Make sure you understand that the TCJA (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) temporarily increased the AGI limitation for cash contributions to qualifying charitable organizations from 50% to 60%. This might be why your textbook shows 50% but the problem uses 60%. Also, don't forget that these limitations apply in a specific order, which is why the problem solution first calculated the 60% limitation and then subtracted the contributions subject to that limitation. Has your professor posted any updated materials that might address the TCJA changes? The tax code changes frequently and textbooks often can't keep up.

I went through a similar struggle with charitable deduction limitations in my tax prep certification course! What helped me was creating a visual flowchart showing the order of operations: 1. Start with AGI 2. Apply 60% limit to cash donations to public charities FIRST 3. Subtract those contributions from your 60% bucket 4. Whatever's left in that bucket can be used for 50% limited contributions 5. Then apply 30% limit separately for capital gain property/private foundations The key insight is that these aren't separate calculations - they're a hierarchy. Your textbook's formula assumes the old 50% maximum, but since the TCJA, cash donations to public charities get priority treatment at 60%. Think of it like filling containers in order: fill the 60% container first, then see what space remains for other types of donations. That's why the answer key calculated (AGI × 60%) - (60% limit contributions) = remaining capacity. This is definitely one of those areas where real-world tax changes have outpaced textbook updates!

This exact same thing happened to me two weeks ago! My WMR date jumped from 4/15 to 5/15 overnight and I was panicking because I had already budgeted that money for April expenses. After reading through similar posts here, I decided to trust my transcript over WMR since it hadn't changed at all. Sure enough, my refund hit my account on 4/16 - just one day after the original WMR date! I think what's happening is the IRS systems are getting overwhelmed with the volume of returns and the WMR tool is having sync issues with the actual processing database. Your transcript is pulled directly from the main system, so that's definitely more reliable. Since you mentioned you have quarterly taxes due on 4/15, I'd plan based on your transcript date rather than the shifted WMR date. The fact that your transcript hasn't changed is actually a really good sign that your refund is still on track for the original timeframe.

I'm going through this exact situation right now! My WMR showed 4/22 yesterday and today it's showing 5/22. Like you, I checked my transcript immediately and there's been zero changes - no new codes, no updates to cycle dates, nothing. Based on all the responses here, it sounds like this is becoming a really common issue this tax season. I'm choosing to trust my transcript over WMR since everyone seems to agree that's the more reliable source. The fact that so many people are reporting their refunds came on or near the original date despite WMR showing later dates is really encouraging. For your quarterly taxes due 4/15, I'd recommend planning based on your transcript timeline rather than the shifted WMR date. It seems like this is just a front-end display issue rather than an actual processing delay. The consistency of these stories - dates shifting by exactly 30 days, transcripts remaining unchanged, refunds arriving on original schedule - really points to a systematic glitch rather than individual account issues. Fingers crossed both our refunds arrive as originally scheduled! This community has been so helpful in providing real experiences rather than just speculation.

Same situation here - filed about 8 days ago and checking that tool way too often! Reading through everyone's experiences has been super helpful though. I'm seeing that the timeline really varies based on what you claimed on your return. One thing I noticed is that a lot of people are mentioning the transcript being more informative than the basic status checker. I just pulled mine and wow, there's so much more detail there! Even though my Where's My Refund still says "return received," I can see processing codes that suggest things are actually moving along. For anyone else in the waiting game - I found it helpful to understand that "return received" doesn't mean they're just sitting on it. There's apparently a lot happening behind the scenes during that status. The transcript codes can give you a better sense of the actual progress being made on your return. Still hard to be patient when you're expecting money back, but at least now I feel like I have a better understanding of the process. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and tips!

Thanks for starting this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - filed my return about 9 days ago through TurboTax and I've been refreshing that Where's My Refund page like it's my job. This is my first refund in years too, so I had no idea what to expect timeline-wise. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. The tip about checking your tax transcript is amazing - I just pulled mine and there are so many more details than the basic status tool shows. Even though I'm still showing "return received," I can see processing codes that indicate things are actually moving along behind the scenes. I claimed some medical expenses and charitable deductions this year that I didn't have in previous years, so based on what everyone's saying, that might extend my processing time a bit. But at least now I understand that the timeline really depends on your specific situation rather than just being a random lottery. The hardest part is definitely the waiting when you're not used to getting money back! But this community has been great for managing expectations and understanding what's normal vs what would be cause for concern.

Anyone have good recommendations for tracking all these different taxes throughout the year? I've tried to keep receipts for sales tax but it's such a pain. Would love a simpler system.

This is such an important question that more Americans should be asking! I've been down this rabbit hole myself and found that most people drastically underestimate their total tax burden because we only think about the big, visible ones like income tax. From my research and personal calculations, here's what I've found for a typical middle-class household: - Federal income tax: 10-12% - FICA/payroll taxes: 7.65% (15.3% if self-employed) - State income tax: 0-9% depending on your state - Property taxes: 1-3% of income (varies hugely by location) - Sales taxes: 1-2% of income on average - Gas, excise, and other "hidden" taxes: 0.5-1% This usually adds up to somewhere between 28-35% for most middle-income families, which is substantial but not quite the 50% you suspected. The variation depends heavily on where you live - states like Texas have no income tax but higher property and sales taxes, while states like California have high income taxes. What's really eye-opening is realizing how much of our tax burden comes from sources we don't actively think about. Property taxes embedded in rent, sales taxes on every purchase, gas taxes every time we fill up - it all adds up to a significant chunk of our income going to various levels of government. The lack of easy-to-find comprehensive data on this topic definitely seems intentional. Nobody wants to advertise the total take!

Thank you for sharing such a detailed and comprehensive timeline of your IRS review experience! As someone who just joined this community and is currently on day 22 of my review, reading your complete 9-month journey is both reassuring and eye-opening. Your experience with the employer wage reporting issue particularly caught my attention because I suspect I might be dealing with something similar. I worked for a company last year that went through a payroll provider change in Q3, and there were several weeks of confusion with pay dates and stub formatting. Based on your description, it sounds like these backend reporting timing issues aren't something taxpayers can easily identify on their own. The information about Tax Advocate availability only after 120 days is crucial - I wish this was more clearly communicated in the IRS notices! I was planning to contact them next week, but now I know to wait and focus on other strategies. Your success with the congressman approach, even though it took time, gives me hope that there are ways to escalate when needed. I'm definitely going to follow your advice about preparing congressman documentation early rather than waiting until I'm in financial crisis. The certified mail tip is also something I wouldn't have thought of but makes perfect sense given how often people mention the IRS "losing" paperwork. One question: when you were calling every 2 weeks during the process, did you find that the IRS representatives were generally consistent in their information, or did you get different answers about your case status from different agents? Thanks again for taking the time to document this entire experience and help others navigate this frustrating but apparently common process. Your post should be required reading for anyone starting an IRS review!

This is exactly the kind of detailed, real-world information that people going through IRS reviews desperately need! I'm currently on day 38 of my review and was starting to wonder if I was the only one dealing with these endless delays. Your 9-month timeline, while frustrating, actually gives me realistic expectations about what's ahead. The employer wage reporting error you experienced is particularly relevant to my situation. I worked for a mid-size company that implemented a new HR system last year, and there were several glitches with payroll processing during the transition. I'm now wondering if I should start gathering all my pay stubs from that period to have them ready, even though you mentioned the specific issue wasn't something you could have identified beforehand. Your advice about the Tax Advocate not being available until after 120 days is information I wish was prominently displayed in the IRS notices! I was planning to contact them in a few weeks, but now I know to save that effort and focus on other strategies. The congressman approach is definitely something I'm going to start preparing for now rather than waiting until I'm desperate. I'm particularly grateful for your practical tips about certified mail and documenting every call. I've been somewhat casual about record-keeping, but after reading your experience, I'm going to create a detailed tracking system starting today. One question: when you finally got through to actual IRS agents during your regular calls, did you find they were able to provide any meaningful updates about your case status, or was it mostly "still processing" responses until the Tax Advocate got involved? Thank you for taking the time to share every detail of this process. Posts like yours are invaluable for helping the rest of us maintain our sanity during these lengthy reviews!