Anybody using TurboTax to check refund status? The app keeps showing different info than the IRS website and its making me nervous. IRS says my refund is approved but TurboTax still says "return received"??

I can share my recent experience! My refund was approved last month with a deposit date of January 15th, and it actually showed up in my account on January 13th - two days early! I bank with a local credit union, and they seem to process ACH deposits pretty quickly. From what I've noticed over the years, the IRS date is more of a "by this date" guarantee rather than an exact arrival time. Once they release the funds to your bank, it really depends on how fast your financial institution processes incoming transfers. Some banks hold them until the official date, while others make them available immediately. Since you're already seeing "approved" status, you're in great shape! I'd say there's a decent chance you could see it a day or two before February 23rd, but I wouldn't stress too much if it comes exactly on that date. The important thing is that it's been approved and is on its way to you. Good luck with those bills!

Does anyone know if you need to file for a FICA refund if you're filing your annual tax return anyway? Couldn't you just claim these excess deductions on your 1040NR?

I just went through this exact same situation as an F1 STEM OPT student! One thing I'd add to the great advice already given is to make sure you keep detailed records of everything. I created a spreadsheet tracking each pay period where FICA was incorrectly withheld, along with the specific amounts for Social Security and Medicare taxes. Also, don't let your employer off the hook completely. Even though they're being uncooperative about providing documentation, they are still required by law to correct their records and stop future withholding. You might want to escalate within HR or contact their payroll department directly - sometimes different departments are more helpful. One more tip: when you file Form 843, include a cover letter clearly explaining your situation. I wrote a simple one-page letter stating I was an F1 student on STEM OPT, exempt from FICA taxes, and that my employer had incorrectly withheld these taxes. I attached copies of my I-20, EAD card, and pay stubs showing the withholding. This seemed to help the IRS process my claim more efficiently. Good luck with your refund - $4,200 is definitely worth fighting for!

This is definitely the company trying to avoid registering in multiple states! My old job tried to pull this same thing. They don't want to deal with the paperwork and maybe additional business taxes that come with having nexus in multiple states. You should know that some states are actually suing companies for doing this! They're losing out on tax revenue when companies pretend their remote workers don't exist.

This is a frustrating situation that unfortunately many remote workers are dealing with. Your instincts are correct - you should be paying income tax to the state where you physically work and reside, not where your employer's headquarters happens to be located. The company is likely trying to avoid the administrative hassle and costs of registering for payroll taxes in your state. When they have an employee working in a state, they typically need to register there, withhold that state's income taxes, and potentially pay other business taxes too. Here's what I'd recommend: First, document everything in writing with your HR department. Explain that state income taxes should be based on where work is physically performed. If they refuse to budge, you'll probably need to go the dual-filing route that others have mentioned - let them withhold for the wrong state temporarily, then file as a nonresident there to get your refund while filing properly in your home state. Keep detailed records of where you work (utility bills, internet bills, etc.) as proof of your work location. This protects you if either state ever questions your filings. The good news is this situation is becoming common enough that most tax authorities understand it, even if some employers are still trying to avoid their obligations.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year with my father's inherited IRA. The key thing that saved me was understanding that the 1099-R reporting doesn't automatically reflect rollovers - you have to manually indicate this on your tax return. Here's what worked for me: On Form 1040, I reported both 1099-R amounts on the "IRA distributions" line, but then on the "taxable amount" line, I only included the actual disbursement ($12,500 in your case). I attached a statement explaining that $215,000 was a direct rollover to an inherited IRA and therefore not taxable. The IRS accepted this without question. Make sure you keep detailed records of the rollover transaction - account statements showing the money going from the original IRA directly into your new beneficiary IRA. This documentation is crucial if you ever get audited. One tip: if you used different financial institutions for the original and new IRAs, the transfer might have been coded as a distribution + contribution rather than a direct rollover, which could explain why you're seeing it as taxable income. This can usually be corrected with proper documentation on your return.

I had a very similar situation with my grandmother's IRA last year and want to share what I learned through the process. The confusion you're experiencing is unfortunately very common because the 1099-R forms don't automatically show the full picture of what happened with your money. You're absolutely right that you shouldn't be taxed on both the transfer AND the disbursement - that would indeed be double taxation. The $215,000 that went directly into your beneficiary IRA should not be taxable income since it remained in a qualified retirement account. Here's what I discovered: You need to look carefully at both 1099-R forms. The first one (for the $215,000) should have a distribution code in Box 7 - likely code 4 since it's a death benefit. However, it probably doesn't have a rollover code like G or H, which is why it's appearing as fully taxable. When you file your return, you'll report the full amount from both 1099-Rs on the "IRA distributions" line, but on the "taxable amount" line, you should only include the $12,500 that you actually received as cash. The difference ($215,000) should be reported as a non-taxable rollover. I strongly recommend keeping detailed documentation of the transfer - bank statements, account opening documents for the beneficiary IRA, and any correspondence with the financial institutions. If the transfer happened between different companies, make sure you have proof it was completed within the required timeframe. The IRS sees this type of situation frequently, so as long as you document it properly on your return, it should process without issues. Consider consulting with a tax professional if you're unsure about the specific forms to complete, as inherited IRA rules can be quite complex.

One thing nobody mentioned - get ready for a MEGA tax bill if this is your first year doing freelance work. I was shocked when I owed over $2k on just $10k of freelance income. Now I put 25% of every payment into a separate savings account for taxes. Save yourselves the panic I went through lol!

This thread has been super helpful! I'm actually in a similar situation but with a twist - I made around $12k on Fiverr but also did some direct client work outside the platform that went straight to my PayPal. From what I'm reading here, I'll need to report both income sources separately, right? The Fiverr income will be on their 1099, but for the direct PayPal payments I'll need to calculate that myself since those clients probably won't send me 1099s (most were small amounts under $600 each). Also want to echo what others said about setting aside tax money - I learned this the hard way with some side gig income a few years back. That quarterly payment reminder is gold! Better to be prepared than scrambling to find thousands of dollars at tax time.