As a newcomer to this community, I found this thread incredibly helpful and reassuring! I'm currently in week 4 of waiting for my state return to show up in their system, and I was starting to really stress about it. Reading Carmen's update that her refund came through is such a relief - it shows that these situations really do resolve themselves even when it feels hopeless. I had no idea about the "timely mailed, timely filed" rule before finding this discussion. Learning that my USPS receipt actually provides legal protection against deadline penalties is huge peace of mind. It's also helpful to understand why state processing is so much slower than federal - the resource difference makes total sense. The suggestions about services like taxr.ai for verification and Claimyr for phone queues are really valuable too, though I'm hoping I won't need them. But just knowing these options exist is comforting. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. This community seems like a great resource for navigating these frustrating government service issues. Sometimes you just need to hear that you're not alone and that things usually work out in the end!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly informative thread! I'm currently dealing with the exact same issue - my state return was mailed 5 weeks ago and still hasn't appeared in their system, while my federal return processed perfectly within days. Reading Carmen's update that her refund eventually came through is such a huge relief. I was honestly starting to panic that my return was lost forever and I'd face penalties or have to deal with complicated resubmission processes. The explanation about the "timely mailed, timely filed" rule has been a game-changer for my peace of mind. I had no clue that my USPS receipt actually serves as legal protection against deadline penalties - I thought it was just proof I mailed something, not proof of compliance with filing requirements. Learning about the resource differences between federal and state processing also helps explain why there's such a timing disparity. The suggestions about services like taxr.ai for verification status and Claimyr for phone queue assistance are really valuable to know about too, though hopefully I won't need them if my return follows Carmen's path and eventually surfaces. Thanks to this community for being so supportive and sharing real experiences. Sometimes you just need to hear that you're not alone in these frustrating situations and that they typically resolve themselves with patience!

@Victoria Scott - Based on your situation, you should definitely get most of that $1,260 back! Since your income is under $12,000 and well below the standard deduction, you won't owe federal income tax. Just keep in mind that part of what was withheld might be FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) which are about 7.65% of your income - so roughly $918 if you made exactly $12,000. Those aren't refundable. But any federal income tax withheld should come back to you. Also, don't forget to check if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - with your income level, you might actually get back MORE than what you paid in! The EITC is a refundable credit that can result in a larger refund than your withholding. For timing, definitely file electronically with direct deposit as others mentioned. 21 days is typical, but early in tax season (January-February) it's often faster.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure to keep all your tax documents organized for next year! Since this is your first time filing, you'll want to save copies of your W-2, your tax return, and any other documents you use. The IRS recommends keeping tax records for at least 3 years. Also, if you're planning to work similar hours next year and expect to be in the same income range, you might want to adjust your W-4 withholding as others suggested. That way you can get more of your money throughout the year instead of waiting for a big refund. Some people prefer the refund as forced savings, but if you're budgeting carefully like you seem to be, having that extra money in your paychecks might be more helpful for your monthly expenses. Good luck with your first filing experience! It sounds like you're being really smart about planning ahead.

This is such valuable information! As someone who just started with Uber Eats last month, I had no idea about the self-employment tax kicking in at just $400. I've been assuming I'd be fine since I'm nowhere near the regular filing threshold. Quick question for the group - when you say "set aside 25-30%" for taxes, is that from gross earnings or after deducting expenses like mileage? I've been tracking my miles but wasn't sure if I should calculate my tax savings based on total earnings or what's left after the mileage deduction. Also, does anyone know if there's a grace period for first-time 1099 filers? Like, will the IRS be more lenient with penalties if you legitimately didn't know about the self-employment tax requirement?

Just wanted to add something that might help other newcomers like myself - the IRS also has a "First Time Penalty Abatement" (FTA) policy that can waive failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties for taxpayers who have been compliant in prior years OR have no prior filing history. Since you mentioned you've never filed before, you might qualify for this if you end up with penalties. You'd need to call the IRS (or use that Claimyr service others mentioned) to request it after you file your return. Also, don't forget that as a delivery driver, you can deduct more than just mileage - things like your phone data plan percentage used for work, insulated delivery bags, car maintenance related to delivery work, and even parking fees during deliveries can add up to significant savings. The key is keeping good records from the start. I wish someone had told me this when I began - it would have saved me a lot of stress and money!

This thread is absolutely fantastic - I wish I had found information this clear when I was navigating EFIN requirements as a new preparer! The misinformation problem is so real. I actually had a similar experience where I was told conflicting information by different IRS representatives. What strikes me most is how @DeShawn Washington, @Oliver Schmidt, and @Ravi Patel have provided such specific, actionable guidance based on their actual experiences. The detail about selecting "Legal Resident Alien" vs "Non-resident Alien" in the dropdown is exactly the kind of practical tip that can make or break an application. @LunarEclipse - I really hope you're following this thread! It sounds like you can move forward with your own EFIN application and avoid all the complicated business partnership scenarios that were being discussed earlier. The consensus from people who've actually done this successfully as permanent residents is pretty clear. For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar situation: save this thread! The combination of official publication references (@CosmicVoyager citing Publication 3112) and real-world application experiences makes this an incredibly valuable resource. It's exactly this kind of community knowledge-sharing that makes the difference between success and unnecessary complications when starting a tax prep business.

Wow, this thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! @LunarEclipse - I hope you're still following along because it looks like your whole problem just got solved! The fact that multiple people here have successfully gotten EFINs as permanent residents completely changes your situation. What really stands out to me is how this discussion evolved from exploring complex family business arrangements and contractor relationships to discovering that you can likely just apply directly yourself. @CosmicVoyager's citation of Publication 3112 was the game-changer, and then @DeShawn Washington, @Oliver Schmidt, and @Ravi Patel provided the real-world validation with their actual application experiences. The practical tips are gold - especially the dropdown selection detail and the document requirements. It's honestly concerning how much misinformation is floating around, even from IRS reps themselves! As someone just getting started in tax prep myself, I'm saving this entire thread as a reference. The combination of official IRS publication citations and detailed first-hand experiences makes this an invaluable resource. Plus all the backup strategies and tools people mentioned (like taxr.ai for compliance analysis and Claimyr for IRS communication) give great options for various situations. Thanks to everyone who contributed their knowledge here - this is exactly what makes this community so valuable for newcomers like us!

This is really helpful information! I've been putting off dealing with my FBAR requirements because I wasn't sure if my small foreign accounts even mattered. Reading through all these responses clarifies a lot - especially the point about aggregating ALL foreign accounts to hit that $10,000 threshold. I have a similar situation with a Revolut account (also UK-based) where I keep some Euros and GBP for travel. Never more than $2,000 total, but good to know I need to track the combined balances with any other foreign accounts I might open. The automatic October extension is also news to me - takes some pressure off since I'm always scrambling to get my regular taxes done by April 15th. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences with both the tools and actually getting through to the IRS. This community is incredibly valuable for navigating these complex international tax requirements!

Just wanted to add a practical tip for anyone tracking their foreign account balances throughout the year - I set up monthly calendar reminders to screenshot my account balances and save them in a dedicated folder. This way I don't have to scramble at tax time trying to remember what my highest balances were. For Wise specifically, their monthly statements show the balance on the last day of each month, but you might hit your peak balance mid-month. I learned this when I transferred $8,000 through my Wise account in March but only kept it there for 3 days before sending it overseas. That brief spike still counted toward my FBAR threshold calculation even though my month-end statement showed a much lower balance. Also, don't forget that joint accounts count too! If you have signature authority over your spouse's foreign accounts or any business accounts, those balances get included in your $10,000 threshold calculation as well.