I'm a bit confused by some of these responses. Does the time zone thing apply to all IRS deadlines or just the April filing deadline? What about estimated tax payments?

Don't panic! You're absolutely fine. The IRS operates on a "timely filed" principle based on your local time zone, not Eastern Time. Since you submitted at 11:23pm Pacific Time on April 15th, your return is considered filed on time according to IRS regulations. The April 16th date on your confirmation is likely just when the tax software's servers processed your return or when they transmitted it to the IRS - this can happen due to high traffic volumes on deadline day. What matters legally is when YOU hit submit in your time zone. You should receive an official IRS acceptance email within 24-48 hours that will show the correct filing date. Keep that email as your official record. I've seen this exact situation countless times and it's never been an issue. The IRS systems are designed to handle time zone differences properly. If you're still worried, you can always call the IRS to confirm (though expect long wait times), but based on your description, you're completely in the clear. No late penalties for you!

Has anyone considered the timing here? Since the wife started the FSA in July, couldn't they argue that the HSA was fine for January-June, and then became ineligible only from July onward? That way they'd only need to withdraw half the year's HSA contributions instead of all of it.

Just be really careful about the timing of any HSA withdrawals if you go that route! I learned the hard way that excess contributions need to be withdrawn by the tax filing deadline (including extensions) to avoid the 6% excise tax penalty that applies each year the excess remains in the account. Also, since you mentioned you've already contributed $8,300 for the full year, make sure your payroll department stops any ongoing HSA contributions immediately while you sort this out. You don't want to keep adding to the problem while you're trying to fix it. One more thing - document everything! Keep records of when your wife's FSA started, any communications with HR about potential changes, and if you do need to make HSA withdrawals, keep all the paperwork from your HSA provider. You'll need this documentation for your tax return.

I'm going through the exact same thing and this thread has been such a relief! Filed on 2/13 with a $3,400 payment through H&R Block online, and it's been sitting in my account for over 3 weeks now. Like so many others here, I've been checking my bank account multiple times daily expecting the money to just disappear. I was starting to panic thinking I had made some error or that the IRS was going to surprise me with penalties later. Miguel's explanation about the 3-4 week processing backlog being system-wide this year is incredibly reassuring, especially coming from someone who works in tax prep and is seeing this across multiple clients. And all the practical advice about keeping documentation, setting up the online IRS account, and learning about EFTPS for next year has been so helpful. I'm going to follow everyone's advice - keep that money untouched for at least 8 weeks, set up my online IRS account today to confirm they have my information, and try to be patient with their processing delays. It's amazing how much better this feels knowing we're all protected from penalties as long as we authorized payment on time. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - you've turned what felt like a personal financial crisis into just another frustrating bureaucratic delay that we're all weathering together!

I'm going through this exact same situation and finding this thread has been incredibly helpful! Filed on 2/21 with a $3,650 payment through TaxSlayer, and it's been sitting in my account for almost 3 weeks now. Like everyone else here, I've been obsessively checking my bank balance multiple times a day, half expecting the money to just vanish overnight. I was starting to worry that maybe I had made some mistake during the payment authorization process or that the IRS was going to hit me with surprise penalties down the road. Miguel's explanation about the 3-4 week processing backlog being system-wide this year is such a huge relief, especially knowing it's coming from someone who works directly in tax prep and is seeing this pattern across multiple clients. All the practical advice here about keeping documentation, setting up the online IRS account, and considering EFTPS for next year has been incredibly valuable. I'm going to follow everyone's guidance - keep that money safely untouched in my account for the full 8 weeks, set up my online IRS account today to at least confirm they received my return, and try to practice patience with their processing delays. It's amazing how much less stressful this feels knowing we're all in the same boat and protected from penalties as long as we authorized payment on time. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - you've transformed what felt like a potential financial disaster into just another frustrating government processing delay that we're all navigating together!

Just to add my experience - I was in the EXACT same situation during college. Had work study all 4 years and didn't file until senior year when I got a proper internship. I talked to an accountant years later who said since I was owed refunds (not that I owed any tax), there was no penalty for filing late. Apparently the IRS doesn't penalize you for filing late if THEY owe YOU money! I ended up filing the old returns and got small refunds for each year. The whole process was pretty easy. If I were you, I'd file those old returns just to get closure and the small refunds you're probably entitled to.

Don't stress too much about this! You're definitely not alone - so many college students go through this exact same confusion about work study income and filing requirements. From what you've described, you were likely not required to file for those years since your earnings were well below the filing thresholds. Work study income is treated like regular W-2 wages, so the standard filing requirements apply. However, since you had federal taxes withheld (even those small amounts of $11 and $9), you were actually entitled to get that money back as a refund! The IRS doesn't charge penalties for filing late when they owe YOU money, but there is a time limit to claim refunds - generally 3 years from the original due date. For 2021, you'd have until April 2025 to file and claim that $11 refund, and for 2022, until April 2026 for the $9. It's not a huge amount, but it's money that's rightfully yours, and filing those returns would give you peace of mind. Also, don't forget to check your state filing requirements! Some states have much lower thresholds than federal, so you might need to file state returns even if federal wasn't required. You're being very responsible by looking into this now - better late than never!

22 Does anyone know if my accountant should be charging me extra each year to "maintain" my S-Corp election? He's billing me $250 annually for "S-Corp election maintenance" but from what I'm reading here it sounds like there's nothing to maintain after the initial filing??

Just to reinforce what others have said - Form 2553 is definitely a one-time filing! I made the same mistake in my first year as an S-Corp and called the IRS thinking I needed to refile it. The representative confirmed that once your election is accepted, it stays in effect unless you voluntarily revoke it or something happens that disqualifies your S-Corp status. What you DO need to file annually is Form 1120-S (your S-Corp tax return) and prepare Schedule K-1s. Also don't forget about the reasonable salary requirement - as an S-Corp owner who works in the business, you need to pay yourself W-2 wages before taking distributions. That's probably the most important ongoing compliance issue to stay on top of. The IRS website has a good checklist for S-Corp annual requirements if you want to bookmark it for future reference!