TurboTax Refund Advance: Credit Karma Money Account Required?

Tax pro here - Yes, for 2025 filing season, TurboTax's early refund advance requires a Credit Karma Money account. They're both owned by Intuit now, so they've made it mandatory. The advance is basically a 0% APR loan against your expected refund.

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I did this last year and regretted it tbh. The Credit Karma account was fine but the whole process was kinda a pain. Plus you only get a portion of ur refund early

Does anyone know if you can close the Credit Karma account after getting the advance? Or do u have to keep it open until the actual refund comes?

im in the same boat rn trying to decide if its worth the hassle. feels like were being pushed into their ecosystem ngl 🙄

Just wait for your regular refund date and skip all this advance nonsense. The IRS is actually pretty fast these days if you file electronically and use direct deposit.

I actually went through this exact situation last month. Yes, you definitely need to open a Credit Karma Money account - there's no way around it anymore since Intuit owns both companies. The good news is the account is completely free with no fees or minimum balance. The advance amount depends on your refund size but it's usually a decent chunk. Just be aware that once you get the advance, you're locked into keeping that account open until your full refund processes, otherwise they can hit you with penalties. Overall it worked fine for me but definitely feels like they're forcing you into their ecosystem.