@Victoria Scott - Based on your situation, you should definitely get most of that $1,260 back! Since your income is under $12,000 and well below the standard deduction, you won't owe federal income tax. Just keep in mind that part of what was withheld might be FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) which are about 7.65% of your income - so roughly $918 if you made exactly $12,000. Those aren't refundable. But any federal income tax withheld should come back to you. Also, don't forget to check if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - with your income level, you might actually get back MORE than what you paid in! The EITC is a refundable credit that can result in a larger refund than your withholding. For timing, definitely file electronically with direct deposit as others mentioned. 21 days is typical, but early in tax season (January-February) it's often faster.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure to keep all your tax documents organized for next year! Since this is your first time filing, you'll want to save copies of your W-2, your tax return, and any other documents you use. The IRS recommends keeping tax records for at least 3 years. Also, if you're planning to work similar hours next year and expect to be in the same income range, you might want to adjust your W-4 withholding as others suggested. That way you can get more of your money throughout the year instead of waiting for a big refund. Some people prefer the refund as forced savings, but if you're budgeting carefully like you seem to be, having that extra money in your paychecks might be more helpful for your monthly expenses. Good luck with your first filing experience! It sounds like you're being really smart about planning ahead.

Anyone tried both Open Tax Solver AND Excel1040? Wondering which is better for someone comfortable with spreadsheets but tired of paying for commercial software.

I've been using Open Tax Solver for two years now and can confirm it's legitimate and secure. Since it runs entirely on your local machine, your personal information never gets transmitted anywhere unless you choose to e-file through other means. The accuracy has been excellent in my experience - I actually compared my first year's calculations against a paid preparer and the results were identical. The software follows IRS publications closely and gets updated each tax season for new changes. However, I'll be honest - there's definitely a learning curve. The interface isn't as polished as commercial options, and you need to be comfortable reading tax instructions since it doesn't walk you through everything step-by-step like TurboTax does. For your situation (W-2, interest income, basic deductions), it should handle everything perfectly fine. One tip: I always run through the calculations twice and cross-reference key numbers with the actual IRS forms to make sure I input everything correctly. The math is solid, but user error in data entry is always possible with any software.

Make sure you mail it early! International/dual status returns take WAY longer to process. I sent mine last year on April 10 and didn't get my refund until August. The earlier you send it, the better.

I had a very similar situation last year as a dual status resident with temporary housing arrangements. After going through this confusion myself, I can confirm that you should mail your return to the Austin, TX international address since you listed a foreign address on your Form 1040. The key thing to understand is that the IRS routes returns based on what's written on the forms themselves, not your physical location when mailing. Since your 1040 shows a foreign address, the system expects it to go through international processing channels. A few additional tips from my experience: - Use certified mail with tracking as others mentioned - Include a cover letter explaining your situation if you want, but it's not required - Don't worry about the pay1040 discrepancy - the payment and return processing are handled separately - Expect 10-16 weeks for processing (mine took 14 weeks) The most important thing is to be consistent with what you put on your actual tax forms. Since you already listed the foreign address on your 1040, stick with the international mailing address. Good luck!

I went through this exact situation two years ago and can share what worked for me. The key is acting quickly since your 1120S hasn't been filed yet - that's actually a huge advantage. I ended up doing the retroactive payroll approach, and while there were penalties, it was much less painful than I expected. Here's what I learned: 1. Use a payroll service that can handle backdated processing (ADP, Paychex, etc.) - they're familiar with this situation 2. You'll need to pay both employer and employee portions of FICA since you already took the money 3. File Form 941 for each quarter you should have run payroll, even if some quarters were $0 4. The penalties were around 10-12% of the taxes owed in my case The most important thing is being transparent with the IRS about what happened. When I filed the late forms, I included a letter explaining this was my first year as an S-Corp and I misunderstood the requirements. Don't let your CPA talk you into showing all distributions - that's asking for audit trouble. The retroactive payroll route is more work upfront but gives you clean books and proper compliance going forward. Your future self will thank you for doing it right. Feel free to ask if you want more specifics about the process!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation and wanted to add my perspective after going through this recently. Like many others here, I initially panicked when I realized I had been taking distributions instead of running proper payroll for my S-Corp. After reading through all the advice here and doing my own research, I decided to go the retroactive payroll route. Here's what I found most helpful: 1. Don't delay - the longer you wait, the higher the penalties become 2. Most payroll services are familiar with this situation and can guide you through backdated processing 3. The IRS First Time Abatement program that Lydia mentioned is real and can significantly reduce penalties if you qualify 4. Having proper documentation from the start (even if late) is infinitely better than trying to explain away zero salary on an S-Corp return I ended up using a combination of the resources mentioned here - taxr.ai helped me understand exactly what was wrong with my initial approach and gave me a clear action plan, then I used that information to work with my CPA on the corrections. The total penalties were about 8% of the taxes owed, and I'm currently working on requesting First Time Abatement since this was my first year with payroll tax obligations. Morgan, definitely don't let your CPA file showing all distributions. The retroactive payroll approach is more work upfront but saves you from potential audit headaches down the road. Happy to share more details about my specific process if it would be helpful!

Just to offer another datapoint, I had a similar situation in 2021. Got an EIN, opened a business account, then accepted a full-time job and put the business plans on hold. Called the IRS (after being on hold for nearly 3 hours!) and they confirmed no need to file anything if there was zero business activity.

I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - this is exactly the kind of situation that causes unnecessary stress! As someone who works in tax preparation, I can confirm what others have said: simply obtaining an EIN doesn't create a filing requirement. The IRS cares about actual business activity, not just having the number. One thing I'd add is to be careful about any automatic payments or fees that might have been charged to that business account. Even if you didn't actively conduct business, things like monthly account maintenance fees or credit card annual fees could technically be considered business expenses if they were incurred for the business purpose. Also, don't stress too much about "officially closing" the EIN - while you can send a letter to the IRS, it's not required. The EIN will essentially go dormant on its own if you don't use it. Just make sure to close any associated bank accounts and credit cards to avoid future complications.