I'm going through something very similar right now! Just went through my divorce last month and I'm in the exact same boat - filed with my married name but my bank account is still under my maiden name. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful and honestly such a relief. It sounds like the consensus is that most banks handle these name discrepancies pretty well, especially for common situations like divorce/marriage name changes. The IRS seems to focus more on the account and routing numbers rather than exact name matches. I think your plan to call your bank tomorrow is really smart. I'm planning to do the same thing with my credit union just to get their specific policy in writing. After everything we've been through with divorce paperwork, the last thing either of us needs is more delays or complications with something that should be straightforward. Fingers crossed both our refunds go through smoothly! It's nice to know there are others dealing with the same post-divorce administrative headaches. Thanks for posting this question - it helped me realize I'm not the only one worried about these kinds of details.

I've been through a very similar situation and wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease your worries! I went through my divorce about 18 months ago and had the exact same concern - filed my taxes under my married name but my checking account was still in my maiden name. I called my bank (Bank of America) ahead of time to ask about their policy, and they told me that as long as I could provide documentation of the name change if needed, incoming direct deposits would process normally. They said name discrepancies from marriage/divorce are extremely common and their system is set up to handle them. My refund came through exactly as expected with no delays or issues whatsoever. The IRS processes based on your SSN and banking details, and most banks are very understanding about these life transition situations. Your plan to call your bank tomorrow is definitely the right approach - it'll give you that peace of mind you need during an already stressful time. I know how overwhelming it can be to worry about every little administrative detail when you're dealing with divorce proceedings. In my experience, this ended up being much less complicated than I initially feared. Best of luck with everything, and I hope your refund processes smoothly!

Has anyone used the corporate credit card approach? My accountant suggested getting a separate credit card for my S-Corp, putting all client-reimbursable expenses on that card, and then recording the reimbursements as direct payments against those specific expenses in my accounting software rather than as income.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation as the original poster - just converted to S-Corp this year and have been struggling with how to handle client meal reimbursements properly. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: make sure you're keeping contemporaneous records of the business purpose for each meal. The IRS requires documentation of who you met with, what business was discussed, and the specific business relationship. Even with client reimbursement, you still need this documentation to support that it was a legitimate business expense in the first place. I learned this the hard way when my previous accountant told me I just needed receipts, but during a review, I realized I was missing the business purpose documentation for about half my meals. Had to go back through old calendars and emails to reconstruct what each meal was for. Now I write the business purpose right on the receipt when I get it, or immediately add it to my expense tracking app. Also, for anyone using the separate credit card approach that @Zoe mentioned - make sure that card is officially in your S-Corp's name, not just a personal card you designate for business use. The legal separation is important for maintaining your corporate protections.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I think I'm going to go with the de minimis approach since all my purchases are under $2,500 and it seems simpler than tracking depreciation. I'll definitely create that accounting policy document today. One final question though - if I buy something that costs more than $2,500 later this year, can I still depreciate that specific item even if I used de minimis for my other purchases? Or do I have to be consistent with one approach for all assets?

Great thread! Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me when I was starting out as self-employed - consider the timing of your purchases if you're expecting your income to vary significantly year to year. If you're in a lower tax bracket this year but expect higher income next year, immediate deductions (like de minimis) give you the tax benefit now when it might be worth less. But if you expect to be in a higher bracket in future years, depreciation spreads the deduction over time when it might be more valuable. For most new self-employed folks with the amounts you mentioned, de minimis is still probably the way to go for simplicity, but it's worth considering your income trajectory. Also, don't forget that if you're using part of your home as an office, you might be able to claim the home office deduction for that space too!

Has anyone tried using the IRS standard mileage deduction? I heard that's 66.5 cents per mile for 2025 tax year. Would that apply in this situation?

This is such a common confusion in the events industry! I've been working as a tax preparer for 8 years and see this situation constantly with event staff, wedding vendors, and similar workers. The key thing to understand is that even though your workplace changes daily, the IRS still considers your travel from home to your first work location as "commuting" - which isn't deductible for W-2 employees under current tax law. However, there are a few potential bright spots in your situation: 1. **Travel between work sites**: If you work multiple events in the same day at different locations, the mileage between those locations IS potentially deductible business travel. 2. **Employer reimbursement**: This is honestly your best bet. Many event companies do reimburse travel when it's a regular job requirement. Document your mileage and approach them professionally. 3. **Classification review**: Sometimes event workers should actually be classified as independent contractors rather than employees, which would change your deduction eligibility entirely. I'd recommend keeping detailed mileage logs regardless - if your employment classification ever gets reviewed or if tax laws change, you'll want that documentation. And definitely push for employer reimbursement since these are legitimate business expenses from their perspective.

I'm about 4.5 weeks into waiting for TAS after submitting Form 911 and this thread is honestly keeping me sane right now! The range of experiences everyone's sharing really helps put things in perspective - it's clear the system is just completely overwhelmed. @Rami I totally feel your anxiety about the wait, especially when you're already 8 months deep into refund delays. That's just brutal. Based on everyone's advice here, I called that TAS intake line (1-877-777-4778) yesterday and they confirmed my case is assigned with a number, which at least gives some peace of mind that I'm not just lost in the void. @Michael your timeline really stands out as encouraging - 5 weeks to get contacted then only 10 days for refund release once they got involved. That gives me hope that while the initial wait is painful, they can actually move things quickly once they engage with your case. For anyone else in the waiting game, I've been following the advice about keeping detailed logs and pulling transcripts. Also discovered that if you submitted your 911 electronically, you can check your IRS online account to see if there's any activity or notes added to your case - sometimes they update things there before calling. The financial stress while waiting is just awful, but seeing how many of us are going through the same thing and eventually getting help makes it slightly more bearable. Hang in there everyone! 🤞

I'm in week 3 of waiting for TAS contact after submitting Form 911 and this thread has been a lifesaver! @Rami I completely understand your desperation - 8 months waiting on a refund is absolutely insane and the financial pressure must be overwhelming. Reading everyone's experiences here, it seems like 4-8 weeks is the new reality for initial contact, which is way longer than it should be but at least we know what to expect. Definitely try calling that TAS intake line at 1-877-777-4778 that multiple people mentioned - seems like they can at least confirm your case is in the system and give you a reference number. @Michael your success story really gives hope - 5 weeks wait but then only 10 days for refund release once TAS got involved! That's encouraging that they can move fast once they actually engage with your case. For anyone else waiting, I've been keeping detailed records like others suggested and also checking my IRS online account regularly since @Chloe mentioned they sometimes update notes there before calling. The waiting is brutal when you need that money but this community support makes it slightly more bearable. We'll all get through this! 🤞