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Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

Division of Taxation

Check Your Refund Status

By phone: 1-800-323-4400 for our automated refund system.

When can I start checking my refund status?

  • 4 weeks or more after you file electronically;
  • At least 12 weeks after you mail your return;
  • 15 weeks or more for additional processing requirements or paper returns sent by certified mail.

If your refund contains a New Jersey Earned Income Tax Credit (NJEITC), it may be delayed beyond the time frames listed above because these claims require additional review.

Payments:

  • Paper checks are issued from the "Property Tax Relief Fund."
  • Direct deposits are deposited as "State of N.J. NJSTTAXRFD."


We are not responsible for a lost refund if you entered the wrong account information for a direct deposit.

In general, if you have an issue with your direct deposit, such as closing your bank account after you submitted your return, the financial institution will return the funds to us. Once the funds are returned, we will issue a paper check to the address indicated on your return.

The following are some common issues with direct deposits and how they are handled:

  • You omit a digit in the account or routing number of an account and the number does not pass our validation check. In this case, we will send you a paper check for the refund instead of a direct deposit.
  • You incorrectly enter an account or routing number and the number passes the validation check, but the designated financial institution rejects and returns the deposit to us. We will issue a paper check for the amount of that deposit once it is received.
  • You requested a Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) or Refund Anticipation Check (RAC) through your preparer or preparation software. Usually this occurs when you authorize the fee for preparation to be taken from your refund. Even if you did not request a direct deposit, these types of refunds are directly deposited into the preparer's financial institution, so you should contact the preparer for resolution.
  • If funds are not available or the bank refuses to return the funds, we cannot compel the bank to do so. 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.

The 'Undeliverable Refund Search' service allows you to find out if your paper refund check was returned to us from the U.S. Postal Service. The service only includes information on paper checks for the current and previous tax year.

If you are expecting a direct deposit, see the "Direct Deposit Issues" tab.

You can use this service if the "Where Is my Refund" option indicates that your refund was approved at least 30 days ago.

If the service indicates that your check was returned, you can submit a request for us to resend the refund by mail.

If we send you a letter requesting more information, respond quickly so we can continue processing your return.

Note: For electronic submissions, you do not need a scanner to make a copy. Use your smartphone to take and share a clear and legible picture instead.

If you already responded

It may take several months to process your response as it takes more time to review a complicated return or one that has missing or inaccurate information. We process responses in the order we receive them.

Your refund can be used to pay debts you owe to:

  • The State of New Jersey, including any of its agencies.
  • The Internal Revenue Service.
  • Another claimant state/city that has a personal income tax set-off agreement with New Jersey.

If we apply your refund or credit to any debts, we will notify you by mail.

We pay interest on refunds that are issued six months after:

  • The date the refund claim was filed;
  • The tax was paid; or
  • The due date of the return, whichever is later.

This provision applies to all taxes administered by the Division.

We do not pay interest on any refund that contains a NJEITC or is delayed due to taxpayer error.


Last Updated: Tuesday, 11/28/23