@green_coyote wrote:
Definitely the LAST time I use turbo tax. I have never had a problem in the past. You would think filing early would be a beneficial thing.
Maybe you've said in other posts what caused your delay at the IRS. But in general, filing early offers few advantages and several disadvantages. Every year many of the issues we see in the forum were from people who efiled early--either before the IRS started processing in late January or soon after. Most of the fellow-user volunteers who help in this forum, if asked "when" to efile, would likely suggest late February or later in order to encounter fewer problems.
Early filers can also encounter problems with IRS and state forms not being finalized and available due to late changes in tax laws, etc., or due to software programming still getting the kinks worked out of the software.
I realize people file early because they want/need their refund money. If they have EITC or ACTC tax credits, the IRS is not going to start releasing any refunds until after February 15 of each year anyway. For others whose return has been hung up in "processing" for several weeks, only the IRS knows why, and sometimes the IRS is able to provide some info, but many people can't get through to the IRS. I've had luck reaching them by phoning a few minutes prior to closing time and getting into the queue, which they continue to finish after closing.
Other than hoping for an earlier refund, I guess one advantage of filing early (unless one is in the IP PIN protection program) is that early filing would prevent a nefarious person from efiling a fraudulent return in your name.
Also paying out of the Federal refund adds another step where problems can occur, although it has nothing to do with a return being hung up in processing at the IRS. I try not to recommend that option. Problems with that payment method are one of the most frequent threads in the user forum each year.
If someone has no bank account or credit card, I mention they can buy a prepaid debit card at a store (the prepaid card may have a small fee, but it avoids the 39.99-44.99 service fee for "pay out of refund.")
