Should I see my federal or state refund first?

[tristyn435]

I have received a state refund but not my federal

[angieb270]

I received my state refund (KY) on Friday, but my federal hasn’t been processed yet.  I’ve checked my transcript and it doesn’t show that it’s been filed. 

[MichelleLO]

The IRS and your state operate independently of each other and therefore, the time frame in which each return is accepted and processed can vary.  It is not unusual that you received your state return before your federal. The IRS generally releases most refunds within 21 calendar days after the e-file has been accepted. To get the most up-to-date status of your federal return, please visit the IRS Where's My Refund? site. You can check the status of your return every 24 hours as they do update the site daily - usually in the overnight hours. 

Please note, if you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) this could be why you're seeing a delay.  

Please see the TurboTax FAQ: Some federal refunds are delayed due to the PATH Act

@tristyn435

To confirm if you successfully e-filed your tax return, you can check the e-file status by following the steps in the below TurboTax help article.

How do I check my e-file status?

@angieb270

[SweetieJean]

Also see:

Tax Season Refund Frequently Asked Questions | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

[Tylerjames28]

I got my state today. So it’s looking like I won’t be receiving my federal till the 15th that’s what the estimated time is shows on IRS turbotax. I’ve been looking around and a lot of people are saying they have been receiving their state first. So probably nothing to worry about just need have to be patient for the federal. 

[xsteph_gx]

I received my state refund 1st. Still waiting on federal to be approved. 

[xmasbaby0]

@xsteph_gx

Federal and state refunds come from completely separate entities,  There is no rule as to which one will come first or how much time there will be between their arrivals.

Once your federal return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS has any control.  TurboTax does not receive any updates from the IRS. Your ONLY source of information about your refund now is the IRS.

You need your filing status, your Social Security number and the exact amount  (line 35a of your 2022 Form 1040) of your federal refund to track your Federal refund:   

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

To track your state refund:    

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901548-why-do-some-refunds-take-longer-than-others

If you chose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your federal refund, that will take some extra time, while the third party bank handles the refund processing.

https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2840013-does-accepted-mean-my-refund-is-approved

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2724106-my-return-is-accepted-but-still-not-approved-is-there-a-pr...