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Is this her first teaching job? I'm a school district payroll manager, and we see this issue CONSTANTLY with new teachers who don't understand their retirement system. In many states, teachers have mandatory retirement contributions that are taken INSTEAD OF Social Security (not in addition to it). So the $0 for Social Security might be correct if she's in a state with a separate teacher retirement system. But the federal withholding is definitely wrong. $41 per paycheck for someone making $62k would only make sense if she claimed she was exempt or claimed a huge number of dependents. My guess: she filled out her W-4 incorrectly when starting the new position. You should: 1. Check her W-4 on file 2. Compare her last paystub YTD amounts to the W2 3. Ask about her state's teacher retirement system rules
This is really helpful info. I'm a first-year teacher and just realized my federal withholding seems super low. How do I know if I'm in one of the states where teachers don't pay into Social Security? And should I update my W4 now to avoid problems when filing next year?
@Mary Bates - Great question! There are 15 states where some or all teachers don t'pay Social Security: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and West Virginia. Check your paystub - if you see TRS "or" Teacher "Retirement System deductions" but no Social Security deductions, you re'likely in one of these states. Definitely update your W-4 ASAP if your federal withholding seems too low! You can submit a new W-4 to HR anytime during the year. Use the IRS withholding calculator online to figure out what you should be claiming. It s'much better to have slightly too much withheld than to face a huge tax bill next April like the original poster is dealing with.
I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My husband is also a teacher and we just discovered his W2 shows almost no federal withholding despite making $58k. After reading through these responses, I'm starting to think it's definitely a W-4 issue. What really helped us was getting a copy of his W-4 from HR - turns out he accidentally marked "exempt" on his first day because he was rushing through paperwork and didn't understand what it meant. The payroll person said this happens with new teachers ALL THE TIME. We're now working with the district to correct his withholding going forward and setting up quarterly payments to avoid another surprise next year. Definitely check what's on file for her W-4 - that's probably where the problem started. Also, if you're in one of those states where teachers don't pay Social Security (like we are in Ohio), that part might actually be correct. But the federal withholding being so low is almost certainly a W-4 error.
Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful to know this is a common issue with new teachers. I'm wondering - when you say you're setting up quarterly payments to avoid another surprise next year, do you mean estimated tax payments to the IRS? How did you calculate how much to pay each quarter? I'm worried we might be in the same boat next year if we don't get ahead of this.
FYI - SBTPG and your bank don't always sync up right away. SBTPG might show funded, but there's def a delay. They batch process ACH transfers, usually overnight. So if it hit 'funded' status today, probs won't hit your actual bank acct until tmrw or next biz day. The date shown is their estimate, not a guarantee. Check both your actual bank AND the SBTPG portal for the most accurate info.
Just want to add my recent experience - my SBTPG showed "funded" on Tuesday morning, and the money hit my Chase account Wednesday evening around 6 PM. So about 30 hours total. The key thing I learned is that "funded" means SBTPG has your money and has started the transfer process to your bank. Your bank still needs time to process the incoming ACH transfer on their end. I'd give it 2-3 business days max before worrying. Also, some banks show pending deposits earlier than others - Wells Fargo showed mine as pending the same day SBTPG showed funded, but Chase didn't show anything until it actually posted.
Thanks for sharing your timeline! This is really helpful. I'm in a similar situation - SBTPG showed funded yesterday morning and I bank with Wells Fargo. I'll check for pending deposits today. Did you notice any fees taken out by SBTPG before the transfer, or was it the full refund amount that hit your Chase account?
I filed on February 2nd this year and got my acceptance notification 3 hours later! š But last year when I filed on April 12th (cutting it close, I know), it took 2 full days to get the acceptance. The IRS systems are probably like me after the holidays - moving a bit slower with all that extra weight to process. My advice is to check your tax software account rather than your email - sometimes the software updates before they send the notification.
Same-day acceptance is definitely possible, especially if you filed early in the day! I usually file around 8-9 AM and have gotten acceptance notifications as early as 2 PM the same day. The IRS processes e-filed returns in batches throughout the day, so timing can make a difference. If you filed later in the evening, you might have to wait until the next business day for the first batch processing. Since you need this for rent, I'd recommend checking your tax software portal every few hours rather than just waiting for an email - sometimes the status updates there first. Fingers crossed you get that acceptance notification soon! š¤
This is really helpful! I'm curious about the batch processing you mentioned - do you know if the IRS has set times when they run these batches? I'm thinking of filing my return tomorrow morning and want to time it right. Also, is there any difference in processing speed between different tax software platforms, or does it all go through the same IRS system once submitted?
I went through a very similar situation last year and wanted to share what worked for me. I was also filing jointly for the first time after my spouse's status change, which put us over the Form 8938 threshold unexpectedly. Like you, I had always been compliant with FBAR requirements but was completely unaware of the additional Form 8938 obligation. The most important thing is that you've already reported all the income from those foreign accounts on your tax return - this puts you in a much better position regarding penalties. The IRS is generally more concerned about unreported income than missing information forms when the income has already been disclosed. When I filed my late Form 8938, I included a brief cover letter explaining that this was my first year above the reporting threshold due to joint filing status, that all foreign income had been properly reported on the return, and that I was filing the form promptly upon discovering the requirement. I emphasized my history of compliance with other international reporting obligations like FBAR. The form was accepted without any penalties or follow-up questions. Since you're planning to file within the next week, you're acting promptly, which demonstrates good faith compliance. The reasonable cause exception typically applies in situations like yours where there's a legitimate first-time filing scenario and you're taking corrective action quickly. Don't let the anxiety overwhelm you - based on your description, you're handling this exactly the right way!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's incredibly helpful to hear from someone who went through almost the identical situation. Your point about the IRS being more concerned with unreported income than missing forms when the income is already disclosed really puts things in perspective. I'm curious about the timeline - how long after the original deadline did you end up filing your Form 8938? I'm about 2-3 weeks past now and keep second-guessing whether I should rush to file this week or take a bit more time to make sure everything is perfect. Also, did you send your form to the same processing center where you filed your original return, or is there a different address for standalone Form 8938 submissions? Your reassurance about acting promptly and demonstrating good faith compliance is exactly what I needed to hear. Sometimes when you're in the middle of a tax situation like this, it's hard to see the forest for the trees!
I'm dealing with a very similar FATCA situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Like several others here, I'm filing jointly for the first time after my spouse's green card approval, which pushed us over the Form 8938 threshold unexpectedly. What's giving me some comfort is reading about everyone's experiences with the reasonable cause exception. I've also always been compliant with FBAR requirements and reported all foreign income correctly - it's just this additional form I missed. The consensus seems to be that the IRS is much more understanding when you're proactive about correcting the oversight and when all income was already properly reported. For those asking about mailing addresses, I called the IRS practitioner priority line (after a very long hold!) and confirmed that you should mail standalone Form 8938 submissions to the same processing center where you filed your original return. Include your SSN prominently on the cover letter and reference your already-filed return. One tip I learned from my tax preparer: if you're still within a reasonable timeframe of discovering the requirement (within a few months), emphasize in your reasonable cause letter that you acted "promptly upon discovery" rather than focusing on how late you are from the original deadline. The IRS seems to give more weight to your response time after becoming aware of the obligation. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made this stressful situation much more manageable!
This is such a helpful thread! I'm new to this community but found myself in a nearly identical situation. Just wanted to add that I spoke with a tax attorney friend who confirmed what everyone here is saying - the "promptly upon discovery" language is key for reasonable cause letters. She also mentioned that for first-time FATCA filers, the IRS often looks favorably on situations where there's a clear triggering event (like a spouse getting a green card changing your filing status) that created the new obligation. It shows this wasn't ongoing non-compliance but rather a genuine change in circumstances. One thing I'm still unclear on from reading everyone's responses - should I attach copies of my FBAR filings from previous years to show my history of international compliance, or is that overkill? I don't want to overcomplicate things, but I also want to demonstrate that pattern of good faith compliance that several people mentioned helped their cases. Thanks for all the reassurance, everyone. It's amazing how much less stressful this feels when you realize other people have navigated the exact same situation successfully!
Natalie Adams
After verification mine took exactly 21 days to clear. Just hang in there!
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Mei-Ling Chen
Going through the same thing right now! Code 570 showed up after I verified my identity 2 weeks ago. From what I've learned, it's basically the IRS putting a temporary freeze while they review everything to make sure it all matches up. The waiting is brutal when you need that money, but hang in there - most people see it clear within 2-6 weeks after verification. Keep checking your transcript daily for any changes, and maybe set up informed delivery so you don't miss any mail from them. You got this! šŖ
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