Where’s My Refund? A Guide for New Jersey Taxpayers

While filing on or before the April 15 tax deadline is straightforward, the date when you get your refund differs. But if you filed early this year, you may be wondering, “Where’s my New Jersey state income tax refund?”

Keep reading to find out how you can check the status of your refund and what to do if you experience delays.

How Long Does It Take for a New Jersey State Tax Refund?

How long it takes to get your NJ refund depends on whether you filed electronically or through a paper return. Manual processing will also take longer regardless of whether the return was filed electronically or by paper.

• When filing electronically, it takes a minimum of four weeks for processing.
• If you file a paper tax return, you can expect a minimum of twelve weeks for processing.
• It can take 15 weeks or longer for additional processing requirements or paper returns sent by certified mail.

How to Track Your New Jersey Tax Refund Online

You can check the status of your New Jersey refund by logging into the official New Jersey Treasury website. The page prompts you to enter your Social Security number and the requested refund amount.

The website requests that you wait at least four weeks from the day you filed your taxes if you did so electronically to check your refund status. If you file by paper, it requests you wait up to twelve weeks.

Alternatively, you can use the Where’s My Refund tool provided by the IRS to check the status of your return. This tool is free to use and updates every 24 hours. To access this information, you must input your Social Security number, filing status and the exact refund amount on your return.

Why Is Your New Jersey State Tax Refund Taking So Long?

The New Jersey Division of Taxation processes most refunds within four to twelve weeks, depending on whether you filed electronically or mailed a paper return. However, it can take even longer if the return requires additional processing or was sent by certified mail.

Common Reasons for Refund Delay In New Jersey

Here are common reasons for refund delays and how they’re handled:

• Incorrect bank account or routing number and doesn’t pass validation check: The New Jersey Division of Taxation will instead send a paper check for the refund instead of a direct deposit.
• Incorrect bank account or routing number and it passes the validation check: If the designated financial institution rejects and returns the deposit, expect to receive a paper check for the amount of the deposit once it’s received.
• Wrong address: If you request a paper check and it goes to the wrong address, contact the NJ Division of Taxation for a replacement check.
• You requested a Refund Application Loan (RAL) or Refund Anticipation Check (RAC) through your preparer or preparation software: This occurs when you authorize the fee for preparation to be taken from your refund. These types of refunds are directly deposited into the preparer’s financial institution.
• The refund contains a New Jersey Income Tax Credit (NJEITC): Your refund could be delayed beyond the listed time frames as these claims require additional review.
• Funds are not available or the bank refuses to return the funds: The Division of Taxation says they cannot force the bank to do so, and the case may then become a civil matter between you and the financial institution and/or the owner of the account into which the funds were deposited.

What to Do If You Haven’t Received Your New Jersey Refund

If your refund takes an unusual amount of time to get back to you, the issue may require further review.

For example, if you requested a refund check in the mail, it could have been lost or stolen, and you will need to contact the NJ Division of Taxation. Alternatively, you can use the “Undeliverable Refund Search” service to find out if your paper refund was returned. You can use this service if the “Where Is My Refund” option indicates that your refund was approved at least 30 days ago. In this case, you can submit a request to resend the refund by mail.

The Division of Taxation may send a letter requesting more information to process your return. You can submit this information:

• Electronically through the New Jersey Online Notice Response Service (NJONRS)
• By mail to the address on the notice
• In person at the nearest Regional Information Center

Keep in mind that it can take months to process your response. The NJ Division of Taxation processes responses in the order they receive them.

Confirming Your Tax Filing Was Accepted

If you filed electronically using the New Jersey Income Tax Filing, you should receive a confirmation number as proof that your return was successfully filed. If you use tax preparation software, the software company will notify you about the receipt of the return. If a tax preparer filed your return, they should notify you about whether your return was accepted for filing.

Contacting the New Jersey Division of Taxation

If you have questions about your return and need assistance, you can contact the New Jersey Division of Taxation by phone, online or at a nearby office location. The Division does have an email, but due to security risks, they will not address specific tax account concerns.

If you visit a nearby Regional Information Center, be sure to bring relevant documents — tax returns, schedules, W-2s, 1099s, etc. — and have your government-issued identification. These centers are open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can find the nearest location on the NJ Treasury website.

If you receive a notice, the Division recommends replying electronically through the NJONRS. You can also call the Division. Before calling, make sure you have your primary and spouse’s (if filing jointly) name and Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, a copy of your New Jersey income tax return for tax years in question, account identifiers, such as refund amount, and proof of payment if applicable.

Here are the Division’s contact numbers:

• Check Your Refund Status: 1-800-323-4400 (24/7)
• Form ordering/request replacement check: 609-292-6400 (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
• General individual income tax information: 1-800-323-4400 (24/7)
• Individual income tax: 609-292-6400 (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)

Filing an Amended Return if Necessary

You can file an amended return if you need to correct or change your state return or the IRS made changes to your federal return and it impacts your New Jersey income tax.

You can only file a paper option for an amended return, but some software companies and tax preparers may offer electronic filing. Residents can file Form NJ-1040X for the appropriate year, while nonresidents must file Form NJ-1040NR.

Refund Offsets: Why Your Refund Might Be Smaller Than Expected

When you owe money to a state or federal agency, the government may use all or part of your refund to repay the debt. This is called a tax refund offset. You should receive a notice with more details.

If you have questions or need help, contact the agency that is servicing your debt. The contact information should be on the notice.

How to Avoid Refund Delays In Future Tax Seasons

You can avoid delays to help speed up potential refunds. Here’s what the IRS recommends:

• Collect all tax-related paperwork
• File electronically
• Opt for direct deposit
• Make sure your filing status is correct
• Make sure all names, birthdates and SSNs are correct
• Answer the digital assets question
• Report all taxable income
• Make sure your address or banking and routing numbers are correct
• Sign and date the return

What to Do If You Suspect Tax Refund Fraud

You can report fraud online on the Division of Taxation’s website. If you have evidence to submit with your report, you will need to print this form and email it along with your documentation to Catch.Taxation@treas.nj.gov.

Takeaway

Getting your tax return may take a while, but the IRS is taking measures to help decrease the time it takes to get your money back. As long as you input the information correctly and follow all the steps, you should not experience significant delays in getting your return.

But if you suspect something is wrong, you can always call or email the IRS for more information and ask “Where’s my state refund?”  

Hiba Boutary contributed to the reporting of this article.