TurboTax might not be asking the right questions for your situation. I switched to FreeTaxUSA last year and found it asked more detailed questions about my home purchase and found deductions TurboTax missed. Plus it's way cheaper!

As someone who's dealt with this exact confusion before, let me add a few practical points that might help clarify things: First, your $67 refund might actually be perfectly normal! The size of your refund depends more on how much tax was withheld from your paychecks throughout the year versus your actual tax liability. If your employer withheld almost exactly what you owe, you'll get a small refund regardless of being a homeowner. Second, the "thousands back" your friends mention might be from different situations entirely - they could have had too much withheld, different income levels, or qualified for credits you don't (like the Child Tax Credit). Homeownership benefits are primarily through deductions that reduce your taxable income, not direct credits that give money back. Since you bought in September, you only have 4 months of potential mortgage interest and property tax deductions for 2024. Even if you itemize, that's a fraction of what someone who owned all year could deduct. My advice: double-check that TurboTax captured all your home-related expenses (mortgage interest, property taxes, any points paid at closing), but don't be surprised if itemizing still doesn't beat the standard deduction. A small refund often means your withholding was spot-on, which is actually ideal!

Doesnt this depend on whether you can be claimed as a dependent too? I think my roomate said something about that affecting how scholarships get taxed. Like if ur parents claim u they get different rules???

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I was in almost the exact same situation as you last year with about $4000 in aid and a $500 refund. After doing some research and talking to a tax professional, I learned that the key is really tracking HOW you used that $420 refund. I kept all my receipts from that semester and was able to show that I used the refund money for required textbooks and a graphing calculator that was on my course supply list. Since these counted as qualified educational expenses, I didn't need to report any of it as income. The IRS Publication 970 has all the details about what counts as qualified vs non-qualified expenses if you want to dive deeper. But honestly, for most students, if the refund went toward books and required supplies, you're probably in the clear without needing to amend anything. Just make sure to keep good records going forward in case you ever get questioned about it!

got my 290 today after 6 months of waiting. there is hope! 🙏

Just wanted to share my experience with these codes since I see so many people struggling! I had a 570 code for about 3 months and was losing my mind calling the IRS every week. Turns out it was just a routine income verification hold - they were cross-checking my W-2s with what my employer reported. Got through it by being patient and not panicking. The key thing I learned is that 570 doesn't always mean you did something wrong, sometimes it's just their system being extra cautious. For anyone dealing with this - document everything, keep calling every 2 weeks (not daily), and don't let them tell you to "just wait" without giving you a timeframe. You got this! 💪

I had the exact same sequence in February. Got 570 on Feb 8, then 971 showed up Feb 15. My 846 code with DDD appeared on March 2, so about 2 weeks after the 971. The notice was just telling me they adjusted my refund by $17 (apparently I can't do math 🙃). Refund hit my account exactly on the DDD. Seems like the IRS just likes to keep us on our toes with these little review periods.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Got my 570 code on March 5th and just saw the 971 code appear yesterday. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - sounds like this is pretty normal processing. @Mei Liu, your timeline tracking is super helpful! I'm also military (Navy) and have a deployment coming up in May, so I'm hoping this resolves in the next few weeks. Did anyone else notice if claiming military combat pay exclusion affects the review timeline at all? I'm wondering if that might be adding to my processing time.

What nobody's mentioned is how being a "US person" makes banking overseas a nightmare. I'm a dual US/German citizen and banks here hate dealing with US reporting requirements. Some even closed my accounts when FATCA came in! If you stop filing US taxes you might fly under the radar for years, but eventually something will trigger attention - maybe trying to move that investment, getting a large inheritance, or buying property. Then you'll face back filing for all those missing years plus penalties. The "head in sand" approach feels good short term but can be expensive long term. I tried it for 3 years and ended up paying way more to fix it than if I'd just kept filing.

I'm an American living in New Zealand and can relate to your frustration! The banking situation here isn't as bad as some European countries, but it's definitely getting more complicated. Most major banks (ANZ, ASB, Westpac) will still open accounts for US citizens, but they ask a lot more questions now and some investment products are off-limits. One thing that might help with your immediate cost problem - have you looked into the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program? They sometimes have virtual sessions specifically for expats, and it's completely free if you qualify (which you likely would based on your income level). The quality can be hit-or-miss, but it might be worth trying before paying hundreds again. Also, since you mentioned you're in Australia - the US-Australia tax treaty has some provisions that could help reduce your filing burden. Australia's superannuation system has specific treaty protections that most tax preparers don't even know about. The nuclear option of renouncing citizenship is expensive upfront ($2,350 now), but if you're truly never planning to live in the US and the annual filing costs keep adding up, it might be worth saving for over a few years. Just make sure you understand the exit tax implications first, especially with that investment account.