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!

I'm new to using Varo but have been using H&R Block for years with my old bank. This is super helpful to see everyone's actual timing experiences! I filed last Friday and just got the acceptance notification yesterday, so sounds like I'm probably looking at early next week based on all these timelines. One thing I'm curious about - does anyone know if Varo sends push notifications for deposits, or do you have to rely on email/text alerts? I want to make sure I have the right notifications set up so I'm not constantly checking the app like some of you mentioned doing! The consistency of that 9am-2pm EST window across so many people's experiences is really reassuring. Thanks for all the detailed info everyone - way more useful than anything I could find on the official websites!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm another H&R Block/Varo user and can confirm the 9am-2pm EST pattern everyone's mentioning. Filed two weeks ago, got accepted last Monday, and my refund just hit this morning at 11:18am - right in that sweet spot! For anyone still waiting, I found that once my "Where's My Refund" status changed to "Refund Sent," the deposit showed up in my Varo account within 24-36 hours. Way faster than my previous bank that would hold it for what felt like forever. @Lucy Lam hope yours came through by now! The obsessive checking is so real during tax season 😅 Setting up those push notifications definitely saved my sanity this year.

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!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to discover! I'm preparing to launch a SaaS platform for small business inventory forecasting and was completely overwhelmed by the EIN classification decision until I found this amazing discussion. The unanimous consensus from every single entrepreneur who's actually gone through this process is so reassuring - "service" is clearly the definitive choice for subscription-based software businesses. What really crystallized it for me was understanding that we're providing ongoing platform access, continuous updates, technical support, and service delivery rather than selling a product that customers own outright. I'm blown away by how Carmen's original question has evolved into this comprehensive masterclass that covers every possible angle: the fundamental reasoning (service vs. product ownership), official IRS documentation (Publication 535, NAICS codes), practical tools (taxr.ai, Claimyr), implementation strategies (documentation memos), and most importantly, real success stories from SaaS entrepreneurs across dozens of different industries. The documentation memo strategy that multiple people have recommended is brilliant - creating a paper trail with reasoning and IRS citations shows real business professionalism and could prevent any future complications. Having that kind of backup based on official guidance and community validation gives me complete confidence in selecting "service" for my EIN application. What strikes me most about this discussion is how it perfectly demonstrates the power of entrepreneurial communities. The generosity of experienced founders sharing detailed guidance and practical wisdom makes navigating these administrative hurdles feel so much more manageable rather than overwhelming. Thank you to Carmen for starting such a valuable discussion and to everyone who contributed their expertise! This community's collective knowledge has transformed what felt like an impossible decision into a clear, confident choice. This is exactly why I joined this community - to learn from people who've successfully walked this path before.

When my wife needed an ITIN (she's from Brazil, we live there), we used a Certified Acceptance Agent in our country instead of mailing everything to the IRS. Made the process way easier because they verified all her documents locally so we didn't have to send originals or certified copies through international mail. The IRS website has a directory of acceptance agents worldwide. Might be worth checking if there's one near you: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/acceptance-agents-1

I went through this exact situation last year! As others mentioned, you definitely need to get your wife an ITIN even when filing separately - it's required for the spouse field on your tax return. A few practical tips from my experience: 1. Don't stress about the "date of entry" field being blank - just attach a brief statement explaining she's never entered the US 2. Make sure to get a certified copy of her passport (not just a regular photocopy) 3. The process took about 12 weeks for us, so plan accordingly One thing I wish I'd known earlier: you can actually request expedited processing if you're facing a hardship due to the delay. We didn't know about this option and just waited the full processing time. Also, keep copies of everything you send - the IRS sometimes requests additional documentation and it helps to have everything on hand. The good news is once you get through this first year, you'll have her ITIN for all future tax filings. It's a pain initially but worth getting it sorted out properly.

14 Quick tip if you're using TurboTax - if you say "Yes" to question A and "No" to question B, it will flag this as an issue but still let you file. The software will likely generate a warning about potential penalties, but go ahead and continue. In my experience filing several rental returns, I've never had an issue with the IRS following up on this specific discrepancy for small landlords. Just make sure all your income and expenses are accurately reported.

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm what others have said - answer honestly on Schedule E. For question A, answer "Yes" since you were required to issue 1099s (both payments exceeded $600). For question B, answer "No" since you haven't issued them. The good news is this won't prevent your return from being accepted. The IRS understands that first-year landlords often miss this requirement. You can still issue the 1099s now - yes, they'll be late, but there's usually penalty relief available for first-time filers who weren't aware of the requirement. Going forward, get W-9 forms from anyone you plan to pay over $600 in a year. This makes the 1099 process much smoother next year. The deadline is January 31st for providing forms to recipients and filing with the IRS. Don't let this stress you out too much - focus on accurately reporting all your rental income and expenses on Schedule E, which is what the IRS really cares about.