Thanks for starting this thread - really helpful timing as I'm in a similar situation! I'm expecting my Texas state refund with a DDD of 3/10 to my Credit Karma account. This will be my second year using them for state refunds. Last year (2023), my Texas refund had a DDD of 2/28 and actually showed up on 2/27 around 2:15 PM. No fees whatsoever - the full amount I was expecting based on the state's website appeared in my account. One thing I noticed is that Credit Karma sends a push notification pretty quickly when the deposit hits, but sometimes their email notification can be delayed by several hours. So if you have the app, that's probably your best bet for knowing right away when it arrives. Also, unlike some banks that might show "pending" deposits, Credit Karma made the funds immediately available once they appeared in my account balance. I'll keep an eye on this thread to see how everyone else's deposits go this season!

I've been using Credit Karma for state refunds for the past two years and can share some helpful data points. My Virginia state refunds have consistently arrived 1 day before the DDD both years - 2023 refund came on 3/2 with a DDD of 3/3, and 2024 refund arrived on 2/26 with a DDD of 2/27. Zero fees both times, and the full expected amount was available immediately upon deposit. One tip I'd add: if you're anxious about timing like I was initially, Virginia's state tax website has a "Where's My Refund" tool that updates more frequently than I expected. It actually showed my refund as "sent" about 6 hours before it hit my Credit Karma account last year. Not sure if other states have similar real-time tracking, but worth checking your state's website for additional peace of mind while you wait for that 3/7 deposit!

Does anyone know if there's a dollar limit for meal deductions? Last year I had a few expensive client dinners (around $300-400 each) that were definitely business related, but I'm worried they might look excessive to the IRS.

Great discussion here! Just wanted to add one more important point about Schedule C Line 24b meal documentation. Beyond keeping receipts and noting business purpose, I've found it helpful to take photos of the business cards of people I meet with during meals. This creates an easy backup record of who attended and their business connection to you. Also, if you're using a business credit card for meals, make sure the statement description clearly shows it's a restaurant/meal expense. Some merchants code differently than you'd expect, and having clear records helps during tax prep. I learned this the hard way when my accountant questioned a "business meal" that showed up as a generic merchant code on my statement. For anyone still confused about the 50% limitation - you deduct 50% of the actual meal cost on your Schedule C. So if you spent $100 on a qualifying business meal, you can deduct $50 as a business expense.

Ughhh dealing with BOFA and the IRS is pure hell. I ended up having to get my congressman's office involved after 3 months of getting nowhere with my missing refund. If you're really stuck, seriously consider contacting your rep - they have caseworkers who deal with this stuff all the time and can cut through the red tape.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! I went through something very similar last year. The confusion comes from the terminology - you don't actually need Bank of America to give you a "trace number." What you need is for the IRS to initiate a payment trace on their end. Here's what worked for me: First, make sure it's been at least 5 business days since the IRS says your refund was deposited. Then you have two options: 1. File Form 3911 (Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund) with the IRS - you can download it from their website 2. Call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 to request a payment trace When you contact the IRS, they'll handle reaching out to Bank of America through the proper banking channels. The bank doesn't provide trace numbers directly to customers - it's all handled between the IRS and the bank's ACH department. Before you do anything though, double-check the account and routing numbers you used on your tax return against your actual bank account info. A lot of times these issues happen because of a simple typo in the account number. Hope this helps and you get your refund sorted out soon!

I'm going through this exact same process right now and can totally relate to your stress! I submitted my EFIN application on December 15th and just got my approval last week, so I wanted to share my timeline to give you some hope. My fingerprints were delivered by FedEx on December 20th but didn't show as "received" by the IRS until January 8th due to that same sanitization process you mentioned. I stayed on "Fingerprints Pending" until January 25th, then moved to "In Process" on February 1st, and finally got approved on February 8th. So from "In Process" to approval was exactly one week for me! I know everyone's timeline is different, but since you just moved to "In Process" status, you could potentially see approval much sooner than the 2-4 weeks others are mentioning. The IRS seems to be processing applications in batches, and there might be less of a backlog now than there was in January. Make sure you're checking your e-Services portal early in the morning - mine updated around 8:45 AM on a Tuesday. And definitely have everything else ready to go because once that approval hits, you'll want to start filing immediately. The relief when you finally see "Approved" is incredible! You're so close - hang in there!

I'm going through this exact same situation and your post perfectly captures the anxiety we're all feeling! I submitted my EFIN application on January 12th and just moved to "In Process" status yesterday, so I'm right behind you in the timeline. The sanitization delay is absolutely maddening - my fingerprints showed delivered on January 16th via FedEx but the IRS didn't log them as received until February 3rd. It's like they're operating in a completely different universe when it comes to mail processing! Based on all the experiences shared here, it sounds like we're both looking at approval sometime in the next 2-3 weeks, which honestly isn't too terrible considering how backed up everything is. I've been talking to other preparers in my area and it seems like January submissions are tracking for early to mid-March approvals. One thing that's been helping me stay sane is setting up a morning routine like others mentioned - I check the e-Services portal once around 9 AM with my coffee, then force myself to forget about it for the rest of the day. The constant refreshing was driving me crazy and definitely not helping anything move faster! I'm using this waiting time to get absolutely everything else ready - client intake forms, software configuration, security protocols, etc. That way when our approvals finally hit (and they will!), we can start filing immediately instead of scrambling to get organized. Hang in there - we're all in this together and you're definitely not alone in the stress!

An important detail that nobody has mentioned yet - when your company recalculates the Annual Lease Value, make sure they use the REDUCED value for the ENTIRE calendar year, not just from the point they make the correction. My company initially only applied the new lower value from July onward (when I brought it to their attention) but the IRS rules clearly state the redetermination applies for the whole year. Had to have another conversation with payroll to get them to apply it retroactively to January. Also worth noting - if you're still with the same employer and using the same car in 4 more years, you'll get ANOTHER recalculation at the 8-year mark. The value keeps stepping down as the car ages.

Great question about leased vehicles! Yes, the 4-year recalculation rule absolutely applies to employer-provided leased vehicles too. The IRS doesn't distinguish between owned and leased vehicles for Annual Lease Value calculations - what matters is that you're receiving the personal use of a company vehicle as a fringe benefit. Your employer should still recalculate the Annual Lease Value based on the current fair market value of the specific vehicle you're driving, even though they don't own it. The fact that it shows up on your W-2 confirms they're treating it as a taxable fringe benefit under the ALV method. The recalculation should reflect what that particular car (with its current mileage, condition, and age) would be worth if you were to purchase it today, not the original lease value or what the company pays in lease payments. This often results in significant savings since leased vehicles typically depreciate just like owned vehicles. Make sure your HR/payroll team understands this applies to leased vehicles - some companies mistakenly think the lease situation changes the rules, but it doesn't according to IRS Publication 15-B.