Question: if the OP decides they can file independently, would it be better to have the parents give the tuition money to the student instead of paying it directly to the school? That way the student could claim they provided ALL the support and there'd be no confusion?

Based on your numbers, it sounds like you're providing more than half of your support, which would make you eligible to file independently and claim the American Opportunity Credit yourself. However, I'd strongly recommend using the IRS support test worksheet in Publication 501 to calculate this precisely - it's more detailed than just comparing tuition vs. living expenses. A few things to double-check in your calculation: - Any health/car insurance your parents provide counts as their support - Scholarships used for tuition don't count toward YOUR support amount - If you lived at home during breaks, include fair rental value as support from parents The most important thing is coordinating with your parents before anyone files. If you determine you're not their dependent, make sure they understand this and won't claim you. The IRS will reject duplicate claims, and resolving that is a headache for everyone involved. If you're still unsure after doing the worksheet, consider getting confirmation from a tax professional or even the IRS directly before filing. The American Opportunity Credit is valuable, but you want to make sure you're claiming it correctly.

Just wanted to share my experience as another data point! I also use Venmo for direct deposit and got my refund with a DDD of 02/28 exactly 2 business days early, just like others have mentioned. One thing I noticed is that Venmo sends a push notification as soon as the deposit hits, usually early in the morning around 6-7 AM. So if you're expecting it Monday, you'll probably know first thing when you wake up. Also, to help with the advance question - if you're unsure whether you took one, you can log into your tax software account (TurboTax, FreeTaxUSA, etc.) and review your filing summary. It will clearly show if you opted for any refund advance or bank product fees. Most people who take advances remember doing it because there's usually a separate application process and disclosures about fees and interest rates. Good luck with your refund! Sounds like Monday is very likely based on the pattern everyone's describing with Venmo's early deposit feature.

I've been following this thread and wanted to add my perspective as someone who's dealt with similar refund timing questions. The confusion around early deposits is totally understandable - there are so many variables that affect when you actually get your money. One thing I've learned from experience is that the "up to 5 days early" marketing from banks like Venmo is really the maximum, not the typical timeframe. In practice, most people with government payments (like tax refunds) see 1-2 days early, which aligns with what others have shared here. For those trying to figure out if they took a refund advance, here's a simple check: look at your bank account for when you paid your tax prep fees. If you paid the preparer directly (either upfront or after filing), you probably didn't take an advance. If you don't see a charge to the tax prep company on your card or bank statement, that's usually a sign the fees were deducted from your refund, which often involves some kind of bank product or advance. With your DDD of 03/05 being a Tuesday, Monday 03/03 sounds very realistic based on the experiences shared here. Venmo seems pretty consistent with that 2-day early pattern for tax refunds.

I just went through this exact situation and wanted to share what worked for me! I had two 1098 forms after refinancing in September 2023, and H&R Block was giving me the same confusing warnings. Here's what I learned: Enter each 1098 form completely separately in the mortgage interest section. Don't try to combine any numbers yourself. When H&R Block gives you that duplicate entry warning, you can safely ignore it as long as you're certain these are from different lenders for different time periods of the same property. Make sure to pay attention to Box 6 (points paid) on your new mortgage's 1098. If there's an amount there, H&R Block will ask if this was a refinance - answer "yes" so it properly handles the points deduction rules (they usually need to be spread over the loan term for refinances, not deducted all at once). Also double-check that both 1098 forms show the exact same property address. Even small formatting differences can confuse the software and trigger unnecessary warnings. The good news is that once you enter everything correctly, H&R Block automatically totals both interest amounts on Schedule A line 8a, so you'll get your full mortgage interest deduction. Just be patient with the software's warnings - they're designed to catch genuine errors but can be overly cautious with legitimate refinance situations like yours.

I had this exact same issue when I refinanced in July 2023! The confusion with H&R Block is totally normal - the software gets overly cautious about multiple mortgage forms. Here's what worked for me: Enter each 1098 form as a completely separate mortgage entry. Don't combine any numbers yourself. When you get to the mortgage interest section, add the first lender with all their info (name, EIN, interest amount from Box 1), then add a second entry for your new lender with their complete information. The key is making sure both 1098 forms show identical property addresses. If there are any differences in how the address is formatted (like "St." vs "Street"), that can trigger the duplicate warning. Also, when H&R Block asks if this was a refinance situation, make sure to indicate "yes" - this helps the software understand why you have two lenders for the same property. Your final Schedule A will show the combined total from both forms on line 8a, so you'll get the full deduction you're entitled to. The warning about duplicates is just the software being extra careful, but you can proceed through it knowing your situation is legitimate. One last tip: if your new mortgage 1098 shows any points in Box 6, those will likely need to be amortized over the loan term rather than deducted all at once, but H&R Block should handle that calculation automatically when you indicate it was a refinance.

I did this last year - donated about 300 items after downsizing. My advice is to create a spreadsheet NOW before you start donating. Column headings: Date donated, Charity name/address, Item description, Condition, Original cost, FMV, and Photo reference number. Take photos of EVERYTHING in groups (like "10 men's shirts" can be one photo). Number your photos to match your spreadsheet. Trust me, trying to reconstruct this at tax time is a nightmare.

Just want to add one more thing that helped me a lot - keep a running tally of your donations by charity as you go. The IRS gets suspicious if you claim massive deductions to obscure charities, but spreading $40k across well-known organizations like Goodwill, Salvation Army, local food banks, etc. looks much more legitimate. Also, make sure you're getting proper receipts from each charity with their tax ID number. Some smaller organizations are terrible about this, and without a proper receipt showing they're a qualified 501(c)(3), your deduction could get disallowed entirely. I learned this the hard way when one of my donations got questioned because the charity's receipt was just a handwritten note without their EIN. One last tip - if any of your items are unusual or potentially valuable (artwork, antiques, jewelry), consider getting a quick informal appraisal even if they're under $5,000. It shows good faith effort at accurate valuation and can save headaches later.

Has anyone successfully amended their return for this? I have a similar situation with about $12,500 in excess deductions on termination, but I'm worried about triggering an audit if I file an amendment claiming all of these deductions against my income.

I had a very similar situation last year with excess deductions from a terminated family trust. What helped me was getting a clear breakdown from the trustee of exactly what types of deductions were included in the excess amount. In my case, I had about $8,200 in excess deductions that included administrative fees, legal costs, and some investment-related expenses. The key was determining which of these could be claimed as above-the-line deductions versus itemized deductions. For your 1040-X amendment, make sure to include Form 8960 if any of the trust income was subject to the Net Investment Income Tax - this is something I almost missed. Also, keep copies of all correspondence with the trustee about the deduction categorization, as the IRS may request additional documentation during processing. The good news is that if your excess deductions are properly categorized and you follow the 2020 regulations, you should be able to claim them without the old $3,000 capital loss limitation. Just be thorough with your documentation and consider getting professional help if the amounts are substantial.