i filed HOH and got mine in 8 days but my sister filed single and shes still waiting after 3 weeks. its random af tbh

From what I've seen working in tax prep, it really comes down to how complex your return is and what gets flagged for review. Simple W-2 only returns with standard deduction fly through regardless of filing status. But if you've got business income, rental properties, or certain credits, you're gonna wait longer no matter if you're single or HOH. The IRS computers don't care about your filing status - they care about the math adding up and red flags 🚩

I had this same question and ended up talking to my accountant. Here's the deal: regular commuting and parking at your main workplace = not deductible. But there's a workaround my company uses. Instead of giving me a $3k raise (which would be taxable), they give me a $3k annual parking allowance as a separate line item on my paystub. It's still taxable income, but it feels better psychologically to see it earmarked for parking! The pre-tax transit benefit others mentioned is even better if your employer offers it. If they don't, show them this IRS page: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p15b#en_US_2023_publink1000193740 - it explains qualified transportation benefits that can save both you AND your employer money.

I work as a tax preparer and can confirm what everyone's saying - regular commuting parking costs are NOT deductible for W-2 employees, even if they're expensive and necessary for work. The IRS is very clear that these are personal expenses. However, there are several legitimate alternatives worth exploring: 1. **Pre-tax transportation benefits** - This is your best option! Employers can offer up to $280/month (2025 limit) in pre-tax parking benefits. You save money equal to your tax bracket. 2. **Side gig deductions** - If you do any freelance/gig work, parking for those activities IS deductible. 3. **Employer reimbursement** - Some companies will add parking allowances to compensation packages. 4. **HSA/FSA commuter benefits** - Some employers offer these through third-party administrators. The key is working WITH the tax code rather than against it. I'd strongly recommend talking to your HR department about implementing pre-tax transportation benefits - it's a win-win since it also reduces the company's payroll taxes. Keep those receipts though, just in case your work situation changes to qualify for deductions later!

keep checking ur bank account too sometimes the $ hits before transcripts update

Been through this exact same situation last year! The April 15 date on your transcript is actually a good sign - it means they've moved your return into the final processing queue. The 570 code you're seeing just means they had a temporary hold while doing the accuracy review, but since your transcript updated on March 6th, that usually indicates they've completed their review process. Most people I know who got that same timeline received their refunds within 2-3 weeks of the transcript update. Your $5,993 refund amount looks solid based on what you're showing. Just keep checking your transcripts weekly for any new transaction codes - you'll probably see a 846 code pop up soon which means refund issued! The 60-day notice is just their standard CYA timeframe, but they rarely actually take that long once things start moving on the transcript side.

Does anyone know if staking rewards need to be reported even without a 1099? I have both trading losses and staking income and not sure how to handle that on FreeTaxUSA.

I went through this exact same situation last year with FreeTaxUSA and crypto losses without 1099-Bs. A few things that helped me get through it: 1. You definitely need to report everything - losses are actually good for you tax-wise since you can deduct up to $3,000 against ordinary income and carry forward any excess. 2. For the manual entry pain, I found it easier to group transactions by coin type and date ranges. FreeTaxUSA allows summary entries as long as you keep detailed records. 3. Double-check your cost basis calculations - I initially missed some fees that should have been included, which would have increased my deductible losses. The whole process took me about 3 hours but was worth it for the tax benefit. Make sure to save all your CSV files and transaction records in case the IRS has questions later. Good luck finishing your return!

Has anyone used H&R Block for rental property taxes? Their website says they handle them but I'm not sure if the standard preparers have enough specialized knowledge for this.

I went through a similar situation last year when I bought my first rental property. The price jump from simple software to professional preparation was shocking at first, but it ended up being worth every penny. What really helped me was getting quotes from 3 different tax preparers and asking each one to break down exactly what services were included. One charged $650 but only covered federal returns - I would have paid extra for state filings. Another quoted $800 but included both state returns, depreciation setup, and a consultation about tax planning strategies for next year. I ended up going with an enrolled agent who charged $725 and found deductions I never would have known about - things like the home office portion for managing the rental, mileage for property visits, and startup costs I could write off. The extra deductions more than paid for the professional fee. My advice: get at least 2-3 quotes, ask specifically about their experience with out-of-state rentals, and make sure they include both state returns in their quoted price. The $750 you were quoted might actually be reasonable depending on what's included.