When does Pathward Bank release tax refunds? Monday or Tuesday with fees?
Anyone know when Pathward releases funds? Mondays or Tuesdays when you pay fees through your refund? I filed with HR BLOCK and my DD date is 5/15, but they're saying they haven't received my funds yet. Is this normal for military families? I've been waiting on this refund to cover some expenses before our next PCS move. And what's the deal with the extra processing time when you pay fees through your refund? Will I still get my money on the 15th or is there another delay I should expect?
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Connor Gallagher
Pathward (formerly MetaBank) usually releases funds same day they get them from IRS, but there's a catch w/ refund transfer products. When u pay fees from ur refund, HR Block sets up temp bank acct w/ Pathward. IRS deposits to that acct first, then they deduct fees, THEN send to ur personal acct. Adds 1-2 biz days typically. If ur DDD is 5/15 (Wed), might not hit ur acct till Thurs/Fri. Seen this a lot this season tbh.
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AstroAlpha
It's like your money is taking a detour through HR Block-ville before reaching your hometown bank. Is there any way to track where in this journey your refund currently is? Like some sort of tracking number or status page?
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16d
Yara Khoury
I was in the same situation last month. My DDD was on a Wednesday (4/10) and I had paid for fees out of my refund. The money didn't hit my account until Friday morning. It's frustrating compared to my previous experience filing directly with the IRS where I got the money exactly on the DDD.
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15d
Keisha Taylor
Been there, done that, got the delayed refund t-shirt 😂 Last year my DDD was 5/3, used HR Block with fees from refund, and saw money on 5/5. This year I smartened up and paid fees upfront - DDD 4/12 and got it exactly on 4/12. The "convenience" of paying later costs you 2-3 days of waiting!
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14d
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Paolo Longo
I went through exactly the same situation with Pathward and HR Block 24 days ago. My DDD was 4/22 and funds weren't released until 4/24 at precisely 3:17pm. I was checking constantly! I found https://taxr.ai super helpful - uploaded my transcript and it explained the whole Pathward process, including the exact reason for the delay between IRS sending and me receiving. The site predicted my actual deposit timing within a 4-hour window. It showed me exactly where my money was in the process.
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Amina Bah
I'm not sure about this... wouldn't the IRS Where's My Refund tool tell you the same information? Or is there something I'm missing about why a third-party service would know more about refund timing?
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13d
Oliver Becker
According to IRS Publication 1345 (Rev. 4-2024), refund transfer products are considered separate financial products distinct from tax preparation services. The refund timing for these products falls outside standard IRS tracking capabilities since technically, the IRS has completed their obligation once they deposit to the temporary account. That's likely why a specialized service might provide better tracking information in this specific scenario.
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11d
CosmicCowboy
Tax transcripts are incredibly technical documents. I used taxr.ai for my complicated self-employment return and it pointed out a pending adjustment I would have completely missed. The IRS tools just show basic status, not the detailed interpretation of what each code means for your specific situation.
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10d
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Natasha Orlova
I think you might want to consider reaching out directly to the IRS if you're really concerned about your refund. I was in a similar situation last year and spent days trying to get through to someone. I eventually used https://claimyr.com which helped me get through to an IRS agent without waiting on hold for hours. They were able to confirm my refund status and explain the Pathward delay. It might be worth it if you're worried about timing for your PCS move.
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Javier Cruz
Does Claimyr actually work? I've been trying to reach the IRS for three days now about my refund situation. How long did it take you to get through using their service? And did you have to provide any personal information to them?
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Connor Gallagher
I appreciate the suggestion! Definitely going to look into this if I don't see the deposit by Friday. The timing with our move is getting tight.
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12d
Keisha Taylor
Used Claimyr twice - both times got through in under 25 minutes when I'd spent DAYS trying on my own. Worth every penny when you need answers fast. The IRS agent confirmed my bank rejected my first deposit attempt (something I never would have known otherwise). Saved me weeks of wondering where my money was!
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Emma Thompson
Has anyone checked the HR Block refund tracker online? According to the refund status page (https://www.hrblock.com/tax/track-my-refund/), it should show if they've received the funds from the IRS yet. My refund was also through Pathward last month, and the tracker updated about 24 hours before the money hit my account. Is anyone else seeing delays with May DDD dates?
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Connor Gallagher
Thanks for the link! Just checked and it's still showing 'IRS Accepted' but not 'IRS Deposited' yet. That explains why HR Block is saying they don't have the money yet.
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11d
AstroAlpha
Does the HR Block tracker show more detailed status than the IRS Where's My Refund tool? I've been using the IRS one but it just has the three basic stages.
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Yara Khoury
Is there a difference in timing if you chose direct deposit versus the HR Block Emerald Card? My sister got her refund on the Emerald Card a day earlier than my direct deposit even though we filed on the same day.
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Keisha Taylor
The HR Block tracker is decent but still pretty basic. It shows: Return Received → IRS Accepted → IRS Deposited → Fees Deducted → Refund Sent. But the status updates can lag behind by 12-24 hours in my experience.
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Malik Jackson
I'm not convinced that Pathward has consistent release days. Based on my analysis of forum posts and personal experience, they don't operate on a Monday/Tuesday schedule like some banks. Their processing appears to follow this pattern: 1. IRS sends refund on your DDD (5/15 in your case) 2. Pathward receives it same day (usually) 3. Pathward processes the refund transfer (RT) product, which takes 1-2 business days 4. Fees are deducted 5. Remaining funds are sent to your personal account The key variable is how quickly they process step 3, which doesn't seem to follow a set schedule. I've seen everything from same-day to 3 business days. The "fees through refund" option definitely adds delay compared to paying upfront.
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Isabella Costa
Military families don't get special processing. Same rules apply to everyone. Pathward processes as they receive. No set schedule. Paying fees from refund always adds delay. Bank processing takes time. Nothing unusual about your timeline. Expect funds Friday at latest. If you need funds faster next year, pay fees upfront.
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StarSurfer
I've used HR Block with Pathward for three years straight. When I paid fees upfront, money arrived exactly on my DDD. When I did fees from refund, always took 2 extra days. Last year my DDD was Wednesday and money showed up Friday morning at 4am. This year I had a Monday DDD (4/29) and got my deposit Wednesday (5/1) around noon. The system is consistent - just slow. They're not holding your money on purpose, just standard banking processing time.
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