I had my CPA submit Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) after waiting 3 weeks for a verification letter that never arrived. This expedited the process and I received my refund via DD exactly 16 days later. The key was providing comprehensive documentation - including copies of my driver's license, social security card, and a utility bill showing my address. This approach bypassed the need for the verification letter entirely and resolved the hold on my account.

Just went through this exact situation last month! The verification letter took almost 4 weeks to arrive, but I didn't wait - called the 800-830-5084 number after 2 weeks and got it sorted immediately. Pro tip: call right at 7am when they open for the shortest wait times. They'll ask you questions about your previous tax returns, current address, and some credit-related info to verify your identity. Have your Social Security card, driver's license, and last 2 years of tax returns handy. Once verified, my refund processed within 9 business days. Don't let your CPA pressure you into thinking this is a huge delay - it's actually pretty routine and resolves quickly once you get through to them.

I've been helping people with tax issues for about 8 years now, and unfortunately what you experienced is pretty typical. Most tax prep chains have always charged for amendments - you likely just had a generous preparer or franchise owner who waived the fee in previous years. The $100 fee is actually reasonable compared to some places I've seen charging $150-200. The refund deduction limitation is real too - amended returns go through a completely different processing system at the IRS that takes 3-4 months minimum, so the banks that handle refund transfers can't offer that service for amendments. It's not just Jackson Hewitt being difficult. If you're comfortable with basic tax concepts, Form 1040-X isn't too complicated for simple amendments. The IRS instructions are decent, though they can be jargon-heavy. There are also some newer AI-powered tax tools that can walk you through the process step by step if you want to try the DIY route and save that $100.

I had this exact same experience last year! Jackson Hewitt quoted me $120 for an amendment (adding a W-2 I forgot), and I was shocked since I'd never been charged before either. After reading through all these responses, it's clear we just got lucky in previous years with preparers who waived the fee or different franchise policies. I ended up doing the amendment myself using Form 1040-X and it honestly wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. The IRS instructions are a bit dense, but for simple stuff like adding missing income or correcting deductions, it's pretty straightforward. Took me about an hour to figure out and file, and I saved the fee. Plus now I actually understand what an amendment is instead of just blindly paying someone to handle it. If you're on the fence about DIY vs paying the $100, I'd say try it yourself first - worst case you get confused and still end up paying Jackson Hewitt, but you might surprise yourself and save some money while learning something new!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful to have found this discussion! I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed a simple return with just W-2 income, and my as-of date has changed from 2/17 to 2/24 to 3/3 with absolutely no codes showing up anywhere on my transcript. Like everyone else here, I've been obsessively checking my transcript multiple times a day and getting more anxious each time that date changes without any explanation. Before reading all these responses, I was completely convinced that something was wrong with my return or that each date change meant I was getting pushed further back in line. The explanation that the as-of date is simply when the IRS computer system schedules to review our accounts again - rather than indicating delays or problems - makes so much more sense than what I was imagining! As someone brand new to understanding tax transcripts, I had no idea what any of these dates meant. It's incredible how much less scary this whole process becomes when experienced community members break down all that confusing IRS terminology into language we can actually understand. Reading everyone's similar experiences with changing as-of dates and no codes, followed by successful refunds, has been incredibly reassuring. This community has already made my first experience tracking tax transcripts so much more manageable. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here and stop my daily checking routine until after my 3/3 date. Thank you all for being so welcoming and helpful to newcomers like me - this is exactly what I needed to navigate tax season with less stress!

As a newcomer to this community, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm currently experiencing the exact same situation - filed a straightforward return with just W-2 income and standard deduction, and my as-of date has changed from 2/20 to 2/27 to 3/6 with absolutely no codes appearing anywhere on my transcript. Like so many others here, I've been obsessively checking my transcript multiple times daily and getting more stressed each time that date changes without explanation. Before finding this thread, I was completely convinced that each change meant my return was being delayed or that there was some serious issue the IRS wasn't telling me about. The explanation that the as-of date is simply when the IRS computer system schedules to check our accounts again - rather than indicating processing delays or problems - has been such an enormous relief! As someone completely new to understanding tax transcripts, I had no clue what any of these dates and terminology meant. It's amazing how much clearer everything becomes when experienced members translate all that confusing IRS jargon into language we can actually understand. Reading everyone's nearly identical experiences with changing as-of dates and no codes, followed by eventual successful refunds, has been incredibly reassuring. This community has already made my first time navigating tax transcripts so much less overwhelming. I'm definitely going to follow the advice shared here and stop my daily checking routine until after my 3/6 date to see if anything updates. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming and supportive space for newcomers like me to learn from your experiences - this is exactly what I needed to make tax season less scary!

Just a heads up that the rules are different for personal tax payments vs. business tax payments. A lot of people wrongly think that ANY fee paid to pay taxes is deductible, but thats not true! The credit card convenience fees are only deductible on Schedule C because their for BUSINESS tax payments. If you pay your regular income tax with a credit card, that fee is NOT deductible for personal taxes due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Great question! Yes, those credit card convenience fees for paying estimated taxes on your sole proprietorship income are definitely deductible as business expenses on Schedule C. Since you're only making these estimated payments because of your gig work income, the fees directly relate to your business operations. A couple of practical tips from my experience: - Keep screenshots or receipts showing both the tax payment amount AND the separate convenience fee - Report these under "Other Expenses" on Part V of Schedule C - Consider the math: if you're paying $1000 quarterly, that 2% fee is $20 per payment or $80/year Also, since you mentioned you're new to estimated taxes - don't forget you might also be able to deduct a portion of your phone bill if you use it for the delivery apps, plus mileage or actual car expenses. The IRS mileage rate for 2024 is 67¢ per business mile, which can add up quickly with delivery work! Keep good records of everything - it'll make tax time much smoother.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned - check your state tax rules too! I had a parent pass away mid-year and found out that while the federal rules allowed me to claim them as a dependent, my state had different requirements. Cost me an extra $375 in state taxes I wasn't expecting!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Ava. Dealing with taxes after losing a parent is incredibly difficult on top of everything else you're going through. The good news is that yes, you can absolutely still claim your mother as a dependent for 2024. The IRS allows you to claim a qualifying dependent who passes away during the tax year as long as they met all the dependency requirements for the time they were alive. Since your mom lived with you for those months and you provided more than half her support, you're entitled to claim her. A few important things to remember when filing: - Include her full SSN and mark "deceased" with the date of death on your return - Keep all documentation of the support you provided (medical bills, funeral expenses, living costs) - You may also be able to deduct qualified medical expenses you paid for her on Schedule A if you itemize - Don't forget that you'll likely need to file a final tax return for her as well to report her Social Security income for January through April The $12,000 in funeral expenses you mentioned shows just how much financial responsibility you took on. The tax code recognizes this kind of support, which is exactly what the dependent deduction is meant to acknowledge.