I would recommend using the IRS Free File program if your income is that low. Go directly to IRS.gov and look for Free File options. They have partnerships with tax software companies that will let you file completely free if your income is below certain thresholds, which clearly you would qualify for with zero income.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year - zero income and two kids. Yes, you can absolutely claim the Child Tax Credit! The key is understanding that part of it is "refundable" which means you get money back even if you don't owe any taxes. For 2024 taxes (filing in 2025), you can get up to $1,600 per qualifying child under 17 through the Additional Child Tax Credit, even with zero income. There's no special non-filer tool this year - you just file a regular tax return showing $0 income. I used the IRS Free File program on IRS.gov and it walked me through everything. Make sure you have your kids' Social Security numbers and can prove they lived with you more than half the year. The process was actually simpler than I expected, and I got about $3,200 total for my two kids. It was a huge help during a really tough time. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't get tax credits without income - that's one of the biggest misconceptions out there!

Isn't it interesting how the IRS can tell us we'll get our money "5 days early" but then can't actually deliver on that promise? Why even give us that notification if they can't control when the funds are actually released? I've been through this rodeo before, and honestly, the Cross River Bank/FedNow system does work - but only after the IRS actually releases the funds. The real issue isn't with Cross River or FedNow, it's with the IRS processing times. Have you checked your tax transcript to see if there are any codes that might explain the delay?

I've been dealing with this exact situation and wanted to share what I learned from speaking with both my bank and doing some research. The "5 days early" notification through Cross River/FedNow is real, but the timing depends heavily on IRS batch processing schedules. What helped me was checking my IRS transcript online - you can see if your refund has actually been "sent" vs just approved. If it shows a 846 code with a date, that's when it was transmitted to your bank. Cross River typically processes these within 24-48 hours once they receive it from the IRS. For those still waiting - the IRS usually does their major refund batches on Wednesdays and Fridays. If your refund got approved after their last batch, you'll have to wait for the next processing cycle. It's frustrating but the system does work once the IRS releases the funds!

Is there a way to know in advance if Form 1116 would give a better result than the simplified credit? I have about $450 in foreign taxes paid across several funds, so I'm right in the middle where either might be better.

Looking at your specific numbers, I'd recommend starting with the simplified method since your foreign tax paid is only $6.28 (well under the $300 threshold). However, there's an important detail in your post that caught my attention - you mentioned the "Ordinary Dividends" shows nothing for 2024 but $765.84 paid/adjusted in 2025 for 2024. This timing difference might affect which tax year you can claim the credit. Generally, you claim the foreign tax credit in the year the foreign taxes were actually paid or accrued, not necessarily when the dividend was received. Since your foreign tax of $6.28 was likely withheld when the dividends were paid by the foreign companies, you should be able to claim it for 2024. For your situation, just take the $6.28 credit directly on Schedule 3 (Form 1040), line 1. No need to complicate things with Form 1116 unless you have other foreign investments that push your total foreign taxes over $300. The simplified method will give you the full credit amount in your case.

Just to add something important - if your income is too high for EIC, don't forget to check if you qualify for the Child Tax Credit instead! Unlike EIC, the Child Tax Credit has much higher income limits before it starts phasing out. For 2024, married couples filing jointly can have up to $400,000 in modified AGI before the Child Tax Credit starts phasing out. With 3 kids, that could be worth up to $6,000 ($2,000 per qualifying child), which is usually more than what EIC would provide anyway.

As a retired military member myself, I can confirm what others have said about military retirement not counting as earned income for EIC. Your neighbor might be making a mistake that could cause problems if they get audited. One thing nobody mentioned - check if your state offers any special tax breaks for military retirement. Many states don't tax military retirement income at all, which can save you thousands depending on where you live!

Don't overthink this. Just do two things: 1. Go to https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator and plug in ALL your income info including both spouses and all jobs 2. On your highest paying job's W4, put whatever additional amount it tells you to withhold in step 4(c) Leave your other W4s with basic info and no additional withholding. This has worked perfectly for me and my wife (3 W2s between us) for the past 2 years and we got within $200 of breaking even.

I completely understand your frustration with the new W4 - it really is more complex than the old system, but once you get it right, it's actually more accurate for situations like yours. The reason you're underpaying even though all jobs are withholding taxes is because each employer's payroll system doesn't know about your other income sources. So if you make $50k at Job A and $30k at Job B, Job A withholds as if you're only making $50k total (lower tax brackets), and Job B withholds as if you're only making $30k total. But when you file jointly, that combined $80k income gets taxed at the higher brackets it actually falls into. For your specific situation with the different calculation methods giving you different numbers: - The IRS withholding calculator ($450-500) is usually most accurate because it accounts for your actual year-to-date withholding and remaining pay periods - The worksheet (~$225) is a simplified estimation that may not capture all the nuances - Your CPA's method (<$120) might just be covering what you owed last year, but doesn't account for catching up on the underpayment that's been happening since January Since you've been underpaying all year, you're right that you need to withhold more than just next year's projected amount - you need to catch up on this year's shortfall too. I'd go with the IRS calculator number if you input all your information accurately. And yes, definitely update your W4 to reflect itemizing instead of standard deduction in Step 4(b) - this will reduce your withholding appropriately since you'll have higher deductions.