TurboTax Refund Advance: Credit Karma Money Account Required?

Tax pro here - Yes, for 2025 filing season, TurboTax's early refund advance requires a Credit Karma Money account. They're both owned by Intuit now, so they've made it mandatory. The advance is basically a 0% APR loan against your expected refund.

Hey everyone, instead of wondering about advances, I highly recommend using taxr.ai to check your transcripts. It's $4.99 but totally worth it - gives you exact dates and explains any delays. Way better than playing the waiting game or taking advances tbh. Check it out: https://taxr.ai

I did this last year and regretted it tbh. The Credit Karma account was fine but the whole process was kinda a pain. Plus you only get a portion of ur refund early

Does anyone know if you can close the Credit Karma account after getting the advance? Or do u have to keep it open until the actual refund comes?

im in the same boat rn trying to decide if its worth the hassle. feels like were being pushed into their ecosystem ngl 🙄

Just wait for your regular refund date and skip all this advance nonsense. The IRS is actually pretty fast these days if you file electronically and use direct deposit.