random question but has anyone ever had luck getting interest on their property tax refund? I made a duplicate payment back in January and just got my refund check but no interest even though they held my money for 3 months?

Don't stress too much about this - it's a really common mistake for new homeowners! I went through the exact same thing my first year and it all worked out fine. Here's what I'd recommend doing right away: 1. Call your county tax office first thing in the morning and explain you made a duplicate payment. Have your property address, tax bill number, and payment details ready. 2. Most counties have dealt with this before and have a standard process for refunds. They'll likely ask you to fill out a simple overpayment refund form. 3. You'll need to provide proof of both payments - your mortgage statement showing the escrow disbursement and your check payment confirmation. 4. Ask about the timeline for getting your refund. Some counties are quick (2-3 weeks) while others can take longer. The good news is that you WILL get your money back - it's just a matter of following their process. Many counties even have automatic systems that detect duplicate payments and issue refunds without you having to ask. For next year, just check your mortgage statement or call your lender before paying any taxes directly. Your escrow account should handle property taxes and homeowners insurance automatically. You can usually see the scheduled disbursements in your online mortgage account. You're not an idiot - this happens all the time! Better to be proactive about paying your taxes than to miss a payment.

Something similar happened at my company last year. They switched from company cars to a $700 monthly allowance. Despite HR insisting it wasn't taxable, it showed up in Box 1 of my W-2, and I ended up owing a bunch at tax time. If I were you, I'd assume it will be taxable and plan accordingly. Maybe set aside 25-30% of that allowance for taxes, depending on your tax bracket. Better to be prepared than surprised! Also worth calculating - will $650/month actually cover your costs? When you factor in car payments/depreciation, insurance, maintenance, etc., you might find yourself financially worse off than under the previous arrangement, especially if you drive a lot for work.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago when my company switched from fleet vehicles to car allowances. The key thing to understand is that unless your employer sets up what the IRS calls an "accountable plan," that monthly allowance will almost certainly be treated as taxable income. An accountable plan requires three things: 1) The expenses must have a business connection, 2) You must provide adequate documentation to your employer within a reasonable time, and 3) You must return any excess amounts. If your company is just giving you a flat $650/month without requiring detailed expense reports and receipts, it's likely taxable. In my case, the $600 monthly allowance showed up in Box 1 of my W-2 as regular wages, even though payroll initially told me it wouldn't be taxed. I ended up owing about $1,800 more in taxes than expected. My advice is to assume it's taxable income and set aside money accordingly - probably 22-32% depending on your tax bracket. Also, make sure to track your actual vehicle expenses. If the allowance is taxable but doesn't fully cover your costs, you might be able to deduct the unreimbursed portion if you have self-employment income, though employees generally can't deduct these expenses anymore under current tax law.

Just a heads up that if you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, by law the IRS can't issue your refund before mid-February (usually Feb 15th), no matter when you filed. They don't always make this clear when you're filing. This delay is part of their fraud prevention measures. So if you claimed either of those credits and filed in January, that could explain why you're still waiting.

Just wanted to add that if you're really anxious about the timing (like I was), you can also check your tax transcript on the IRS website. It updates more frequently than the "Where's My Refund" tool and shows processing codes that can give you a better idea of where your return stands. The transcript will show codes like 150 (tax return filed) and 846 (refund issued) along with dates. Sometimes you'll see the 846 code with a date before your "Where's My Refund" status even changes to approved. It's a bit more technical to read but there are guides online that explain what all the codes mean. Also, don't stress too much about checking constantly - I know it's hard not to! The status updates usually happen overnight, so checking once a day in the morning is really all you need to do. Your refund will come!

Has anyone successfully used their Coverdell ESA for internet and utilities in an off-campus apartment? My daughter's school doesn't have dorms either, and her apartment has separate bills for electricity, internet, and water.

I just want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread - it's been incredibly helpful! I was in the exact same boat with my daughter's Coverdell ESA and her commuter college situation. Based on all the advice here, I called the financial aid office this morning and got their official Cost of Attendance breakdown. They confirmed that for off-campus students, they budget $9,800 for housing and $4,200 for food/meals per academic year. This gives me clear guidelines for what I can withdraw from the Coverdell ESA. The financial aid counselor also mentioned that many parents don't realize they can use these funds for off-campus housing when there are no dorms available. She said as long as we stay within their published figures and keep good records, we should be fine. One tip she gave me: save a copy of the Cost of Attendance document with the date you accessed it, since schools sometimes update these figures mid-year. This way you have proof of what the official allowances were when you made your withdrawals.

My W2 box 14 has "PARKING" listed with about $1200. Apparently it's for the subsidized parking at our office building. Anyone know if that's taxable or not? Our HR department is useless when it comes to tax questions.

The "Other" section (Box 14) on your W2 can be confusing because it's not standardized across employers. Each company uses their own codes and abbreviations for different deductions or benefits. Common things you might see include: - Health insurance premiums (before or after tax) - Life insurance premiums over $50k coverage - Union dues - State disability insurance - Parking or transit benefits - Educational assistance - Dependent care assistance To figure out what your specific code means, check your final paystub from December - it should show the year-to-date total for that same deduction category. The amounts should match between your paystub and W2. If you still can't identify what the code represents, reach out to your HR or payroll department. They can explain exactly what each code on your W2 means and whether it affects your tax filing. Most Box 14 items are either already accounted for in your other W2 boxes or are just informational, but it's always good to verify!