I usually do the advance refund through credit karma every year, this year I linked to my credit karma and yet it says it's going to go to my bank account what do I do?

[zoemadaleine]

I talked to a chat agent and they said this is happening to lots of people because the button for the option isn't showing up, yet that is strange because it did ask me to link my credit karma. Please help. I need my refund early I have surgery coming up in a few days.

[CatinaT1]

Were you able to resolve this? 

The Refund Advance is not available to everyone. You want to make sure you are eligible. I am also putting instructions below that on how to see if you applied for the Refund advance. 

Here are a couple things to check:

• If you are using a TurboTax partner affiliate link to use the software, the Refund Advance will not be available.
• If you select the 5 Day Early Refund Delivery, you will not see the Refund Advance option, but you can return to the refund selection page and find all the options listed.

See this resource for more information: 

Offer details and disclosures for the Refund Advance  program

Refund Advance Eligibility

Here are some of the eligibility requirements to qualify for a Refund Advance loan:

• You’re 18 or older
• Your expected federal refund amount is $500 or more
• You’re not a resident of North Carolina, Connecticut, or Illinois
• You’re e-filing your federal tax return with TurboTax
• Your physical address is listed on your tax return. Your address must be located in one of the eligible states and can’t be a PO box or prison address
• You’re not filing one of these tax forms: 1310, 4852, 4684, 4868, 1040SS, 1040PR, 1040X, 8888, or 8862
• You aren’t filing on behalf of a deceased taxpayer
• You must report income on a Form W-2, 1099-R, or Sched C
• You must open or have an existing Credit Karma Money™ checking account
•  

To check if you signed up for the TurboTax Refund Advance, you can look in a few specific places in your account or your email. 

Check Your TurboTax Order Details

1. On the Tax Home page, scroll down to the section for "Your tax returns & documents."
2. Select View Order Details.
3. Look for "Refund Advance" or "Credit Karma Money" listed under your payment and refund methods. 
4. If it’s not there, you likely selected a standard direct deposit or a different refund option.

Look for Confirmation Emails

• If you applied, you should have received automated emails from TurboTax and its partners.

1. From TurboTax: Search for an email confirming your "Refund Selection."
2. From Credit Karma: If you were approved, Credit Karma sends an email when the funds are deposited into your Credit Karma Money Spend account.
3. From WebBank: If your application was denied, you will receive an email from WebBank (the lender) explaining the reason for the decline.

Check Your Credit Karma Money Account

• Because the Refund Advance is deposited into a Credit Karma Money™ Spend account, checking that account is the fastest way to see if the loan was processed.

1. Log in to your Credit Karma account.
2. Navigate to the Money tab.
3. If you see a pending or completed deposit for a portion of your refund (typically between $250 and $4,000) shortly after the IRS accepted your return, that is your Refund Advance.

Review Your Tax Return Summary

• You can also find clues on your actual tax forms:

1. Open your 2025 return in TurboTax
2. Go to the Tax Tools menu on the left
3. Select Print Center
4. View your Federal Information Worksheet
5. Look at the "Direct Deposit" section
6. If you signed up for the advance, the bank account listed will be the MVB Bank account associated with Credit Karma, rather than your personal bank account.

[zoemadaleine]

Hey so, yes I am eligible. The TurboTax associate I spoke to said this has actually been an issue with the option not showing up. I was told I have to wait until it lets me amend and then only amend the how I receive my refund part. Hopefully that works. That's what I get for filing early.