If you're going to do this, be SUPER careful with documentation. My friend tried this with his lawn care business and got audited. The IRS disallowed all the deductions for his kids because he couldn't prove they actually did the work or that the pay was reasonable. Keep a timesheet for each kid with dates, hours worked, and duties performed. Pay them regularly (biweekly or monthly) not just one big payment at year end. Take pictures of them working if possible. And pay them a reasonable wage for their age and the work they're doing - don't pay your 10-year-old $50/hour for stuffing envelopes!

Just a heads up for anyone considering this - make sure you understand the state requirements too! I implemented this strategy with my home-based marketing consulting business last year, paying my 16 and 14-year-old kids for legitimate work (social media management, data entry, client research). While the federal tax benefits worked exactly as described, I learned the hard way that some states have additional requirements for employing minors, even in family businesses. In my state, I needed to get work permits for both kids and follow specific hour restrictions during school months. Also, don't forget about workers' compensation insurance requirements - some states require it even for family employees in certain business types. I had to adjust my business insurance policy to cover them. The tax savings were definitely worth it (saved about $3,200 in taxes last year), but factor in these additional compliance costs when you're calculating the benefit. Still came out way ahead, but wished I'd known about the extra requirements upfront!

mine took exactly 4 business days last week. hang in there!

I had the exact same issue last month! SBTPG cleared on a Wednesday and NetSpend didn't deposit until the following Tuesday. Turns out NetSpend processes refunds in batches and sometimes there are delays on their end. Check your NetSpend account for any pending transactions - mine showed as "pending" for 2 days before it actually hit. If you don't see anything pending by tomorrow, definitely call NetSpend customer service. They can at least tell you if the deposit is in their system.

Quick question - if I do have to file amended returns for unreported stocks, can I use TurboTax or do I need to go to a professional? I'm worried about doing it wrong and making things worse.

I was in almost exactly your situation last year - hadn't reported stock trades for about 2 years on a portfolio worth around $8,000. I was terrified about potential audits too, but here's what I learned: the IRS actually prefers when you voluntarily correct things before they catch it. I ended up filing amended returns for both years using Form 1040-X. The process was actually much less scary than I expected. Since most of my trades were small losses anyway, I only owed about $200 in additional taxes plus some interest. The key is being proactive about it rather than hoping they won't notice. One thing that really helped me was getting organized first - I downloaded all my transaction history from my broker, calculated my actual gains/losses, and then filed the amended returns. The IRS processed everything without any issues, and I never got audited. Your portfolio size is even smaller than mine was, so you're probably in good shape if you just get everything corrected properly.

Oh my gosh I was STRESSING about this same issue last month! If you need to make your April 15th estimated payment but are worried about accuracy, just pay what you reasonably think you'll owe based on last year's numbers. The safe harbor rule (Publication 505) says you won't face penalties if you pay at least 100% of last year's tax (or 110% if your AGI was over $150k). You can always adjust your June 15th estimated payment once your return is processed! That's what I did and it saved me so much anxiety!

Based on my experience working with IRS systems, the Friday morning update cycle is accurate, but there's an important detail many people miss: the IRS actually runs TWO separate update processes. The first is the Master File update (which affects transcripts) that typically completes between 2-6am ET on Fridays. The second is the transcript display system update that can take an additional 2-4 hours to reflect those changes. For business returns specifically, I've noticed that Schedule C income over $25,000 or any foreign account reporting (FBAR/8938) triggers additional review cycles that can extend processing by 2-3 weeks beyond the normal timeline. Since you mentioned "significant business income," this could explain your delay. One tip: if you need documentation for estimated tax calculations before your transcript updates, you can request a "Verification of Non-filing" letter online, which sometimes processes faster and can serve as interim proof while waiting for full transcript availability.

I can relate to your frustration! I filed on March 8th this year and my transcript was also showing "No return filed" until just yesterday (April 1st) when it finally updated with all my return information. That's about 24 days from filing to transcript update. A few things that helped me stay sane during the wait: - Set up IRS2Go app notifications instead of manually checking daily - Remember that transcript updates are often the LAST step in their system - Focus on the WMR tool status since that's more real-time Since you're at the 21-day mark and WMR shows "Return Received," you're right on track for normal processing. I'd expect to see your transcript update within the next week or so. The remote work planning stress is real though - maybe set a calendar reminder to check again on April 9th instead of daily monitoring?

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed on March 14th and my transcript is still showing "No return filed" as of today. It's so nerve-wracking, especially when you see other people getting their refunds already. What's been helping me is remembering that the IRS is probably drowning in returns right now since we're still in peak filing season. I've been checking my transcript obsessively too, but after reading all these responses, I think I need to step back and give it more time. The fact that your WMR shows "Return Received" is definitely a good sign - at least we know our returns made it into their system! I'm going to try to wait until next week before checking again. Thanks for posting this question because all the responses have been really reassuring.