Don't forget that as a contractor you'll be getting a 1099-NEC form (not 1099-MISC like in the old days) from whoever is paying you. This is what they'll send to the IRS to report how much they paid you. The W9 you're filling out now just gives them the info they need to create that 1099-NEC correctly.

Great question Miguel! You're absolutely right to be cautious about filling out tax forms correctly. Since you've filed your taxes properly for 2022 and 2023 and your SSN matches your name in the IRS system, you should be fine to sign the Part II certification on the W9. The backup withholding certification is mainly there to catch people who have either failed to report income in the past or have been specifically notified by the IRS that they're subject to backup withholding. One thing to keep in mind as you transition into contractor work - make sure you understand the difference between being an employee and an independent contractor for tax purposes. The company paying you should have legitimate business reasons for classifying you as a contractor rather than an employee. If you're doing the same type of work you did as a W2 employee but now as a "contractor," that could potentially be worker misclassification, which the IRS takes seriously. Also, since this is your first year doing contractor work, consider consulting with a tax professional who can help you navigate quarterly estimated payments and deductions you might be eligible for as a contractor. Good luck with your new side gig!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Filed in early February and got a 570 code that appeared last week. From what I've researched, the timing matters a lot - if your 570 appeared around the same time as mine (mid-March), it's more likely to be routine verification rather than PATH Act related. The PATH Act delays typically show up much earlier in the process. I'm trying to stay patient since you mentioned last year worked out fine by April 2nd. Fingers crossed we both see movement soon!

I had a 570 code last year that appeared in mid-March and it turned out to be a simple income verification issue - nothing to do with PATH Act. The IRS was just cross-checking my W-2 information with what my employer reported. It resolved automatically after about 18 days and my refund was deposited without me having to do anything. Since you mentioned this happened last year too with a successful outcome by April 2nd, it sounds like you might be in the same boat. I'd give it another week or two before worrying - the fact that your transcript updated on March 18th is actually a good sign that things are moving along normally.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation - filed my extended return by mail in late June and it's been radio silence from the IRS ever since. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about the IRS account transcript option, that's definitely something I'm going to check today. The processing timeline estimates people are sharing (6-16 weeks for paper returns) are both reassuring and nerve-wracking at the same time. At least now I know what to expect instead of just wondering if my return got lost in the mail somewhere. Has anyone here had experience with amended returns after using those analysis tools mentioned? I'm wondering if it's worth double-checking my return for missed deductions while I'm waiting anyway. Might as well make the most of this frustrating wait time!

I've been following this thread closely since I'm in a very similar situation - filed my extended return by mail in early July and have been anxiously waiting ever since. Reading everyone's experiences has been both helpful and anxiety-inducing! The IRS account transcript suggestion is brilliant - I just checked mine and it shows they received my return on July 18th, even though the "Where's My Refund" tool still shows absolutely nothing. At least now I know it's not lost in the mail somewhere. Based on the timelines people are sharing here (6-16 weeks for paper returns), it looks like I'm probably looking at late September or early October for my refund. That's later than I hoped, but at least now I can plan accordingly instead of checking my bank account every day. One thing I'm considering based on this discussion is using one of those analysis services people mentioned to double-check my return while I wait. If there's a chance I missed some deductions, it might be worth filing an amendment even if it delays things further. Has anyone here actually gone through the amendment process after using those tools? I'm curious about the timeline for that compared to just waiting for the original return. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community has been way more helpful than any official IRS resource I've found!

Has anyone tried the TurboTax Self-Employed app? My accountant charges me $650 to file my taxes each year and I'm wondering if I could just do it myself with good software. I've got about 20 clients and mostly standard expenses like software, computer equipment, and my home office.

I've been using a combination approach that's worked really well for my freelance photography business. For day-to-day expense tracking, I use Mint (which is free) connected to my business checking account and credit card. It automatically categorizes most transactions and I just review them weekly to make sure everything's labeled correctly. For invoicing and more detailed business tracking, I use FreshBooks. The mobile app is great for capturing receipts on the go, and it integrates well with my bank accounts. The real game-changer though has been setting up automatic transfers. I put 30% of every client payment into a separate "tax savings" account immediately. No more scrambling to find money for quarterly payments! One thing I learned the hard way - whatever system you choose, start using it consistently from day one. I tried to go back and categorize a whole year's worth of transactions once and it was absolutely brutal. Better to spend 10 minutes a week staying on top of it than 3 weekends at the end of the year trying to catch up.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed through TurboTax on February 7th and my transcript is showing "Return Not Present" too. It's been really stressing me out because I need that refund for some medical bills. After reading all these comments, it seems like there's definitely something going on with February filings through TurboTax. So many of us are experiencing the same thing - got confirmation emails but transcript shows nothing filed. I just tried the taxr.ai tool that everyone's been recommending and honestly it was really helpful! For just $1 it analyzed my transcript and explained that the "not filed" status doesn't necessarily mean your return is lost - it often shows up when returns are in a verification queue or there's a processing backlog. It gave me a timeline of what to expect and when I should start worrying if nothing changes. Way better than trying to decode the IRS phone system that never lets you talk to a human. At least now I have some idea of what's happening instead of just panicking every day checking my transcript. Hopefully we'll all see our returns show up processed soon! 🙏

I'm going through the exact same thing! Filed February 12th through TurboTax and my transcript shows "Return Not Present" even though I have all the confirmation emails. It's been so stressful because I really need that refund money. After reading through all these comments, it's actually reassuring to see so many people dealing with this exact issue - especially other February TurboTax filers. Makes me think it's definitely a processing backlog or system issue rather than something we did wrong. I just tried the taxr.ai tool that everyone's been mentioning and wow, it was actually really helpful! For just $1 it analyzed my transcript and explained that "Return Not Present" often shows up when returns are stuck in verification queues or processing backlogs. It gave me a realistic timeline of what to expect and when I should actually start worrying if nothing changes. Way better than trying to get through to the IRS phone system which seems impossible right now. At least now I have some actual information about what's happening instead of just checking my transcript daily and panicking. Hoping we all see our returns processed soon! 🤞