This Cookie Policy explains how Federaltaxnotes (federaltaxnotes.buzz) uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our site to read about refund statuses, processing stages, and payment method comparisons. It should be read together with our Privacy Policy.
1. What Cookies Are
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device when you visit it. They allow the site to remember information about your visit, such as your preferences or how you navigated the pages, so that your next visit can be more consistent or so that we can understand overall usage patterns. Cookies do not, by themselves, identify you by name, and they cannot access files on your device or retrieve any actual tax refund information. Similar technologies include local storage and pixels, which we refer to collectively as "cookies" in this policy for simplicity.
2. How This Site Uses Them
Federaltaxnotes is a free, informational resource. We are not a store and there is nothing to purchase here, so we do not use cookies for shopping carts, checkout processes, or payment tracking. Instead, our cookies fall into three general purposes:
- Essential operation — keeping the site functioning correctly, including remembering your cookie consent choice;
- Preference — remembering small settings, such as whether you have dismissed a notice, so you are not shown it repeatedly;
- Analytics — helping us understand, in aggregate, which comparison pages readers find most useful, such as Where's My Refund versus IRS Refund Tracker or Refund Received versus Approved versus Sent.
3. Categories of Cookies We Use
The table below lists representative cookies used on this site by category. Exact cookie names may vary slightly depending on the analytics tool version in use, but the categories and purposes remain accurate.
| Category | Example name | Purpose | Retention period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | ftn_consent | Stores your cookie consent preference so the banner is not repeated on every visit | 12 months |
| Essential | ftn_session | Maintains basic site functionality and security during a browsing session | Session (deleted on browser close) |
| Preference | ftn_pref | Remembers minor display preferences, such as a dismissed notice or banner state | 6 months |
| Analytics | _ga / _ga_* | Distinguishes unique visitors and measures page views in aggregate to improve content | Up to 26 months |
| Analytics | _gid | Distinguishes visitors for short-term traffic analysis | 24 hours |
4. Managing Cookies
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. Below are general steps for the most common browsers; menus may vary slightly by version.
- Chrome: Open Settings, go to "Privacy and security," select "Cookies and other site data," and choose to view, block, or delete cookies, including per-site exceptions.
- Firefox: Open Settings, go to "Privacy & Security," and under "Cookies and Site Data," choose "Manage Data" or "Clear Data" to remove existing cookies, or adjust the blocking level.
- Safari: Open Preferences, go to the "Privacy" tab, and use "Manage Website Data" to view or remove stored cookies, or enable "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking."
- Edge: Open Settings, go to "Cookies and site permissions," select "Manage and delete cookies and site data" to view, delete, or block cookies as needed.
Please note that blocking essential cookies may affect how the site displays or remembers your consent choice, requiring you to reselect preferences on each visit. Blocking analytics cookies does not affect your ability to read any content on the site, including our guides such as why a refund is delayed or federal versus state refund status differences.
5. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies on our site are set by third-party services we use for analytics, such as a web analytics provider. These third parties may collect information about your visits to this and other websites in accordance with their own privacy policies, which are not controlled by Federaltaxnotes. We do not permit third parties to use cookies on our site for cross-context advertising purposes, and we do not embed advertising networks that track visitors for marketing across other sites. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy accordingly.
6. Changes
We may revise this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in the cookies we use, legal requirements, or how the site operates. Any updates will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to check back occasionally, particularly if you have concerns about how cookies are used. Your continued use of the site after an update indicates your acceptance of the revised policy, subject to the choices described in Section 4.
7. Contact
If you have questions about this Cookie Policy or how cookies are used on Federaltaxnotes, you can reach us at:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +1 (512) 555-0102 (Monday to Friday 10:00–19:00, Saturday and Sunday closed)
- Address: 164 Market Street, Suite 6, Austin, TX 78546, United States
Remember that you can change your cookie choices at any time using the "Cookie settings" link in the footer of this site, without needing to contact us directly. For more on how we handle information generally, see our Privacy Policy, and for the terms governing your use of this site, see our Terms of Service.