idk why they gotta make everything so complicated with these codes. just tell us whats happening in plain english smh

Code 290 is basically the IRS confirming they've processed your return and assessed your tax liability. It's usually a good sign! The amount next to it should match what you reported on your 1040. If it shows $0.00, that means no additional tax was assessed and your return was accepted as filed. Keep an eye out for a 846 code next - that's the refund issued code everyone's waiting for! 🤞

Don't forget about the timing of your divorce! If your divorce will be final early in 2025, it might be worth delaying it by a few weeks to have the option of filing jointly for 2024. My ex and I saved almost $3k by pushing our divorce finalization from December 28 to January 3. Totally awkward but worth it financially.

As someone who went through a messy divorce two years ago with kids involved, I feel your pain! Here's what I learned that might help: Since you're still legally married on December 31st, you have three filing options to consider - married filing jointly, married filing separately, or potentially head of household if you qualify. Given that your kids have been living primarily with you since June and you've been separated, you might actually qualify for head of household status, which often provides better tax benefits than married filing separately. To qualify, you need to be considered unmarried (living apart for the last 6 months of the year counts), pay more than half the household expenses, and have a qualifying dependent. Before making any decision, I'd strongly recommend running the numbers for all possible scenarios. With your income levels ($85k vs $63k), filing jointly might still save you both money even during the divorce mess - you could potentially split any tax savings as part of your separation agreement. But definitely consider the liability risks Connor mentioned if there's any chance your ex has unreported income or questionable deductions. Document everything about who's paying what expenses and where the kids are living - this will be crucial not just for taxes but for your divorce proceedings too.

One important thing that confused me about the 1095-C - it's different from a 1095-B! My spouse got a 1095-B from their insurance company and I got a 1095-C from my employer and they contain different information. Just wanted to point this out in case anyone else has both forms in their household.

Just want to chime in with a simple summary for anyone still confused! Your 1095-C form is basically just proof that your employer offered you health insurance coverage. You DON'T need to mail it in with your tax return or enter specific numbers from it into tax software. Think of it like a receipt - keep it with your tax records in case you ever need to prove you had qualifying health coverage. The main thing it helps with is showing the IRS that you met the health insurance requirement and shouldn't be penalized. If you're using tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block, they might ask if you had employer-sponsored health insurance, and you can just answer "yes" based on having this form. But you won't need to type in the specific codes or dollar amounts from the 1095-C itself.

I'm actually dealing with this right now too! Filed my Form 2553 about 6 weeks ago and still haven't received the acceptance letter. The wait is really nerve-wracking, especially with tax deadlines approaching. One thing I learned from my CPA is that you can actually request a confirmation of your S Corp election status by calling the IRS Business Tax Line, but as others mentioned, the wait times are brutal. I tried calling three times last week and got disconnected after waiting over an hour each time. For anyone in a similar situation - I've been keeping meticulous records of everything (copies of the form, certified mail receipts, dates of phone calls, etc.) just in case there are any issues later. My accountant said this is crucial if you need to file quarterly taxes before getting official confirmation. The uncertainty is definitely stressful, but from what I'm reading here, it sounds like most people do eventually get their letters, it just takes longer than expected. Hoping we all hear back soon!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! Filed my Form 2553 about 3 weeks ago and starting to get anxious about the timeline. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - sounds like 4-8 weeks is pretty normal, even though it feels like forever when you're waiting. I'm particularly concerned about the quarterly filing deadline coming up. Based on what others have shared, it seems like the key is keeping detailed documentation of when you submitted everything. I sent mine via certified mail and have been keeping copies of everything just in case. One question for those who've been through this - if you don't receive the acceptance letter before your quarterly filing is due, is it better to file as an S Corp based on your intended election date, or stick with your previous entity type until you get official confirmation? My accountant wasn't entirely clear on this point and I want to make sure I don't create problems down the road. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's really helpful to know I'm not alone in this waiting game!

Does anyone know if TurboTax handles this correctly? I'm worried it'll automatically make my whole state refund taxable without considering the SALT cap.

This is such a common and frustrating issue! I went through the exact same situation two years ago and it's maddening when IRS phone representatives don't understand the SALT cap implications. Here's what I learned after extensive research and consultation with a tax professional: You're absolutely right to question having to report the full refund as taxable income. The key principle is that you can only be taxed on a state refund to the extent you received a federal tax benefit from the original deduction. Since you paid $16,300 in state/local taxes but could only deduct $10,000 due to the SALT cap, you need to determine how much federal tax benefit you actually received. If your itemized deductions only exceeded the standard deduction by a small amount (or if you would have been better off with the standard deduction as you mentioned), then little or none of your $3,200 refund should be taxable. Regarding your question about amending last year's return - yes, you can absolutely file Form 1040X to claim the standard deduction instead of itemizing if it would result in a larger deduction. This could be a smart move, especially since you mentioned you would have been better off with the standard deduction anyway. Just keep in mind that if you do amend to take the standard deduction, your entire state refund would then be non-taxable since you wouldn't have claimed any state tax deduction at all on your federal return. I'd recommend working through the State and Local Income Tax Refund Worksheet in IRS Publication 525 to calculate exactly how much (if any) of your refund should be taxable.