22 Has anyone used FreeTaxUSA for prior year returns? Their website says they support 2021 tax filing and it's free for federal (state is $15). Just wondering if it's user-friendly for past years.

Just wanted to add my experience - I filed my 2020 taxes late and it took about 10 weeks to get my refund, but I did get every penny I was owed! The key things that helped me were: 1) Making sure I had all my documents organized before starting, 2) Double-checking all the math since manual processing means they catch errors more easily, and 3) Sending it certified mail so I had proof it was delivered. The IRS processed it without any issues. You're definitely not too late for 2021 - just be patient with the processing time since paper returns take longer. Good luck!

Just want to add another perspective as someone who learned this lesson the hard way. I claimed exempt for two years thinking I was being smart by keeping more money in my pocket. Everything seemed fine until the IRS sent me a notice that I was being audited specifically because of the exempt claims. Turns out they have automated systems that flag people who claim exempt but then owe significant taxes when they file. The audit wasn't terrible, but it was stressful and time-consuming. I had to provide documentation for everything and explain why I thought I qualified for exempt status. The IRS agent explained that the exempt box isn't just about convenience or cash flow - it's a legal certification that you meet very specific criteria. If you don't actually meet those criteria, you're essentially making a false statement on a federal form, which can have serious consequences beyond just owing money. Now I use the withholding calculator like others suggested and just have a smaller amount withheld while staying compliant. I get most of the cash flow benefit without the legal risk. Much better sleep at night!

As someone who works in tax compliance, I want to emphasize what others have said - claiming exempt when you know you'll owe taxes is considered willful underwithholding and can result in penalties. The IRS requires most people to pay at least 90% of their current year tax liability or 100% of last year's liability (whichever is smaller) through withholding or estimated payments. For your $52k salary, you're looking at owing roughly $4,000-6,000 in federal taxes depending on your filing status and deductions. If you claim exempt and owe more than $1,000 at filing, you'll likely face underpayment penalties plus interest. Instead, I'd suggest using Form W-4's Step 4(c) to reduce your withholding by a specific dollar amount per paycheck while still having some taxes withheld. This keeps you compliant while giving you more take-home pay. You could also maximize contributions to a 401k or HSA to reduce your taxable income legally. The peace of mind of staying compliant is worth way more than the temporary cash flow benefit of claiming exempt improperly.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the timing consideration for S-corp owner benefits. Even if you set up a compliant DCAP or cafeteria plan, you need to be careful about when the benefits are provided versus when you pay yourself wages. The IRS requires that S-corp owners receiving fringe benefits have adequate W-2 wages to "absorb" those benefits. So if you're planning to use $5,000 in dependent care benefits, you need to ensure your reasonable salary is sufficient to cover that amount on a pro-rata basis throughout the year. Also, don't forget about state tax implications - some states don't conform to federal rules on dependent care benefits, so you might owe state taxes even if it's federally tax-free. Given that you and your husband both have S-corps, you might want to coordinate which entity provides the benefit to maximize your overall tax savings.

One important consideration that hasn't been fully addressed is the interaction between DCAP benefits and your filing status. Since you mentioned that you and your husband file separately, you need to be aware that the $5,000 annual DCAP limit is per family, not per spouse when married filing separately - so you'd each be limited to $2,500 if you both want to utilize dependent care benefits through your respective S-corps. This significantly changes the math on whether setting up these programs makes financial sense. With daycare costs of $15,600 annually, you'd only be able to shelter $2,500 each (total $5,000) through DCAP benefits, leaving $10,600 that would need to be paid with after-tax dollars. You might want to run the numbers on whether switching to married filing jointly would be more beneficial overall, as it would allow one of your S-corps to provide the full $5,000 DCAP benefit while potentially offering other tax advantages. The administrative costs of setting up compliant plans for both S-corps might not be worth it for just $2,500 each in pre-tax benefits.

Another way to maximize your tax benefits from charitable giving is to make direct donations yourself in addition to your volunteer work. My financial advisor suggested I set up a Donor Advised Fund - basically I contribute to the fund, get the tax deduction immediately, and then recommend grants to charities over time. This works especially well if you're close to the threshold between taking the standard deduction vs itemizing.

Slightly off topic but since you're in Washington state like me - remember that while we don't have state income tax, so these deductions only matter for federal taxes. But some municipalities have special programs for volunteers that can save you money in other ways. My city gives property tax breaks for residents who volunteer a certain number of hours with approved charities. Might be worth looking into if your city has something similar!

I received my refund check exactly 3 days BEFORE my WMR date! My tool showed April 8th but the check arrived April 5th. I'm in Michigan and mine came from the Kansas City processing center too - seems like that location is consistently getting checks out faster than the projected dates. Connor, I was in your exact situation last month - constantly checking the mailbox, bills piling up, kids asking when we could go shopping. The anxiety was killing me! What saved my sanity was setting up USPS Informed Delivery (100% free through their website). Takes about 24-48 hours to activate, then you get an email every morning with actual photos of what mail is coming that day. When I saw that Treasury envelope in the preview on April 5th, I nearly cried with relief! No more multiple trips to an empty mailbox or wondering if the mail carrier came yet. Given your April 12th date, I'd honestly start getting hopeful around April 8th-9th. The pattern I'm seeing here is that most Midwest folks are getting their checks 2-4 days early this season. Set up that Informed Delivery TODAY if you haven't already - it will give you so much peace of mind knowing exactly when that envelope is coming! Hang in there, those school supplies are almost within reach! 🤞📬

I received my refund check 2 days BEFORE the WMR date! My tool showed March 22nd but the check arrived March 20th. I'm in Indiana and it came from the Kansas City processing center as well - there definitely seems to be a pattern with that location getting checks out ahead of schedule. Connor, I completely understand the daily mailbox checking anxiety! I was doing the same thing, especially with spring break expenses coming up. What absolutely saved my sanity was USPS Informed Delivery - it's completely free and takes less than 2 minutes to sign up on their website. Once it's active (usually within 24 hours), you get an email every morning around 9am with actual scanned images of what mail is being delivered that day. The morning my refund arrived, I saw that distinctive Treasury envelope in the preview image and knew exactly what it was before even going to the mailbox. No more wondering if the mail came yet or making multiple trips outside! Based on all the experiences shared here, with your April 12th date I'd genuinely start watching for it around April 9th-10th. The IRS seems to be mailing these out several days before the projected date to account for delivery time. Get that Informed Delivery set up today if you haven't already - it will transform your waiting experience from stressful to manageable. Those school supplies are coming soon! 🤞📬