How come I got my NY state tax refund first instead of my NY state federal ?

[IreneS · Accepted solution]

Two thoughts:

• New York State has fewer tax returns to process than the IRS.

• If your return contains the earned income credit (EIC) or Additional Child Tax Credit, the PATH Act prohibits the IRS from issuing refunds before mid-February.

The IRS expects the earliest EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or debit cards starting February 27, 2019, if these taxpayers chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return.