I e-filed my 2012 taxes on 2/15/2013, still no refund!

Did you call the IRS line at 800–829-4477?

I used TaxAct.com to e-file around that date, and my refund was deposited into my account a few weeks ago. However, I didn’t have educational expenses to claim, nor did my son this year.

Now we have new tires on the car, a kitchen island, and we’re picking up a shelving unit tomorrow!

I filed on 2/1, my return was accepted on 2/18 thanks to the 8863, got the email from H&R Block explaining the delay a couple of weeks ago, and got my refund yesterday – FINALLY. Just be patient and keep checking Where’s My Refund. If it takes another week and still nothing, I’d call and see if there’s a problem with your return.

Unfortunately, unlike @hearkat, mine is all going to bills and keeping my head above water until I graduate in December. Just hoping my car holds out until then. Ugh, being a student sucks.

The sequester isn’t helping either. Call your congressman and tell him to get to work!

@livelaughlove21 – A huge chunk went to the one credit card bill we have. It took me until my mid-40s and my son being a teenager and paying for his own stuff until I got a little breather from bills… and that’s partially because he’s chosen not to go to college. Hang in there!

I’ve tried calling but was on hold so long I finally just hung up. I didn’t get a letter from the IRS like so many others, just that my tax return was accepted on the Where’s my refund site. I’m like you and owe my funds to creditors and family! I just began a Master’s program and it’s very difficult keeping my head above water! I’m so disappointed in the government and H&R Block!

could be delayed if there are questions or errors.

Still no refund! I called the IRS tax advocate dept. and filed an application to see if this can speed things up a bit. I’m so exhausted checking the Where’s My Refund site! I’m tired of the same old generic response, can’t they add some information to explain things a bit more? So disgusted!

I remember filling the forms out by hand – in pencil first to make sure your math is correct, then inking over it – signing it and sealing it in an envelope and putting a stamp on it.

You’d go to the post office to have it postmarked for that day as proof that you mailed it in before the deadline.

Then you’d wait so long you’d forgotten all about it, until that one day – usually a Saturday – when you’d check the mail and there was that yellow envelope! Then you’d rush to try to make it to the bank before they closed at noon… ahhhh, the good ol’ days…

@hearkat, back in the olden days.

I paid $150.00 to have mine e-filed by H&R Block and it’s to be direct deposited. I depend on my tax refund to pay some debts and revamp. I overpay each year in order to have a refund. Only this year it’s a nightmare…

@sujenk7422 – $150! I’ve been doing mine online with TaxAct.com for at least 12 years. It’s still <$20 for the Deluxe with Federal and State e-filing. Granted, my taxes have been simple: one person and usually one job. Once we buy our home, we’ll have more complications and will need professional assistance.

Floating the US Government a loan by over-paying your taxes, and running up bills that you depend on the refund to pay is not sound financial strategy – especially in today’s economy. The ideal is to arrange your withholding so you’ll break-even, put some aside in an interest-bearing account, and don’t buy what you can’t pay for. Of course, as a student it is not easy to stay out of debt, and I really struggled when I was working toward my Master’s and had a newborn at home. Still, many young people find themselves in bankruptcy due to debts they amassed on top of their education loans, so be a very conscientious consumer.

I really wish you can hear just how condescending you sound with this reply. First, I’m 53 years old and didn’t go back to school until age 48, and have held a 40-hour administrative position for many years; and in actuality, have been working since age 16. Secondly, I’ve earned my Bachelors and am onto a Master’s degree now. I’ve been married for 33 years and my husband is disabled, so the way I financially plan may be quite different than yours. I have been filing taxes for quite some time now and never have had any problems. I do have a retirement account that I refuse to dip into. My question did not entail how to file taxes or how to plan an estate or an request for financial planning. It was to determine if any other student in the same predicament as mine has received their refund. If you didn’t have an educational tax credit or any other type of tax credit, what makes you an expert? As far as buying things that I can’t pay for, I don’t. I’m frugal and a far-thinking adult. But I have to say that your reply deeply offended me and especially your assumption that I’m a young student that doesn’t know how to budget my money. I’m nowhere near to bankruptcy and have never been. This really smacks at stereotyping students, period.

@sujenk7422 – I apologize for jumping to conclusions that you are a young-adult student because your question referenced an educational tax credit. I will admit that this assumption was reinforced by your frustration with a delay in the bureaucratic process, since expecting such a fast turnaround on a tax refund is a relatively new concept (which was why I commented about how tedious the process used to be and how there was no telling when the check would come in the not-so-distant past). I did figure that if you’re paying that much for tax preparation, you must have a complex situation; but I didn’t extrapolate that you might be an older adult student – and I commend you for going back (I keep dragging my feet about going back for my doctorate).

Any financial experts I’ve read or heard advice from have recommended not to overpay on taxes, so I stand by that comment. Yes, I said that many young people go through bankruptcy from debts they’ve accumulated in college, but that’s a statement of fact; I didn’t over-generalize and say “most”, nor did I suggest that there is anything “bad” or “stupid” (or any similar negative judgmental terms) about winding up in debt or bankruptcy (having been through it myself as a single mother). I was just advising caution based on personal experience, and observations of family, friends and others, and it was based on the false assumption that you were a young person. I did not intend to offend, and I again apologize for the misunderstanding.

Apology accepted and to admit the truth, I’ve been strapped for money because my mother recently passed away and I’ve had a lot of out-of-pocket expenses settling her affairs. I own my home, it’s been paid off for quite some time but my tax situation is complicated, therefore I seek professional preparers. I’m disgusted with H&R Block at this point and plan on seeking a new tax preparer next year. I stand by my idea of overpaying income taxes just in case I don’t pay enough and have to owe it at the end of the year. This stems from my husband previously being a independent contractor and some years were better than others. Now that he’s disabled I just didn’t change my deduction amounts, but still like having a big check to work with. Be careful in the future with generalizations, they’re known to come back to bite you in the butt.

Don’t worry, you’ll hear something

I received my returns on April 28th, but e-filed February 1st! No apologies from either HRB or the IRS for their shortsightedness about updating software. My suggestion would to entertain good organizational practices and listen less the political paradigms!

This year was rough because Congress changed the tax law on December 28th. That always causes problems.