2 Honestly, I'd just go with two different tax prep services and compare. Do FreeTaxUSA and then also run the numbers in CreditKarma Tax (now Cash App Taxes) which is completely free for both federal and state. If you get the same numbers in both places, you can be pretty confident your preparer did it right.

I've been using FreeTaxUSA for verification purposes for the past few years and it works great for what you're describing. You can definitely go through the entire process without filing or paying anything for federal returns. Here's exactly how it works: You enter all your tax information just like you're preparing to file, and FreeTaxUSA will calculate everything and show you your refund or amount owed on their summary page. For federal, this is completely free. For state returns, they'll show you the calculated amount in the summary, but if you want to actually prepare the state forms, that's when they charge the $14.99. The key thing is that there are very clear steps between "preparing" and "filing." You won't accidentally submit anything - they make you enter payment information and go through multiple confirmation screens before anything gets filed to the IRS. I'd recommend also double-checking with a second free service like Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax) since it's completely free for both federal and state. If both services give you the same numbers as your preparer, you can feel confident everything is correct.

This blank screen issue has been driving everyone crazy lately! I've been having the same problem on and off for about a week now. What worked for me (besides incognito mode) was actually disabling my ad blocker temporarily - apparently some ad blockers interfere with the IRS site's security scripts. Also, if you're using any VPN, try turning it off since the IRS blocks some VPN IP ranges. The fact that you got it working with incognito is a good sign though - means your return is probably processing normally and it's just their website being glitchy as usual. With a $3,789 refund pending, definitely worth checking every few days to catch any updates early. Their system should show movement soon since you're at the 3-week mark! 🤞

Glad to see incognito mode worked for you! That's actually one of the most reliable fixes for the IRS website issues. For future reference, you can also try clearing your browser's cache and cookies specifically for irs.gov - sometimes old session data gets corrupted and causes these blank screen errors. Since you're at the 3-week mark with a $3,789 refund, you should start seeing some movement on your transcript soon. Pro tip: check your transcript in the early morning hours (6-8 AM) when their servers are less congested - you'll have much better luck avoiding these technical glitches. The IRS typically updates transcripts overnight, so morning checks often catch the freshest status changes. Keep us posted on what you find! 🤞

Quick question - is the 1099-R supposed to come from the 401k provider directly or from the company I worked for? Mine was through Fidelity but I'm not sure who's actually responsible for sending it.

I went through this exact same situation a couple years ago when I got laid off from my tech job. You're absolutely right that you'll receive a 1099-R - it should arrive by January 31st as others mentioned. One thing I wish I had known at the time is to keep really good records of what you used the money for, especially if any of it went toward qualified expenses like medical bills or health insurance premiums while you were unemployed. The good news is that even though the early withdrawal penalty seems scary, there are quite a few exceptions that people don't know about. I ended up qualifying for the unemployment exception because I used part of my distribution to pay COBRA premiums. Also, don't panic if the withholding seems low - they typically only withhold 20% federally, but depending on your total income for the year and what exceptions you qualify for, you might not owe as much as you think. If you're feeling overwhelmed about filing (which I totally was), consider getting help to make sure you're not missing any deductions or exceptions. The 401k distribution definitely complicates your return, but it's totally manageable once you understand what all the numbers mean.

Just an outside-the-box thought - have you looked into carpooling with coworkers to split the parking cost? I was paying $175/month until I found two colleagues who live near me. Now we rotate driving each week and my parking cost is effectively $58/month. Not a tax solution but definitely helps the budget!

Another angle to consider - if you ever work from multiple locations or have a home office setup, keep detailed records of your travel patterns. While your regular commute to the downtown office isn't deductible, the IRS has specific rules about what constitutes your "regular workplace" vs. temporary work locations. For example, if you sometimes work from home and then travel directly to client meetings (bypassing your regular office), those miles could potentially be deductible business travel. The key is documentation - keep a mileage log showing the business purpose of each trip. Also worth noting: if your company ever asks you to work at a different location temporarily (like a satellite office or client site), parking expenses for those locations may be deductible if your employer doesn't reimburse you. The IRS considers temporary work assignments (typically under 1 year) as business travel rather than commuting.

As someone who travels a lot for work, I've found using a time-tracking app on my phone is super helpful for documenting exactly which days I worked in which states. Makes it way easier come tax time to calculate the percentages. Also, most states have a minimum threshold before you need to file - either income amount or number of days worked there.

This is such a stressful situation, but you're definitely not alone in dealing with this! The multi-state tax issue has become huge with remote work. A few key things that might help ease your worry: First, many states have minimum thresholds before you're required to file - often it's either a certain dollar amount of income earned in that state OR a minimum number of days worked there. For your short stays (10 days in Florida, etc.), you might be under the threshold for some states. Second, even if you do need to file multiple returns, you'll get credits on your California return for taxes paid to other states, so you shouldn't end up paying double tax on the same income. That said, you're right to be concerned about New York - they're notoriously aggressive about this and have pretty low thresholds. But the good news is that there are resources now to help figure this out without hiring an expensive tax professional for every state. Document everything you can about your travel dates and where you worked - even rough estimates help. And don't panic! This is fixable, and the penalties for honest mistakes on multi-state issues are usually pretty reasonable, especially for first-time filers.