I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My status changed to "Under review - additional information may be requested" about 3 days ago and I've been checking my IRS account obsessively ever since. This thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. What really stands out is how many people are experiencing this same status change this year. The explanation about the IRS's increased funding and new processing systems makes perfect sense - they're clearly conducting more routine verification checks rather than full audits. It's such a relief to know this is becoming the norm rather than something to panic about. Anna's detailed timeline with the CP75 letter (10 days to receive it, 6 weeks total resolution) gives me realistic expectations instead of imagining worst-case scenarios. And learning that it was just charitable deduction verification rather than a comprehensive audit review really puts things in perspective. I'm going to follow everyone's advice and spend this weekend organizing all my tax documents - W-2s, 1099s, receipts for deductions, etc. Even if I never need to submit anything, having everything in one place will give me peace of mind during this waiting period. The community support here has been amazing. It's so much more helpful to hear real experiences from people who've actually gone through this rather than trying to decipher vague information on government websites. Thank you all for sharing your stories!

I'm going through the exact same situation and this entire thread has been such a huge relief! My status changed to "Under review - additional information may be requested" about 6 days ago and I've been refreshing my IRS account constantly hoping for more information. What's been most reassuring is learning that this is happening to so many people this year due to the IRS's system upgrades and increased staffing from their funding boost. It really makes sense that they're conducting more automated verification checks now rather than these all being actual audit situations. Anna's detailed breakdown of her CP75 experience was incredibly helpful - the 10-day timeline for receiving the letter and 6-week total resolution gives me realistic expectations instead of imagining this dragging on forever. And knowing it was something as straightforward as charitable deduction verification rather than a full audit makes this feel so much less intimidating. I'm planning to spend tomorrow organizing all my tax documents like everyone has suggested. I have W-2s, 1099s, and receipts scattered in different places, so getting everything consolidated will definitely help me feel more prepared and less anxious during this waiting period. The community support here has been amazing - hearing real experiences from people who've actually been through this is so much more valuable than the vague information you find on official websites. Thanks to everyone for sharing and helping ease the anxiety that comes with these status changes!

Does anyone know if we need to fill out a separate state tax return if our internship was in a different state than where we go to school? My internship was in NYC but I'm a resident of Ohio for tax purposes.

Great question! I went through this exact same situation with my internship last year. Just to add to what others have said - if you're still in college, definitely check if your school offers free tax preparation services through programs like VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). Many universities have accounting students who provide free tax help, and they're usually really good with internship/student worker situations. They helped me navigate having both my campus work-study job and summer internship income on the same return. Also, don't stress too much about the timing - you've got plenty of time since W-2s don't come out until late January anyway. The fact that you're thinking about this in October shows you're already being more responsible than most of us were at that age!

Does anyone know if tax withholding timing matters for the safe harbor rule? Like if I have most of my withholding happen in Q4 because of a year-end bonus, does that still count toward the 110% rule or do I need to spread it evenly?

One thing to watch out for - if you're using the 110% safe harbor rule, make sure you're looking at the right year's return! I made this mistake last year where I was calculating based on my 2022 return when I should have been using my 2023 return for my 2024 estimated payments. Also, if you had any tax credits that reduced your total tax on line 24, those are already factored in. Don't try to add them back - the safe harbor calculation uses your final total tax amount after all credits have been applied. This tripped me up because I thought I needed to use some "before credits" number, but nope, line 24 is exactly what you need. The 110% rule has saved me so much stress since my freelance income is all over the place. Even when I have a huge income spike, I know I'm covered as long as I hit that safe harbor amount.

Derek, I went through this exact same situation two years ago with my J1 exempt status and marriage to a US citizen. The first-year choice was definitely the right move for us - saved about $2,800 compared to filing as nonresident. A few key things to remember: You'll need to attach a statement to your joint return declaring you're making the first-year choice election. The IRS doesn't have a specific form for this - just a written statement explaining your election. Also, since you're on J1 exempt status, you'll still need to file Form 8843 even after making the resident election. One heads up - if you had any scholarship or fellowship income during your J1 stay, the tax treatment can get complicated when you make the first-year choice. The taxable portion might be subject to different rules than if you remained nonresident. But overall, the joint filing benefits usually outweigh these complications. The biggest advantage beyond the better tax rates is that you can claim the full standard deduction for married filing jointly, plus access to credits like the Child Tax Credit if applicable in future years. As a nonresident, you'd be stuck with much more limited deductions and credits.

Derek, based on your situation as a J1 exempt holder who married a US citizen, making the first-year choice is almost certainly going to be your best option financially. I've helped several international students through this exact scenario. Here's what you need to know: The first-year choice allows you to be treated as a resident alien for the entire 2024 tax year, which means you can file jointly with your spouse and take advantage of the much more favorable married filing jointly tax brackets and standard deduction ($29,200 for 2024 vs. only $14,600 if you filed separately as a nonresident). For the mechanics: You'll file Form 1040 with your spouse, attach a simple written statement declaring your first-year choice election, and still file Form 8843 for your J1 status. Yes, you'll need to report your worldwide income from January-December 2024, including what you earned in your home country, but you can claim foreign tax credits on Form 1116 for taxes already paid abroad. The key eligibility requirement is that you must meet the substantial presence test in 2025 (which you almost certainly will since you're continuing your J1 program). Given that you're married to a US citizen and only had 5 months of US income in 2024, the joint filing benefits will likely far outweigh any additional tax on your pre-arrival foreign income. I'd recommend running the numbers both ways, but in most cases I've seen, people in your situation save $2,000-4,000 by making this election.

As someone who's been through a similar situation with Chime and post-divorce financial transitions, I wanted to share my experience from this tax season. My DDD was 3/5 and the funds hit my Chime account on 3/3 at around 2:15pm EST - almost exactly 48 hours early. What really helped me was setting up push notifications on the Chime app so I knew immediately when it arrived, which was crucial since I was coordinating some time-sensitive financial arrangements. One thing I learned is that Chime's early deposit feature works so consistently with tax refunds that you can almost treat your DDD minus 1-2 days as your actual expected date. The peace of mind this provides during major life changes like divorce cannot be overstated. Best of luck with your deposit - based on everything shared here, you should see it by Monday 3/11 at the latest!

I wanted to add some perspective on the Chime early deposit timeline that might be helpful. I've been tracking this across multiple tax seasons, and there's actually a pretty predictable pattern with how the IRS releases funds versus when Chime makes them available. The IRS typically processes refund batches in waves - they'll approve a group of returns, assign DDDs, then release the ACH instructions to banks about 24-48 hours before the official date. Traditional banks like Chase or Bank of America receive these funds but are contractually obligated to hold them until the DDD. Chime's business model is built around early access, so they release funds immediately upon receipt. For your 3/12 DDD, I'd expect to see the deposit hit your account sometime between Saturday evening (3/9) and Monday afternoon (3/11). The exact timing often depends on which IRS processing center handled your return - some tend to release their batches earlier in the week than others. Given that you're navigating post-divorce finances, I'd recommend checking your account starting Friday evening just to be safe. The early arrival of these funds can make a significant difference when you're coordinating multiple financial obligations during a major life transition.