Federal and state tax refunds are processed independently, so there's no fixed timeline for getting your federal refund after your state one—you could receive it before, after, or simultaneously.

Processing Timelines

E-filed federal returns with direct deposit typically take 1-3 weeks (IRS processes 90% within 21 days), while state refunds vary by state, often 2-6 weeks for e-file or up to 12 weeks for paper.

  • Federal: Starts from IRS acceptance date; check via IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool.
  • State: Depends on your state's revenue department; some hold for federal verification first.
  • No direct link: Many report federal arriving shortly after state if filed together, but delays happen due to audits or credits like EITC.

Forum Insights

TurboTax and Reddit users share real experiences:

"I got my state refund before federal—took about 21 days after IRS acceptance."

"State can lag if paper-filed; federal often faster with e-file."

Trending note (Feb 2026): With recent IRS backlog talks post-2025 season, e-filing early avoids delays—file federal first for states needing it.

Factors Affecting Wait

Factor| Federal Impact| State Impact
---|---|---
E-file + Direct Deposit| 21 days max 5| 30 days typical 1
Paper Filing| 6-8 weeks 5| Up to 12 weeks 1
Errors/Audits| +Weeks/months| Varies by state
Credits (EITC, Child)| Up to 120 days 5| Often mirrors federal

Tracking Tips

  1. Use IRS tool 21+ days post-acceptance.
  2. Check state portal (e.g., NY takes longer per forums).
  1. Expect variability—no guaranteed "after state" wait.

TL;DR: No set wait; federal often 1-3 weeks independently—track both separately.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.