Has anyone else noticed that the state withholding calculators online are basically useless for figuring this out? I tried using my state's official calculator and it gave me a completely different number than what's showing on my paystub.

This is actually a really common issue! State tax withholding calculations are much more complex than federal because each state has different rules about how they handle year-to-date calculations and tax brackets. Minnesota specifically recalculates your projected annual income with each paycheck, which can cause these fluctuations. A few things that commonly cause this: - Your YTD earnings crossing into different tax brackets mid-year - Payroll systems that use different calculation methods for state vs federal - Small changes in pre-tax deductions (health insurance, 401k) that affect taxable income differently for state purposes - Minnesota's specific withholding tables being applied with slight timing differences The good news is this usually evens out by year-end, but if you're seeing really dramatic swings (more than 10-15% of your normal withholding), it might be worth having a conversation with your payroll department to make sure there isn't a system error.

@Norah Quay Great questions! When I went through this process, the agent primarily asked about information that was directly on my tax returns - filing status, AGI amounts, refund/payment amounts, and number of dependents for the past 2-3 years. They also asked for basic verification like my full name, SSN, and current address. The only thing beyond the tax returns was confirming my date of birth and answering a couple questions that seemed to come from credit report data (like "which of these addresses have you lived at" type questions). Nothing too complicated if you have your basic personal information ready. As for the confirmation number, I didn't need to reference it during the ID.me verification - that process is completely separate and uses your updated contact information to send verification codes. The confirmation number is mainly for your records in case you need to call back about the same issue. You're definitely well-prepared with that Tuesday morning timing and having your documents organized! The process really is much smoother than it initially seems. Looking forward to hearing about your success story next week!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now after retiring last fall! My work email was deactivated and I switched phone carriers, so I'm completely locked out of my IRS account. Reading through all these detailed success stories has been incredibly reassuring - especially seeing how consistent the results are with the 800-908-4490 number and Tuesday/Wednesday morning timing. I'm planning to follow the proven approach that @Aaron Lee and @Lucas Schmidt outlined: call Tuesday morning around 8 AM with my last three tax returns organized and AGI written on a sticky note. The fact that multiple people completed the entire process (including ID.me verification) in about an hour to 90 minutes makes this feel so much more manageable than I initially thought. One thing that really stands out to me is how everyone emphasized having the tax documents ready beforehand - it seems like that preparation is what turns this from a frustrating multi-hour ordeal into a smooth process. Also appreciate @Leila Haddad's clarification about the types of verification questions they ask beyond tax return info. Will definitely report back with my experience to help keep this amazing community resource going. Thanks to everyone who shared such detailed walkthroughs - you've turned what felt like an impossible bureaucratic nightmare into a clear roadmap!

Something similar happened to me and my accountant said it's also important to know WHEN you received the check for tax purposes! If you got it between January-April 2025 but it's for 2024 contributions, it still counts as 2025 income, not 2024. Also, the amount will be reported on your W-2 for 2025, and you'll get a 1099-R showing the distribution. Make sure both numbers match up when you file your taxes.

This is definitely confusing when it first happens! Just to add some clarity on the tax timing since there seems to be some confusion in the thread - Diego is correct. The refund check you receive counts as taxable income in the year you actually receive it, not the year the original contribution was made. So if you got your check in 2025, it's 2025 taxable income even if it was from 2024 contributions. The IRS treats it as a distribution in the year received. Your employer should issue you a 1099-R for the distribution year. One thing I'd suggest is asking your HR department if they've considered implementing automatic enrollment or increasing the company match to help with participation rates. Sometimes these changes can help smaller companies pass the nondiscrimination tests more easily. You might also want to ask them what the actual testing results were - they should be able to tell you the participation percentages that caused the failure. Good luck with everything, and don't stress too much - this really is more common than you'd think with smaller employers!

FYI - Credit Karma tax was actually acquired by Cash App in 2020, so technically you're using Cash App Taxes now, not Credit Karma. This might explain why the experience is diff from what you expected. The IRS sends the $ regardless of which tax prep you used, but sometimes the routing can take an extra day depending on your bank. FWIW, my CK/Cash App tax refund hit exactly on my DDD last year, not early like some other services.

I'm also waiting for my Credit Karma/Cash App refund with a 3/22 DDD! Based on what I've experienced in previous years, most banks process ACH deposits in waves throughout the day. My bank (Chase) typically posts refunds between 12-3 PM on the deposit date, but I've seen some people get theirs as early as 6 AM or as late as 8 PM on their DDD. The key thing is that your transcript shows code 846 - that means the Treasury has already sent the payment and it's just a matter of your bank processing it. I'd give it until end of business today before worrying. If nothing by Monday morning, then definitely call your bank to see if there are any issues with the ACH transfer.

Has anyone tried Credit Karma Tax (now Cash App Taxes)? It's completely free and claims to support Form 1116, but I'm worried it might miss something with foreign income.

I've been in a similar boat with cross-border tax situations! Based on my experience, TurboTax Deluxe should handle your situation well since you have straightforward wage income. The Foreign Tax Credit section walks you through Form 1116 step by step, and yes, it will prompt you for any carryover amounts from previous years. One tip: make sure you have your foreign tax documents translated if they're not in English, and keep records of the exchange rates used. TurboTax will use IRS published rates, but having your own documentation helps if there are any questions later. For penalty calculations, the software is pretty good at figuring out underpayment penalties based on when you made estimated payments throughout the year. Since you mentioned the cost was a major factor in wanting to DIY this year - TurboTax Deluxe runs around $60-80 depending on promotions, which is obviously much better than $650! Just take your time with the foreign income sections and double-check everything before filing.