Don't worry at all about this! As someone who works in tax preparation, I can tell you that signature date errors with the wrong year are incredibly common, especially in the first quarter of the year. The IRS has seen this mistake countless times and it absolutely will not delay or reject your return. The signature requirement is really about confirming that you personally signed the return and that it was signed after the tax year ended. Writing "2024" instead of "2025" in January doesn't violate either of those requirements - they know you didn't actually sign it in 2024! Since you caught it before mailing, you have a few options: you could make the simple correction (cross out, write correct year, initial), or you could just mail it as-is. Both will result in normal processing. Given that you're already dealing with the complexity of a dual status return, I'd honestly just mail it as-is and focus your energy on making sure all the dual status forms and calculations are correct - those are the parts that actually matter for processing. Your first tax filing sounds like it's going great despite this minor hiccup. The fact that you're being so careful and thorough shows you're taking it seriously, which is exactly the right approach!

Hey Shelby! I totally get the anxiety about making mistakes on your first tax return - I was the same way when I started filing. But everyone here is spot on about the signature date not being a big deal at all. I actually made a similar mistake a couple years ago where I dated my signature with the wrong month (wrote March instead of February). I was so worried about it that I called the IRS, and the agent told me they see date errors constantly and it's never grounds for rejecting a return. She said as long as the signature is there, they process it normally. Since you're already dealing with dual status filing (which is genuinely complex), don't let this minor date issue add to your stress. The IRS knows that in January and February, people are still getting used to writing the new year. It's probably one of the most common clerical errors they see. You've successfully navigated the much harder part of filing a dual status return for the first time. That wrong year on your signature date is honestly the least of their concerns when processing your return. You're going to be just fine!

I went through almost the exact same situation last year with a large bonus and back pay! The key insight from @Thais Soares is spot on - the IRS calculator often double-counts bonuses if you enter them both in your YTD totals AND in the separate bonus section. Here's what worked for me: I only included my bonus/back pay in the YTD earnings and YTD withholding amounts, but left the bonus section blank. This gave me a much more realistic picture of what I actually owed. Also, since you mentioned you prefer getting a refund rather than owing - consider that bonuses are typically withheld at the 22% supplemental rate, which might actually be higher than your regular tax bracket. If you had ANY federal withholding on those special payments, you're probably in better shape than the calculator initially showed. One more tip: make sure you're entering your 401k, HSA, and other pre-tax deductions correctly. These can significantly reduce your tax liability, especially when you have a higher income year due to bonuses. Don't panic about the $9,000 figure - that's almost certainly an error in how the data was entered. Try the method @Thais suggested and I bet you'll see a much more reasonable number!

I just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in payroll - the confusion you're experiencing with the IRS withholding estimator is incredibly common, especially when bonuses are involved. One thing that might help is understanding that when you received your bonus and back pay, your payroll system likely treated them as "supplemental wages" and withheld at the flat 22% rate (or possibly used the aggregate method if they were combined with regular pay). This is actually separate from your regular withholding calculation. The issue many people run into with the estimator is that it's trying to project your entire year's tax situation, but it can get confused when you have irregular payments that were already subject to different withholding rules. Before making any drastic changes to your W-4, I'd suggest running the numbers one more time using the method @Thais Soares and @Taylor Chen mentioned - include everything in your YTD totals but don't double-enter the bonus. Also, grab your most recent paystub and make absolutely sure you're entering your year-to-date federal withholding correctly, including what was taken from those special payments. If you're still getting scary numbers after that, it might be worth having a tax professional take a quick look at your situation. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes can spot an input error that's throwing everything off.

Just went through this exact same situation last month! Here's what actually worked for me without the endless hold times: First, definitely try the IRS online account if you haven't already. Even if the verification process is annoying (took me two tries), it's worth it because you might be able to see what the notice was about immediately. I found mine was just a routine CP14 balance due notice that I could have handled online. If that doesn't work, I had success with a different approach - I called the IRS early in the morning (like 7:30 AM) right when they open. The wait time was only about 20 minutes instead of hours. Explained I had missed certified mail and they were able to tell me what it was about and resend it to my address. Also, don't panic too much! In my experience, most certified mail from the IRS isn't as scary as it seems. Could be anything from a simple balance due notice to a request for additional documentation. The important thing is getting it resent quickly so you don't miss any deadlines.

I've been in your exact situation and completely understand the panic! Here's a reality check that might help ease your anxiety: the vast majority of IRS certified letters are routine administrative matters, not the scary stuff we immediately imagine. In my case, I missed a certified letter and was convinced it was an audit notice. Turned out to be a CP2000 asking me to verify some 1099 income that didn't match what I reported. Took 5 minutes to respond online once I finally got the letter resent. Here's my recommended order of attack: 1. Try the IRS online account first - even if verification is annoying, you might see the notice content immediately 2. If that fails, call at 7:30 AM sharp when they open (much shorter wait times) 3. As a backup, visit your local Taxpayer Assistance Center with an appointment The key thing is acting quickly since there might be response deadlines, but try not to lose sleep over it. The IRS isn't trying to trick you - if they need something from you, they'll work with you to resolve it once you make contact. Also keep that pink USPS slip - it has tracking info that can help the IRS locate exactly which notice was returned if you need to reference it during your call.

Just to add something important - different types of tax preparers have different levels of liability. Most people don't realize this: - Regular tax preparers (no credentials): Limited liability, mainly just ethical obligations - Enrolled Agents: Higher standard, regulated by IRS - CPAs: Highest standard, regulated by state boards - Tax attorneys: Also very high standard with legal protections Sounds like you might have used an uncredentialed preparer? Always check credentials next time. A good CPA or EA will stand behind their work and fix errors at no charge.

Another option - file a complaint with your state's consumer protection agency. I did this when my preparer messed up my home office deduction and it was pretty effective. They contacted the preparer and suddenly they were willing to cover the penalties I had to pay. Also keep all your documentation showing you provided them with the missing 1099! That's your proof they had access to everything they needed to file correctly.

Everyone keeps talking about FreeTaxUSA and TurboTax, but I've been using Credit Karma Tax (now Cash App Taxes) for the past 3 years and it's completely free for federal AND state filing. It handles child tax credits, mortgage interest, and even small business income. I have 2 kids and it was super easy to enter their information and get the child tax credits. Might be worth looking into since you mentioned wanting to save money. The interface is pretty straightforward too.

Just wanted to add one more option to consider - I've been using FreeTaxUSA for 3 years after switching from TurboTax, and it's saved me hundreds. But this year I also discovered Tax Hawk, which is actually made by the same company as FreeTaxUSA but has a slightly different interface and sometimes different promos. For what it's worth, I have a pretty similar situation (married, 3 kids) and FreeTaxUSA worked great for claiming all the child tax credits correctly. The step-by-step guidance is really clear, and I never felt like I was missing anything important.