I thought E-file was supposed to be faster?

[Disney1fan2002]

I thought E-file took DAYS? Not WEEKS. A few years ago, when E-file 1st started, my sister had her federal refund in FOUR DAYS.

I have always mailed in our tax returns, and have always had our federal refund in 4 weeks. We are told with E-file we will have it in 3 weeks. That is faster?

Seems they are now processing them like a paper return, only difference, your not waiting for the mail. A few days difference, whoopie!

 

[ntburns22]

We filed our return online with Turbo Tax and recieved our refund in 9 business days.

 

[Christine]

Well, I *mailed* my taxes in on February 7th (because I REFUSE to pay $24.95 to e-file) and the IRS is still not showing a status of my return. So e-filing is going to be better. But, as more and more people start e-filing, it will be just like doing a paper return.

 

[4greatboys]

There is a sch they go by as to when they are sent out. We efiled ours on Feb 6 and got it today (just like the sch said). Also we didnt pay anything to efile.

 

[golfgal]

If you paper file early you will get your refund back in a month or so but if you don't file until after mid Feb or later, it could take several months to get your refund. We usually have our fed refund back in 2 weeks after filing. This year there was an error, well it wasn't really an error but it was something people often make errors on so they "reviewed" our return which took one extra week. Our state refund was in our account in 4 days. To get the fastest refund e-file and then direct deposit your check.

 

[Christine]

There is a sch they go by as to when they are sent out. We efiled ours on Feb 6 and got it today (just like the sch said). Also we didnt pay anything to efile.

How did you get to e-file for free. I went to do it and there was a $24.95 charge.

 

[tar heel]

On the IRS site, there is an income restriction for the free efiling. I'm doing my taxes this weekend, and someone a few days ago said there's a place to efile at any income for no fees. I can't remember where I heard/read that, though. Does anyone know where this is?

 

[Nite0wl71]

I e-filed through H&R Block this year. I filed on Jan 29th and it was deposited on Feb 10th.

On the IRS front page it says file for free, click that then it asks if you want help. Click that and it asks you a few questions then shows you which ones are free for you.

Our state tax is filed free through the state website. If you do it through one of the others they will charge you $24.95, so I always say no to filing my state.

 

[mom2boys]

Here's a link to the IRS refund cycle chart: http://techkb.atxforms.com/TSTKB.nsf/0/de450aeb4f11b4c485256f2a004f1366?OpenDocument

The key is when the IRS accepts your electronically filed return. If your return is accepted by noon on Thursday, your direct deposit will be transmitted in 2 weeks and a day, paper checks mailed in 3 weeks and a day.
So if your electronic return is accepted today Friday 2/17, your funds will be transmitted to your bank on Firday March 3rd. A paper check would be mailed on 3/10. If your return was accepted by noon yesterday your direct deposit refund would be transmitted 2/24, paper refund mailed 3/3.
Clicking send and acceptance by IRS are not simultaneous. In my case, returns are sent to my software provider who batch sends them to IRS. I imagine the turbo taxes & others work the same way. One the return is transmitted to IRS, some preliminary checks are run on it to determine it's processability. This is more of a mathematical/statistacal calculation, not a test of the accuracy of the return. If all is well the return is accepted. Once the return is accepted a check is made to verify that there are no outstanding government/child support liabilities prior to the issuance of the refund.
All in all, I think it's rather remarkable that millions of refunds are turned around so quickly. If you mail your return, a human being must input every item of your return into the IRS computers. Imagine doing that all day without making a single keystroke error. I can't.

 

[Christine]

If you mail your return, a human being must input every item of your return into the IRS computers. Imagine doing that all day without making a single keystroke error. I can't.

I thought that if you mailed in a Turbo Tax prepared form that it was scanned in? I know that my state return, done in TurboTax, is done is some sort of weird, almost unreadable format that is scanned in.

 

[hiwaygal]

not trying to hijack the thread...but I hope someone here can answer my question.

I am on hold with the IRS right now...

I checked my bank to see if my refund was deposited today...it wasn't. So I checked the IRS site and it said "there is a delay in processing your return" and I have to call this number.

I'm ...

Any idea why there would be a delay?? I've used TT for years and never had this happen...this is our first year filing married/joint.

 

[LisaNJ25]

not trying to hijack the thread...but I hope someone here can answer my question.

I am on hold with the IRS right now...

I checked my bank to see if my refund was deposited today...it wasn't. So I checked the IRS site and it said "there is a delay in processing your return" and I have to call this number.

I'm ...

Any idea why there would be a delay?? I've used TT for years and never had this happen...this is our first year filing married/joint.

Mine is delayed also.... but it is becasue I owed from last year. Stupid me owed under $100 and I never sent it in. Now they are just going to take it out of this years refund, which is fine. Mine was sapposed to be in my acount last friday and wasnt. I was hopping for today and not there either.

I hope it is there next friday.. I had to pay a large dental bill last week thinking I would have my refund and that backfired.

 

[tar heel]

Did you change your name when you got married? If you did, did you also get a social security card?

 

[hiwaygal]

Thanks for the quick replies...

God knows I love my DH...but somehow or another he owes the IRS quite a bit of $$$ (don't know why, don't care)...anyway, the delay is because they are going to essentially pay off his back taxes. Which is good in a way...one less bill to pay!

He had told me that they wouldn't do that...and I don't know why I believed him! His reasoning today was that they didn't do that last year! NO DUH, Sweetheart...we weren't MARRIED last year!! Gotta love him!

Okay...back to the original topic...

e-filing is pretty darn quick (if you don't have "unexpected" delays! )

 

[TwinMom7]

We did ours through H & R Block online on January 29th and it was deposited on February 10th. It's been this way for the past 3-4 years - I can usually figure that there will be one Friday between the time I file and the day it's deposited. No complaints here.

 

[makinorlando]

We did ours through H & R Block online on January 29th and it was deposited on February 10th. It's been this way for the past 3-4 years - I can usually figure that there will be one Friday between the time I file and the day it's deposited. No complaints here.

I second that!

 

[azgal81]

Mine was accepted on January 23rd and deposited in my account on the 31st. Maybe it depends what efiler you use. I used taxact it was free for federal but they charged you to efile for state so I just had them fill it out for me, I printed it off and I'll mail it in. That way it was free!

I wouldn't pay to efile either but there are so many websites that are free so I think you only need to pay if you don't realize there are free ones out there. Most do charge to file state though.

 

[puffkin]

The earlier you file, the faster you get your refund. Obviously as the volume of filers goes up, it will take longer for them to process.....

I have filed e-filed early to mid Feb the last few years, and it always takes about 10 business days. I file through Turbo Tax, and the date they give me when my return is submitted is always right.