Make sure your child has a Social Security number before you file! We had our baby in December and the card hadn't arrived by filing time. Had to delay our return and it was a whole mess. Also remember that the year you give birth (even if it's December 31st) you get the full year's worth of child tax credits!

Congratulations on your new baby! Here are a few additional things to keep in mind that haven't been mentioned yet: 1. **Medical Expenses** - Don't forget about the medical expenses related to your baby's birth and first-year care. If your total medical expenses (including birth costs, pediatrician visits, etc.) exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, you can deduct the amount over that threshold. 2. **State Tax Credits** - Check if your state offers additional child tax credits or deductions. Many states have their own versions that can add to your refund. 3. **Health Savings Account (HSA)** - If you have an HSA, you can use it tax-free for your child's medical expenses. Also, having a baby qualifies as a life event that allows you to change your HSA contribution mid-year. 4. **Head of Household Filing Status** - While you mentioned filing jointly (which is usually best), just double-check that this is indeed more beneficial than other filing statuses given your specific income situation. The tax software should catch most of these, but it's good to go in knowing what to look for. Make sure you keep all receipts for childcare, medical expenses, and any baby-related purchases that might be deductible!

I'm confused about something. If I have a similar situation but I've been over-contributing for 3 years in a row (not by much, maybe $100-200 each year), do I need to file Form 5329 for each year separately? And do I owe penalties for all 3 years?

Based on all the great advice here, it sounds like you have a clear path forward! Just to summarize for anyone else in a similar situation: 1. File a standalone Form 5329 for 2021 (no need for 1040X) 2. Pay the 6% penalty on your $230 excess (about $13.80) 3. Since your 2022 contributions were under the limit, the excess is "absorbed" - no ongoing penalties I went through something similar last year and was amazed at how much simpler it was than I thought. The IRS actually makes it pretty straightforward to handle these situations when you catch them, even if it's after the fact. One tip: when you mail in your Form 5329, consider sending it certified mail so you have proof of delivery. The IRS can take a while to process these standalone forms, and having that receipt gives you peace of mind that it was received. Good luck getting this resolved! It's really not as scary as it seems at first.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! The frustrating thing is that the IRS rejection system doesn't give you clear information about WHY it thinks you need a 1095-A, just that you're missing one. In my case, I discovered that when I switched from a marketplace plan to employer coverage back in 2019, there was a clerical error that left me flagged in the system as still having marketplace coverage. Even though I had been getting insurance through my job for years, the computer systems never properly communicated the change. What finally worked for me was getting a letter from my current insurance provider (in your case, Ambetter) explicitly stating that your coverage has never been through a marketplace plan and that they issued you a 1095-B, not a 1095-A. Then I had to fax this letter to both the IRS and healthcare.gov to get the error corrected. The whole process took about 3 weeks, but once it was fixed, my e-file went through immediately. I know it's incredibly frustrating, but don't give up on the electronic filing if you can avoid it - paper returns really do take forever to process and you'll be waiting months for your refund.

I experienced something very similar when I switched from marketplace coverage to direct insurance through Blue Cross. The problem was that healthcare.gov never properly recorded that I had terminated my marketplace plan, so their system kept expecting me to file the 1095-A. Here's what worked for me: Call healthcare.gov at 1-800-318-2596 and specifically ask to speak to someone about "terminating marketplace coverage records." Don't just ask about the 1095-A - explain that you need them to verify and update your enrollment status in their system. Many of the first-level customer service reps don't know how to handle this, so you might need to ask to escalate to a supervisor. When I finally got to the right person, they were able to see that my marketplace coverage had never been properly terminated in 2019, even though I hadn't been paying premiums or using the coverage. They processed the termination retroactively and told me to wait 3-5 business days before trying to e-file again. Sure enough, my return was accepted on the fourth day. The key is getting them to actually update their database, not just telling you that you don't need the form. Make sure they give you a confirmation number for the termination processing - that's proof they actually made changes in the system.

Has anyone else noticed how absurdly complex our tax system is for expats and people with foreign accounts? I literally have a basic savings account in Canada (I'm dual citizen) and I need to file FBAR, possibly Form 8938, and deal with FATCA. The compliance costs are insane compared to the actual tax owed (which is usually zero because of foreign tax credits)!

Just want to echo what others have said - you definitely need to file Form 8938 based on your $65K year-end balance. The "either/or" rule is really important to understand. One thing I'd add is that you should also double-check if you need to file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) since that has its own separate $10,000 threshold. With $65K in foreign accounts, you'd almost certainly need to file that too if you haven't already. Also, don't feel bad about your accountant's mistake - international tax rules are incredibly complex and many preparers who don't specialize in expat/international situations miss these nuances. The key is catching it now before you file. Good luck getting it sorted out!

As a tax professional, I can confirm everything mentioned here about state vs federal processing differences. One thing I'd add is that many people don't realize states also have different "acceptance dates" - when they actually start processing returns. While the IRS typically starts accepting returns in late January, some states don't begin processing until mid-February or even March, which adds to the delay. Also, if you're expecting a large state refund (over $1,000 in many states), it often gets additional scrutiny regardless of when you file. States have learned that identity thieves often file fake returns claiming large refunds early in the season, so they've built in extra verification steps. For future reference, you can usually find your state's current processing timeframes and any delays on their tax department website. Many states update these weekly during tax season. If you're past their stated timeframe by more than 2 weeks, that's when it's worth calling or using one of those callback services people mentioned.

This is such a common frustration! I've been dealing with the same thing for years. One thing that helped me manage expectations was learning that some states actually budget for the "float" interest they earn on refunds - essentially using our money as a short-term loan while they process returns. If you're really needing that $870 soon, you might consider adjusting your state withholdings for next year so you owe a small amount or break even instead of getting a large refund. I know it's not helpful for this year's situation, but it prevents the cash flow issue in the future. You could put what would have been overwitheld into a savings account and earn interest on it yourself rather than giving the state an interest-free loan. For immediate help with your current return, the services others mentioned (taxr.ai for status tracking or Claimyr for actually talking to someone) seem legit based on the follow-up posts from people who were initially skeptical. Five weeks does seem to be pushing the upper end of normal processing time, so it might be worth checking if there's a specific issue holding up your return.