolutely no consistency, which makes it impossible to plan financially. At least with the IRS, you know what to expect.