Maybe a dumb question but has anyone actually tried claiming these employer contributions as deductions anyway? I mean, would the IRS even notice if I just put them on Schedule A? My accountant friend says the IRS matching systems wouldn't catch this.

I've been in a similar situation with my local electricians union. One thing that helped me understand this better was looking at my annual benefits statement from the union pension fund. It usually breaks down exactly what type of contributions are being made and their tax treatment. For the pension contributions specifically, if it's a traditional defined benefit pension plan (which most union pensions are), those employer contributions are indeed excluded from your current taxable income. You'll pay taxes on the pension payments when you retire and start receiving them. The supplemental retirement fund might be different depending on whether it's structured as a 401(k), 403(b), or some other type of plan. Some unions have supplemental plans where you can make additional voluntary contributions that would be deductible. I'd recommend calling your union benefits office directly - they should be able to give you a clear breakdown of exactly what each contribution is and how it's treated for tax purposes. They deal with these questions all the time and can usually explain it better than trying to figure it out from tax software.

Has anyone tried FreeTaxUSA for filing prior year returns? TurboTax won't let me e-file my late 2024 return either, and I'm trying to figure out if there's ANY software that will let me e-file rather than mail it in.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Filed my extension but completely forgot about the October deadline. One thing I learned from calling the IRS (after waiting on hold for literally 3 hours) is that you can also request penalty relief for "reasonable cause" if you have a valid reason for the delay - like serious illness, natural disaster, or other circumstances beyond your control. Even if you don't qualify for First-Time Penalty Abatement, it's worth documenting any legitimate reasons you had for missing the deadline. The IRS agent I spoke with said they evaluate each case individually for reasonable cause relief. Also, make sure you include Form 4868 with your late return if you didn't file an extension originally, or attach a copy of your extension if you did file one. This shows the IRS your filing history and can help with penalty calculations. Good luck getting this sorted out! The stress is real but it sounds like you have a solid plan to get caught up.

Have you checked your state's department of revenue website specifically? Many states have their own "Where's My Refund" tools that are completely separate from the federal IRS site. Also, what state are you in? Some states are notoriously slow with processing amended returns - California and New York can take 6+ months sometimes. Did you e-file or paper file your state amendment?

Just to add my experience - I filed amended returns for both federal and state last year, and the difference in processing times was incredible. Got my federal refund in about 12 weeks, but my state refund (Pennsylvania) took almost 8 months! The PA Department of Revenue website barely had any updates during that time either. What really helped me was setting up alerts on both the IRS "Where's My Amended Return" tool and my state's system so I wasn't constantly checking manually. Also learned that some states like mine still require paper filing for certain amended returns, which slows things down even more compared to federal e-filing.

This is actually a really common situation that happens more often than people realize! The fact that you received a legitimate Treasury check with a reference code like "SCH-REF-2023" strongly suggests this is an automated adjustment the IRS made in your favor. Even though you already paid what you owed, the IRS continuously processes corrections and updates throughout the year. Some common reasons for these surprise refunds include: - **Automated income verification**: The IRS cross-references your reported income with forms they receive directly from employers, banks, and other institutions. Sometimes they catch discrepancies that work in your favor. - **Credit recalculations**: You might have been eligible for credits you didn't claim or didn't claim the full amount of (like education credits, retirement savings contributions credit, etc.). - **Third-party corrections**: Sometimes employers or financial institutions file corrected forms (W-2C, 1099 corrections) after you've already filed your return. The $328.42 amount suggests this was probably a specific line-item correction rather than just interest or a random error. You should absolutely cash the check - it's yours! The IRS doesn't issue refund checks by mistake very often, and when they do make errors, they're usually pretty quick to catch them. The explanatory letter should arrive within the next couple of weeks, but if you're curious now, you can check your tax account transcript on irs.gov to see exactly what was adjusted. Don't stress about having to pay it back - that's extremely unlikely once a check has been issued.

I've been through this exact situation multiple times and can confirm what others have said - these Treasury checks are legitimate and you should definitely cash it! The "SCH-REF-2023" code is a standard IRS reference indicating a schedule-related adjustment for tax year 2023. What's likely happened is the IRS received updated information after you filed (maybe a corrected W-2, 1099, or other tax document) and automatically processed the correction in your favor. They're actually getting much better at these automated adjustments - it's part of their modernization efforts. A few practical tips from my experience: - Cash the check right away - there's no downside and it's legitimately yours - The explanation letter usually arrives 1-3 weeks after the check, so be patient - If you want immediate answers, log into irs.gov and check your Account Transcript - it will show exactly what line item was adjusted - Keep the check stub and any explanation letter for your records The amount ($328.42) is pretty typical for these adjustments - often it's a credit you were eligible for but didn't claim, or a deduction/income item that was reported differently than what you filed. Don't worry about having to pay it back - once the IRS issues these adjustment checks, they've already verified the correction multiple times in their system. Congrats on the unexpected windfall!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with medical bills on top of tax refund delays - that combination of stress is just brutal. I went through something similar two years ago when I was waiting for my Mississippi refund while facing some unexpected medical expenses. Here's what I wish someone had told me then: if you're calling the Mississippi DOR and getting nowhere, ask to speak with a "refund specialist" specifically. Regular customer service reps often can't see the full picture of what's holding up your return. The specialists have access to more detailed notes and can often spot issues that aren't obvious in the basic system. Also, since you mentioned medical procedures you can't put off, have you looked into whether your healthcare providers offer any emergency payment assistance programs? Many hospitals and clinics have funds specifically for situations like yours where insurance doesn't cover everything and you're waiting on expected income. It's worth a phone call to their financial counseling department. One more thing - if you end up needing to call multiple times, try to get the same representative if possible. Ask for their direct extension or employee ID. Having continuity really helped when I was dealing with my situation because they could pick up where the last conversation left off instead of starting over each time. Hang in there - this will get resolved, even though I know it feels endless when you're in the middle of it.

Dylan, I'm really sorry to hear about your situation - the stress of waiting for a refund when you have pressing medical expenses is incredibly overwhelming. I wanted to share something that helped me last year when I was in a similar spot with Mississippi. Beyond all the great phone number advice already given, I discovered that Mississippi has a "Taxpayer Advocate Service" that most people don't know about. If you've been waiting more than 45 days and can document financial hardship due to medical bills, you can request advocate assistance by calling (601) 923-7000 and asking specifically for the "Taxpayer Advocate Office." They have more authority to expedite cases than regular customer service. Also, when you do get through to someone, make sure to mention that this is creating a medical financial emergency. Mississippi tax code actually has provisions for expediting refunds in cases of documented hardship - you might need a letter from your healthcare provider, but it could cut your wait time significantly. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to reach out to your medical providers about payment plans or hardship programs. Most are surprisingly understanding when you explain you're waiting on a tax refund for medical expenses. Hang in there - I know it feels like forever when you're watching medical bills pile up, but this will get resolved. Keep us updated on how it goes!