This is actually pretty common during tax season! The IRS has specific rules about when they can release different portions of your refund. If your refund includes refundable credits like the Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, they're required by law to hold those portions until mid-February for additional verification - this is called the PATH Act delay. Since you filed 2 weeks ago and only received part of your refund, the missing $246 is likely related to these refundable credits. The IRS will typically release this second portion within 1-2 weeks of the first payment, assuming everything checks out during their verification process. You can check the status of your refund using the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website - it should show you if there's a second payment pending. If you don't see any updates there after another week, then it might be worth calling or checking if there was an offset for past debts.

I experienced this exact same situation last year! My refund was supposed to be $523 but I only received $287 initially. I was really worried that something went wrong with my filing or that there was some kind of error. It turned out that the IRS had split my refund because part of it included the Additional Child Tax Credit, which requires extra verification time. The remaining portion ($236 in my case) arrived about 10 days later via direct deposit. The key thing is to check your tax return form to see if you claimed any refundable credits - those are usually what cause the split. Look for lines related to Earned Income Credit, Additional Child Tax Credit, or American Opportunity Tax Credit. If the missing amount roughly matches what you claimed for these credits, that's almost certainly what's happening. The IRS should send you a letter explaining the delay, but sometimes those letters arrive after the second payment does. I'd recommend checking the "Where's My Refund" tool every few days - it should update to show if there's a second payment coming.

One more thing to consider - make sure you're looking at the right line on your tax forms when comparing calculations. The "total tax" should be what's on line 24 of Form 1040, which is your actual federal income tax liability before any withholding or payments are applied. Sometimes people accidentally compare their "amount owed" (which is total tax minus withholding) with their actual tax liability, creating confusion. With your income level around $130K and proper withholding of over $20K, you should definitely be getting a refund if your actual tax liability is in the $18K-$19K range like the IRS calculator suggests. Also, if you're still getting different results after double-checking your entries, try using a third calculator like the one on TaxAct or FreeTaxUSA just to get another data point. If two out of three calculators agree, you'll have more confidence in the correct amount.

I see you're dealing with a really frustrating discrepancy! As someone who's been through similar tax confusion, here are a few additional things that might help: **Check for duplicate entries** - Sometimes tax software accidentally double-counts income or deductions. Make sure your W-2 wages and 1099-INT interest aren't being entered multiple times in H&R Block. **Look at the actual tax calculation breakdown** - In H&R Block, there should be a detailed view showing exactly how they calculated your tax. Look for the step-by-step breakdown: Total Income → AGI → Taxable Income → Tax Before Credits → Final Tax. Compare each step to what the IRS calculator shows. **Verify your withholding amount** - Double-check that you're entering the exact amount from Box 2 of your W-2 ($20,175) in both systems. A small typo here could throw everything off. Given your income level and withholding amount, the IRS calculator result makes much more sense. With around $130K total income, roughly $115K taxable income after standard deduction, your federal tax should indeed be in the $18K-$19K range. Getting a refund with over $20K withheld is exactly what I'd expect. I'd recommend completing the return with a different software (like FreeTaxUSA) as a third comparison point before filing. The pattern should become clear when you see which calculation is the outlier.

Just want to add a helpful tip for anyone going the Solo 401k route - I set one up last year through Fidelity and it was surprisingly straightforward. The whole process took about 20 minutes online, and they walked me through exactly how to calculate my contribution limits based on my 1099 income. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: you can actually open a Solo 401k late in the year (even December) and still make contributions for that tax year, as long as you make the contributions by the tax filing deadline (including extensions). This gave me flexibility to see how much profit my business made before deciding on contribution amounts. The combination of maxing out a Solo 401k for myself AND doing a spousal IRA for my non-working husband has been a game-changer for our retirement savings. We went from saving maybe $12,000/year to over $30,000/year in tax-advantaged accounts.

As someone who went through this exact same situation a few years ago, I can confirm what others have said - you definitely cannot contribute to your spouse's old 401k. That was my first instinct too, but it's simply not allowed once they're no longer employed there. What worked really well for us was the combination approach: I set up a SEP IRA for my self-employment income (super easy to do) and opened a spousal IRA for my non-working partner. The SEP IRA gave me much higher contribution limits than I expected - I was able to put away about 20% of my net self-employment income, which was way more than the $7,000 IRA limit. One thing I learned the hard way: make sure you're calculating your net self-employment income correctly for the SEP IRA contribution. You have to subtract the self-employment tax deduction first, which I initially missed. The IRS has worksheets that walk through this calculation, but it's definitely worth double-checking with a tax professional or using one of the tools others mentioned here. The spousal IRA was incredibly straightforward - just opened a regular IRA in my spouse's name and contributed to it from our joint finances. Come tax time, filing jointly made it all work seamlessly.

I completely feel your frustration! This exact same thing happened to me last month - got disconnected twice right in the middle of providing my verification information after waiting over an hour each time. It's absolutely infuriating when you finally get through just to have the call drop. What eventually worked for me was calling at exactly 7:00 AM on a Tuesday. The connection seemed much more stable in the early morning, and I got through in about 40 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait. When the agent picked up, I immediately asked "Can you hear me clearly and is this connection stable?" before starting any verification. I also had absolutely everything written down beforehand - SSN, last year's AGI, filing status, exact refund amount - so I could provide it all quickly without fumbling around looking for documents. The agent was able to complete my verification in just a few minutes, and she even made a note in my account about the previous disconnections. My refund was processed and deposited within about 10 days after the verification was completed. Don't give up - that $3,400 is rightfully yours! The early morning timing really does seem to make a huge difference with their system stability. Try again tomorrow morning right when they open and you should have much better luck.

This is absolutely infuriating and I completely understand your frustration! I went through the exact same nightmare two months ago - got disconnected FOUR times during verification attempts after waiting 2+ hours each time. I was ready to give up on my $2,800 refund. What finally worked for me was calling at exactly 7:00 AM on a Wednesday morning. I got through in about 25 minutes instead of the usual marathon wait. The key things I did differently: 1) Asked immediately if the connection was stable before starting verification, 2) Had everything written down and ready (SSN, 2023 AGI, filing status, exact refund amount), and 3) Asked the agent to note in my account that I'd been disconnected multiple times previously. The agent was actually very understanding and said these disconnections happen constantly due to their outdated phone system. She made the notation, completed my verification in under 3 minutes, and my refund was deposited exactly 8 days later. The early morning timing really seems to be crucial - their system is way more stable then and there are fewer people calling. Don't give up on that $3,400! It's your money and you absolutely will get it. Try the 7 AM approach next week and I bet you'll finally get through successfully.

One more thing to consider - check if your area has any rural development grants or infrastructure improvement programs available. Many counties and states offer cost-sharing programs for rural road improvements, especially if multiple property owners participate. I found out about a USDA Rural Development grant that covered 40% of our road improvement costs when we went through a similar situation. We had to form a small road association with our neighbors and apply as a group, but it saved us thousands. The application process took about 6 months, but it was worth the wait. Also, some utility companies will contribute to road improvements if they need better access for maintenance - worth asking your electric, gas, or phone companies if they'd be interested in cost-sharing since better road access benefits their service capabilities too.

Great question about rural road improvements! I've dealt with similar situations professionally, and there are definitely some key steps to follow. First priority is determining road ownership through your county recorder's office - this is absolutely critical before spending any money. Many rural roads exist in legal gray areas where ownership isn't clearly defined, which can create huge problems later. For tax implications, if you own the road section, the paving cost gets added to your property's tax basis (helpful when you sell), but won't give you an immediate deduction. However, there's one exception many people miss - if you use part of your property for business purposes (home office, rental, etc.), a portion of road improvements might qualify as a business expense. You'd need to work with a tax professional to calculate the business-use percentage. Also consider getting multiple quotes - $15,000 for 1/4 mile seems reasonable for basic asphalt, but prices vary wildly based on access, prep work needed, and local contractors. Some areas offer chip seal as a middle ground between gravel and full asphalt that costs about 40% less. Finally, document everything meticulously if you proceed - photos, contracts, receipts, property surveys. This documentation will be essential for tax basis calculations and potential future property disputes.