# Got my federal refund today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 8, 2018, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415 "2018-02-08T05:08:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/1 "2018-02-08T05:08:45Z")
Filed electronically (TaxAct) on January 29, it was accepted the next day, and the money is in my bank and withdrawable today. I have a pretty straightforward return, which may have something to do with it, although I do itemize on Schedule A. (State return didn’t go in until 3 or 4 days later because TaxAct didn’t have a certain necessary form yet, so I don’t have that refund so far.) So, who out there can beat that? ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/2 "2018-02-08T05:27:15Z")
We filed the 26th (federal) and the following Monday (state). Both were accepted the day they were filed. We haven’t received our refund yet. We’re claiming the child tax credit, and a friend of mine who works for H&R Block told me those refunds will be delayed until the end of February. Sucks. I have my eye on some new All-Clad cookware and I told myself that I would use our tax refund for that rather than budget it out of our monthly salary. So I’m chompin’ at the bit to order it. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/3 "2018-02-08T05:36:38Z")
I also filed on Jan. 29 and got my federal refund today. The fastest I ever managed was 5 days, a few years ago–filed it on a Thursday night and the refund was there on Tuesday. State hasn’t come through yet, but it’s way less, so I’m not fussed. ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/4 "2018-02-08T06:05:10Z")
Deity knows that while my husband has my info, his info, the kids’ (whether minors or college attending) info it is safe to say I will still be nagging him in April to do ours. We get back for Fed, but still, we do have to pay State. This year I get to also nag the oldest since he is out on his own and it will be one of those “Your parents ask/nag you this every year until they die” things. I just didn’t realize it was also a husband/wife thing kind of nagging until I started having an income that is to tricky to file for and worth filing for (the few years I worked I either never made enough to get back to make it worth filing or I was single and filed as soon as I had my forms on hand.) ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/5 "2018-02-08T15:08:11Z")
Federal 1040A filed with TaxAct 1/22, refund received 1/30. State filed 1/31 directly with the Wisconsin DOR…still waiting. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/6 "2018-02-08T16:10:10Z")
Going by prior experience, I won’t have all of the tax forms that I need to file my taxes until mid-March (legally they must arrive by Feb 28 :mad:). My employer hasn’t even sent my T4 yet. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/7 "2018-02-08T16:52:10Z")
I guess I’m tied with the OP. Filed with the IRS on Jan. 29, received my refund Feb. 7. Fastest refund I’ve ever gotten (also the biggest). ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/8 "2018-02-08T17:57:59Z")
Due to the complications of working overseas our taxes usually don’t get done until sometime in April or May. Miss DrumBum does her own. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/9 "2018-02-08T20:17:32Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Going by prior experience, I won’t have all of the tax forms that I need to file my taxes until mid-March (legally they must arrive by Feb 28 :mad:). My employer hasn’t even sent my T4 yet. This is similar to my experience, although I have all my employment income related forms. But I’m still missing a lot of 1099 DIV / INT forms, and historically they’re not all sent until the end of February. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/10 "2018-02-08T21:09:07Z")
I filed around the same time (26 Jan), but owed money on my Federal (moved out of mutual fund to a retirement annuity and paid capital gains), which they grabbed within two days. Still waiting on my (Alabama) state tax refund, but this being Ali-bama, I am not setting a date when I get it. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/11 "2018-02-08T23:08:16Z")
I’m in no hurry. We try to plan things so we’ve paid in very close to what we’re going to owe. Many folks set it up to get a big refund, but I don’t want to lend the government money interest-free. I can put that money someplace that will make some money instead of letting the government use it until tax day. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/12 "2018-02-09T02:39:20Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I’m in no hurry. We try to plan things so we’ve paid in very close to what we’re going to owe. Many folks set it up to get a big refund, but I don’t want to lend the government money interest-free. I can put that money someplace that will make some money instead of letting the government use it until tax day. I don’t know how I can plan things so carefully. My mutual funds paid a distribution of multiple tens of thousands of dollars on the last business day of the year. How can anyone plan their taxes around that? ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/13 "2018-02-09T13:43:46Z")
Our federal is going to hell (IRS) because it will pay off last years-or they are still processing…yeah like they would send us a check… I just checked on state’s, the 15th is what it says for which we will receive direct deposited. We filed both on 1/29. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/14 "2018-02-09T17:32:44Z")
I file with TurboTax and usually it’s all very fast but this year not so much. I filed on Feb 1 and I’m not even sure if it was accepted yet. I didn’t get an email, but maybe the email is in my spam box. The TurboTax interface has my progress bar in the middle of the “Your return was accepted” area so I don’t know if that means it was accepted or it’s halfway there. TT estimates my refund on 2/22. Sad. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/15 "2018-02-09T20:02:06Z")
Filed via TaxAct on 1/29 and also got refund on 2/7. I moved to TaxAct a couple years ago after TurboTax started raising their costs. Looks like TaxAct is also faster at processing. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/16 "2018-02-10T15:44:17Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Filed electronically (TaxAct) on January 29, it was accepted the next day, and the money is in my bank and withdrawable today…who out there can beat that? That’s quite an extraordinary accomplishment, I can see why you are so proud. mmm ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/17 "2018-02-11T01:32:36Z")
I think we’re still waiting on a form. Best part of being laid off? Paying less in taxes! Yes, desperate for a silver lining. How could you tell? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/18 "2018-02-11T12:42:47Z")
I was pleasantly surprised how quickly my refund was deposited. I did the free online TurboTax - which is fine if you don’t mind continually dodging the pleas to upgrade - and the refund was deposited 8 days later. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/19 "2018-02-11T21:17:01Z")
I just noticed yesterday that I got my state refund only one day later, which makes the state refund even faster from filing to deposit than the federal. Yay California. I frankly wish I could figure out how to do my withholding from four sources of income (2 pensions, SS, and IRA withdrawals) so that my refunds would be smaller, but I can’t seem to get it right, and I sure don’t want to have to pay. And with the tax changes coming for this year I have even less idea what to do. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415/20 "2018-02-12T20:22:57Z")
Same as last year, the Child Tax credit holds up processing until “middle February” and don’t expect it until “Feb 27th at the earliest.” I filed my state taxes early because I am expecting 2 refunds I have never received before and maybe they will be faster. As far as withholding goes, I claimed 7 on a job I started in the middle of the year and that still didn’t help. Since I have a family of 4 my “standard deduction” will actually decrease so I expect my withholding might increase if they really do anything different the next pay cycle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-federal-refund-today/808415.md?page=2)