I'm in the same boat but decided to go ahead and file without the donations this year. My donations only add up to about $750 in value, so it's only changing my refund by like $90. Not worth waiting weeks for that small amount when I'm getting back $3400 otherwise.

I've been dealing with this exact same frustration! After reading through all these comments, I ended up trying a hybrid approach. I used taxr.ai to organize all my donation receipts (which was honestly a lifesaver - had boxes of stuff from multiple charities), and then called the IRS using Claimyr to get an actual timeline. The IRS agent confirmed that Form 8283 should be available by January 28th, but she also mentioned something important - they're implementing new validation rules this year that might flag certain donations for review. She suggested keeping really detailed records of item conditions and fair market value calculations, especially for anything over $500. For anyone on the fence about waiting vs filing now, I'd say it depends on your donation amounts. I have about $2800 in donations which translates to roughly $400 in tax savings, so I'm waiting the extra week. But if you're only looking at $50-100 in tax benefits, probably not worth the hassle.

Just FYI - this is EXACTLY why i never do the refund advances. They always seem to cause problems like this. Maybe you'll get lucky and have it workout quickly but you might be looking at a paper check in a few weeks.

This exact same thing happened to my sister last year! The TurboTax/Credit Karma integration creates these temporary routing accounts for processing advances, and sometimes the system gets confused about which account to send the actual refund to. What likely happened is your refund went to that temporary account that was used for your advance, but since that account is only meant for processing the advance (not receiving the full refund), it probably got rejected by the bank. When direct deposits get rejected, the IRS automatically switches to mailing a paper check. The good news is you will get your money - it just takes longer. Based on what others have shared here, you're probably looking at 3-4 weeks for the paper check to arrive. Keep checking your mailbox around early November. In the meantime, definitely try to get someone from the IRS on the phone to confirm what's happening. I know it's frustrating but your $4,278 isn't lost, just delayed in the system.

Just to clarify the main question here - yes, if you file and owe taxes, you absolutely have to pay them regardless of whether filing was required or not. The IRS doesn't care if you filed voluntarily - once you submit that return, you're locked into whatever tax liability it shows. However, given your income level, you're likely looking at owing around $1,500-1,700 in self-employment tax (as Isabella mentioned), but you'll probably qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit which could reduce or eliminate what you owe. Plus you can deduct business expenses to lower your taxable income. My advice: definitely file since you're required to anyway (that $400 self-employment threshold applies to you), but make sure you claim all possible deductions and credits. You might be surprised and end up with a refund instead of owing money!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! I made about $10,800 from freelance work and was also confused about the filing requirements. Here's what I learned: Yes, you absolutely have to file because of the $400 self-employment threshold, and yes, you have to pay whatever taxes you owe once you file. BUT - and this is important - make sure you're taking advantage of every deduction and credit available to you. I ended up owing about $1,400 in self-employment tax, but after claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit ($538 for my situation), deducting my home office space, and claiming legitimate business expenses like my laptop and internet costs, I actually got a small refund of $127! The biggest mistake I almost made was not keeping track of my business expenses throughout the year. Even small things like printer paper, pens, and software subscriptions added up to over $800 in deductions. Start gathering those receipts now - you'll be surprised how much you can legitimately deduct. Don't let the fear of owing money keep you from filing. With your income level and the credits available, you might actually come out ahead!

Has anyone tried the IRS Free File options? I know they have income limits (usually around $73k) but I think some of them can handle investments too. Seems like the only truly free option these days.

Wow, I'm dealing with the exact same sticker shock! I've been a loyal TurboTax user for about 8 years and that $82.99 price tag made me do a double-take. What really gets me is they removed the early-bird discount - that was always my saving grace for dealing with their annual price creeps. I'm definitely intrigued by some of the alternatives mentioned here, especially taxr.ai with the document upload feature. My situation is pretty similar to yours - I've got investment accounts and a small rental property, so manually entering everything would be a nightmare. Has anyone compared how these alternatives handle Schedule E for rental properties specifically? That's always been the most time-consuming part of my return and I want to make sure whatever I switch to can handle depreciation schedules and expense categorization properly. Thanks for starting this thread - it's exactly the push I needed to finally explore other options instead of just complaining about TurboTax prices every year!

I was in the same boat as you last month - expired license and couldn't use ID.me. Calling that verification number was like trying to win the lottery, but I finally got through on my fifth attempt. The trick is to call right when they open at 7am. It's like trying to get concert tickets the moment they go on sale. I got my identity verified and my refund showed up 16 days later. Hang in there!

I went through this exact same nightmare in January! My license had expired right before I needed to verify, and ID.me was a complete dead end. Here's what worked for me: Call 800-830-5084 at exactly 7:00 AM your local time - I'm talking have your phone ready to dial the second the clock hits 7. I tried calling later in the day multiple times and gave up after 60+ minute waits, but the 7 AM call got me through in under 20 minutes. Have these ready: your SSN, filing status, exact AGI from your 2022 and 2023 returns, and your address from those returns. They also asked me about a previous address from like 5 years ago (super random but they have access to credit bureau info). The whole verification took about 25 minutes, and they gave me a confirmation number at the end - definitely write that down! My refund was released exactly 19 days after the call, even though they said it could take up to 9 weeks. Good luck with your apartment application - the timing stress is real!