I went through this exact situation two years ago! One thing that really helped me was keeping a detailed travel log throughout the year - dates, locations, and which clients I worked for where. This became crucial when determining which states I needed to file in and how to allocate my income. For your federal return, using your parents' address is totally fine - that's what I did. The IRS just needs a reliable mailing address. For state taxes, you'll likely need to file as a non-resident in states where you earned income, but each state has different thresholds. Some require filing if you earned any income there, others have minimum amounts. One surprise I encountered was that some states consider you a resident if you spend more than 183 days there, even without a permanent address. Since you mentioned working in 7 states, definitely track your days carefully. I ended up owing taxes in 4 different states but got credits that prevented double taxation. Also, don't forget about potential deductions for travel expenses between work locations - this can add up significantly for consultants like us who are constantly moving between clients.

As someone who went through this exact situation, I'd strongly recommend documenting everything now before tax season gets crazy. Create a spreadsheet with every location you worked, dates, income sources, and keep digital copies of all receipts. One thing that really saved me was establishing a clear "tax home" early on. Since you use your parents' address for official documents, that's likely your tax home for IRS purposes. This becomes your reference point for determining what travel expenses are deductible. Don't stress too much about the multi-state aspect - yes, you'll probably need to file non-resident returns in several states, but most tax software can handle this. The key is knowing your income allocation by state. If you have W-2s from different states, that makes it easier since the income sourcing is already documented. Also, keep in mind that as a traveling consultant, many of your expenses (lodging, transportation between clients, meals while away from your tax home) may be deductible. This can significantly reduce your tax burden and often makes up for the complexity of filing in multiple states. Start gathering everything now - waiting until April will only make it more stressful!

I'm still confused about something. If the 403b amount is already subtracted from Box 1, why do they bother putting it in Box 12 at all? Seems redundant?

This is such a common source of confusion! I went through the exact same thing with my 403b last year. The key thing to remember is that 403b contributions are "pre-tax" deductions, which means they come out of your paycheck BEFORE taxes are calculated. So when you see that Code E amount in Box 12b, it's not telling you to subtract anything additional - it's just documenting what was already subtracted throughout the year with each paycheck. Your Box 1 wages are your "after 403b contribution" amount. One tip that helped me verify this: if you have access to your employee portal or HR system, you can usually see a year-end summary that shows your total gross pay vs. your taxable wages. The difference should match your 403b contributions plus any other pre-tax benefits like health insurance premiums. Don't stress about missing a deduction - you're getting the tax benefit automatically through the reduced Box 1 amount!

I filed my Form 7202 amendments for both 2020 and 2021 back in February 2024 and received both payments by September 2024 - took about 28-30 weeks total, which was longer than most people are reporting here but I did eventually get both refunds. My situation was a bit different because I'm a freelance web developer and I qualified for both sick leave credits (I had COVID for 10 days in 2020) and family leave credits (childcare issues when schools closed). The 2020 refund was $8,400 and 2021 was $12,100, both via direct deposit since that's how I received my original refunds. One thing that might have delayed mine was that the IRS sent me a letter around week 20 asking for additional documentation to verify my self-employment income. I had to send copies of 1099s and bank statements showing my business income. Once I provided that, things moved pretty quickly - got both payments within about 8 weeks of sending the documentation. Carlos, at 3 weeks you're still very early in the process. Based on all the timelines people are sharing here, you're probably looking at 15-25 weeks depending on whether they need any additional verification. The key thing is that almost everyone who filed legitimate claims eventually got their money - it just takes patience. Make sure you keep all your documentation organized just in case they ask for proof later!

I filed my Form 7202 amendments in December 2024 for both 2020 and 2021, so I'm about 4 months into the process now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like I'm right in that middle phase where most people are still waiting but getting closer to when payments typically start coming through. Like many of you, I'm self-employed (freelance marketing consultant) and qualified for the family leave credits due to school closures and having to care for my kids while trying to maintain my business. The amounts I'm expecting are around $7,200 for 2020 and $9,800 for 2021, so these aren't small sums we're talking about. The "Where's My Amended Return?" tool still shows "received" for both years, but based on what people like Ravi and Donna shared, that seems normal for this stage. I'm planning to check more regularly once I hit the 15-16 week mark to see if the status changes to "processing." One thing I've learned from this thread is the importance of having realistic expectations about the timeline. When I first filed, I was naively hoping to see the money within 8-10 weeks, but it's clear that 16-22 weeks is much more realistic for these COVID-era amendments. At least now I can plan accordingly and not stress out every week when nothing happens. Thanks to everyone who shared their detailed experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this long wait and that the process does eventually work out for people filing legitimate claims!

I just went through this exact same situation last month! Your additional payment after filing the extension definitely goes on Schedule 3 Line 9 as an estimated tax payment, not Line 10. In TurboTax, you'll find this in the "Deductions & Credits" section under "Estimates and Other Taxes Paid." Look for where it asks about estimated tax payments - there should be a field to enter additional payments made during the year. Make sure you have the date and confirmation number from your payUSAtax payment handy. One thing to double-check: if you made the payment through payUSAtax, make sure it was applied to the correct tax year (2024 if you're filing your 2024 return). Sometimes people accidentally apply payments to the wrong year, which can cause major headaches later.

Just wanted to add one more verification step that helped me when I was in a similar situation - after you enter your payment in TurboTax, check that your total payments on the final review screen match what you actually paid to the IRS throughout the year. I caught an error this way where I had accidentally double-entered one of my payments. TurboTax was showing total payments that were higher than what I actually paid, which would have resulted in a larger refund than I was entitled to (and potentially issues with the IRS later). To verify: add up your extension payment + your additional payUSAtax payment + any other payments you made, and make sure that total matches what TurboTax shows on your final forms. It's a simple check but can save you from headaches down the road!

You can actually generate Form 1098 without expensive software! The IRS provides free fillable forms on their website that you can complete and print. Just go to irs.gov and search for "Form 1098 fillable." You'll need to manually enter the borrower's information, SSN, the total interest they paid you, and your information as the lender. If you want something more automated, there are also inexpensive online services like TaxAct or FreeTaxUSA that can generate 1098s for under $20. Much cheaper than QuickBooks if you're only doing one seller-financed property. Just make sure you keep good records throughout the year - track each payment showing principal vs interest breakdown. I created a simple spreadsheet with columns for payment date, total payment, principal portion, and interest portion. Makes filling out the 1098 much easier at year-end!

Great comprehensive advice everyone! As someone who's been through this maze multiple times with different seller-financed properties, I'd add one more crucial point that often gets overlooked - make sure you're charging at least the Applicable Federal Rate (AFR) for interest, or the IRS may impute additional interest income to you. The IRS publishes AFR rates monthly, and if your interest rate is below the AFR for the month you made the loan, they can treat the difference as additional taxable income to you AND as a gift to the buyer (which could trigger gift tax issues if it's significant). I learned this the hard way on my first seller-financed deal where I was being "generous" with a below-market rate. My CPA caught it during review and we had to amend some filings. Now I always check the AFR before setting terms - you can find the current rates in IRS Revenue Rulings or on their website under "Applicable Federal Rates." This is especially important for family transactions or situations where you might be tempted to offer a really low rate to help the buyer qualify. The tax implications can end up costing both parties more than just charging a market rate from the start.