Am I the only one concerned about how easy it apparently is to create an Uber driver account using someone else's info??? Like shouldn't they be doing more verification??? What if whoever did this gets in an accident or commits a crime while "working" as you?

I'm really sorry you're going through this stress! Before assuming identity theft, definitely check if you received any promotional credits or cashback rewards from Uber last year that might have totaled over $600. Sometimes they issue 1099-NECs for things like: - Credit card cashback rewards if you used an Uber-branded card - Settlement payments if you were part of any class action lawsuits - Promotional credits that were later converted to cash equivalents - Refunds for cancelled rides that were processed as "payments" rather than refunds Also, double-check that the 1099-NEC is actually FROM Uber and not a scam. There have been fake tax documents going around that look legitimate but are actually phishing attempts to get your personal information. When you call tomorrow, ask them to provide the exact dates and nature of all payments that led to the 1099. If it truly is fraudulent driver activity, you'll need to file a police report for identity theft and also report it to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. Keep all documentation and don't file your taxes until this gets resolved - you don't want to report income that isn't actually yours!

I'm in a very similar situation! Filed on February 7th and have been religiously checking WMR since then. Got all three checkmarks completed about 10 days ago with the same February 27th direct deposit date, and like you, still nothing showing up in my account as of tonight. Reading through everyone's responses here has been really helpful though. It sounds like the February 27th date is when the IRS sends the payment to Treasury/your bank, not necessarily when it posts to your account. Several people mentioned their banks took 1-3 additional business days to actually process and post the deposit. I also saw someone mention there might be system delays this week affecting refunds scheduled for February 26-28, which could explain why so many of us are in the same boat right now. I'm going to try to stay patient until that March 4th deadline they specifically mention, even though it's really hard when you're counting on that money! My bank told me to check again tomorrow morning since some deposits don't appear until after their overnight processing. Hopefully we'll all see our refunds show up in the next day or two. The waiting is definitely the worst part of this whole process! 🤞

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed on February 3rd and got all three checkmarks with a February 27th scheduled date, but still no deposit as of tonight. Reading through all these responses has been really reassuring though - sounds like this is pretty normal and the February 27th date is when the IRS sends the payment, not when it actually hits our accounts. The system delay explanation someone mentioned makes total sense too. It's so typical of the IRS to not communicate these delays clearly! I called my bank earlier and they said to check again in the morning since their system updates overnight, and that ACH transfers can take 1-3 business days to fully process even after they're initiated. I'm going to try to stay patient until that March 4th deadline they specifically mention, even though it's killing me to wait when I need this money for bills. At least knowing so many of us are in the same boat makes me feel less anxious about it. Hopefully we'll all see our refunds by early next week! 🤞

Make sure you're also checking if you're eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit if the American Opportunity Credit doesn't work for your situation! It's worth looking into both to see which one benefits you more.

Hey Nia, I totally get the anxiety you're feeling - I went through something very similar last year! The good news is that you're being responsible by trying to get this right, and the IRS really isn't as scary as it seems for situations like yours. A few things that might help ease your worry: First, you can absolutely set up a payment plan with the IRS if you can't pay the full amount at once. They offer installment agreements that can be as low as $25-50 per month depending on your situation. You can even apply online through their website. Second, regarding last year's return - while it's true your dad should have reported that $3,500 in excess scholarship income, the fact that you're correcting things going forward shows good faith. If you do decide to amend last year's return (which is generally the right thing to do), you can include a statement explaining that you were unaware of the scholarship taxation rules and are voluntarily correcting the error. Also make sure you're maximizing any education credits you qualify for - the American Opportunity Credit could potentially offset a significant portion of what you owe. Don't let the anxiety paralyze you - take it one step at a time and remember that the IRS works with people who are trying to comply with tax law.

I'm in the exact same frustrating situation! Filed on February 3rd using TaxSlayer and I'm still stuck at "being processed" after almost 7 weeks now. My return is super straightforward too - just W-2 income, standard deduction, and no credits or complicated deductions. Reading through all these comments has been both reassuring and maddening. Reassuring because it's clear this is a widespread IRS processing issue affecting tons of people with simple returns, but maddening because the complete lack of transparency is unacceptable when we're all counting on this money. The "Where's My Refund" tool has been completely useless - same generic "being processed" message for weeks with absolutely no timeline or updates. I was planning to use my refund to pay down some credit card debt, so the uncertainty is really stressing me out when I'm trying to budget. I finally called last week and after 2.5 hours on hold, the agent basically confirmed what everyone is saying - massive delays due to new fraud prevention measures and they're still working through backlogs. No specific timeline, just "keep waiting" which is so unhelpful. What really bothers me is that filing early seems to have worked against us this year instead of getting us faster processing like previous years. Thanks for starting this thread - it's been incredibly helpful to know we're all dealing with this mess together and it's clearly an IRS system problem, not something we did wrong!

I'm experiencing the exact same frustrating delays! Filed on February 9th with TurboTax and I'm still stuck at "being processed" after 6+ weeks now. My return is incredibly simple too - just W-2 income from my job and standard deduction, no credits or complications whatsoever. This thread has been such a relief to find because I was honestly starting to panic thinking I had made some error or that my employer messed up my W-2. But seeing so many people with equally straightforward returns dealing with these same endless delays makes it crystal clear this is a massive IRS system-wide problem this year, not something we did wrong. The "Where's My Refund" tool is absolutely worthless - it's been showing that same generic "being processed" message since I filed with zero timeline or useful updates. I check it every morning hoping for any change but it never updates. I was counting on this refund to help with some unexpected medical bills, so the complete uncertainty about timing is really stressing me out. I haven't tried calling yet after reading about everyone's 3+ hour hold times, especially since it sounds like the agents basically just tell you to keep waiting anyway. It's so frustrating that filing early seems to have backfired on all of us this year - you'd think simple returns would be processed quickly! Thanks for posting this - it's been incredibly reassuring to know we're all in this waiting game together. Hopefully we all finally see some movement soon because this uncertainty is absolutely exhausting when you're budgeting around that money!

What an absolutely phenomenal thread this has become! I'm launching a SaaS platform for veterinary practice management and was facing the exact same EIN classification dilemma that Carmen originally posted about. After reading through this entire incredible discussion, I have complete confidence that "service" is definitively the correct choice for subscription-based software businesses. The unanimous consensus from every single entrepreneur who's actually been through this process is remarkable, and the fundamental reasoning makes perfect sense - we're providing ongoing platform access, continuous updates, technical support, and service delivery rather than selling a product that customers own. What absolutely blows me away is how this has evolved from a simple classification question into this comprehensive masterclass that covers every conceivable angle: theoretical foundation (service vs. product ownership), official IRS backing (Publication 535, NAICS codes), practical tools (taxr.ai, Claimyr), implementation strategies (documentation memos), and most importantly, dozens of real success stories from SaaS entrepreneurs across every industry imaginable. The documentation memo strategy that FireflyDreams, Dyllan, and others have recommended is brilliant - creating a paper trail with reasoning and IRS citations shows real business professionalism and thoughtful decision-making. Having that kind of backup based on official guidance and community validation gives me complete peace of mind. This community's generosity in sharing detailed experiences and practical wisdom is absolutely incredible! Carmen's original question has created this invaluable resource that will help countless future SaaS entrepreneurs navigate this administrative hurdle with confidence. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their expertise - this is exactly what makes entrepreneurial communities so powerful and essential for newcomers like myself!

This has been such an amazing thread to follow! I'm launching a SaaS platform for real estate property management and was equally confused about the EIN classification question when I first started my application. Reading through all these detailed experiences has given me tremendous confidence that "service" is absolutely the right choice for subscription-based software businesses. The unanimous consensus from every entrepreneur who's actually been through this process, combined with the solid reasoning about providing ongoing access and continuous service delivery rather than selling owned products, makes this feel like a completely resolved question. What I find most valuable is how this discussion has become this incredible comprehensive guide that covers not just the basic classification decision, but also the official IRS documentation to reference (Publication 535), relevant NAICS codes, practical tools for getting additional validation, and most importantly, real success stories from SaaS businesses across every industry you can imagine. I'm definitely going to follow the excellent advice about creating a documentation memo with my reasoning and IRS citations. Having that paper trail showing thoughtful decision-making based on official guidance seems like such a smart business practice that could prevent any future questions or complications. The generosity of this community in sharing detailed experiences and practical wisdom is absolutely incredible! Carmen's original question has created this invaluable resource that will help so many future SaaS entrepreneurs navigate this administrative hurdle with complete confidence. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their expertise - this is exactly what makes entrepreneurial communities so essential for newcomers like myself!