Just throwing in my 2 cents as a CPA - a $33 refund is actually IDEAL. It means she's not loaning money to the government all year like you are with your $2,500 refund. If she has a straightforward tax situation (W-2 income, standard deduction), and she filled out her W-4 correctly, there's nothing wrong with a small refund. She's maximizing her take-home pay throughout the year instead of waiting for a lump sum. If you want to "check" if she's doing it right, look at line 24 of her Form 1040 - that's her total tax. Then compare it to typical tax brackets for her income level. If they align, she's doing fine.

As someone who's been through this exact situation with my partner, I totally get the confusion! But honestly, your girlfriend is probably doing everything right. A $33 refund means she's nailed her withholding - she's not giving the government an interest-free loan like most people do. I used to think bigger refunds meant you were "winning" at taxes until I learned that it actually means you're losing out on having that money in your pocket all year long. Your girlfriend, making $105K as a nursing director, likely has her W-4 set up perfectly to match her actual tax liability. The real question isn't whether she's filing wrong - it's whether you want to adjust YOUR withholding to keep more money throughout the year instead of waiting for that $2,500 refund. You could be earning interest on that money or using it for expenses rather than letting the IRS hold onto it! If you're still concerned, maybe suggest she run her numbers through a withholding calculator on the IRS website just for peace of mind, but I'd bet money she's doing it exactly right.

Has anyone actually gotten a return to change from "received" to "approved" after owing money? I'm curious if this status ever updates or if it just stays as "received" permanently for returns where you owed.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stressing about my 2021 and 2022 returns showing "received" status for so long. It's reassuring to hear from multiple people that this is normal for returns where you owe money rather than getting refunds. The key takeaway seems to be: if you filed your returns, paid what you owed, and haven't received any notices from the IRS requesting additional information or claiming issues with your returns, then you're in good standing regardless of what the online portal shows. The IRS prioritizes processing refunds and updating those statuses, while returns where taxpayers owe money often sit in "received" limbo indefinitely. I think I'll stop obsessively checking my account status now and just focus on staying current with my tax obligations going forward. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Make sure you don't just focus on the bank reporting requirements and miss the potential estate administration issues. Since your grandfather passed away years ago, was there ever a formal probate process? If there was, and this money wasn't included, you might need to reopen the estate. If there wasn't, you might need to start one now. Different states have different rules about handling assets discovered after someone dies, especially when there's no written will specifically mentioning them. Not trying to make this more complicated, but getting the estate stuff handled properly will make the bank deposit much easier.

I went through something very similar when I found $85k cash in my late father's workshop about two years ago. Here's what I learned from the process: First, don't panic about the CTR (Currency Transaction Report) - it's just paperwork the bank files for any cash transaction over $10k. It's not an investigation, just documentation. The key is being completely transparent about the source. What really helped me was gathering as much documentation as possible BEFORE going to the bank. I collected: - Old photos of my dad's business - Statements from family members who knew about his cash-saving habits - Any old business records or tax returns I could find - A timeline of when he likely accumulated the cash The bank was actually very understanding once I explained the situation clearly. They asked some standard questions about the source, I provided my documentation, and the deposit went smoothly. No red flags or additional scrutiny. One important thing: make sure you're clear on whether your grandfather's estate went through probate. If it did and this money wasn't included, you might need to work with an estate attorney to handle it properly before depositing. In my case, my dad's estate was still open, so we were able to add this as an asset. The good news is that inherited cash isn't taxable income to you at the federal level, though your state might have inheritance taxes depending on where you live. Feel free to ask if you have other questions - happy to share more details about my experience!

Anyone know which specific TurboTax version I need to handle business equipment like this? I'm using the Deluxe version now but wondering if I need to upgrade to handle depreciation properly.

Great question! I went through something similar last year with my consulting business. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep detailed records of the business use percentage for each item, especially for mixed-use items like your phone and laptop. For TurboTax, you'll want to create a simple spreadsheet tracking: - Purchase date and amount for each item - Business use percentage (be realistic - the IRS can audit this) - Which depreciation method you chose and why The furniture situation is interesting because at $8,200, you're getting into territory where the depreciation vs. Section 179 choice really matters. Since you mentioned this is a side gig, consider whether you expect your income to grow next year. If so, spreading the furniture depreciation over time might give you deductions when you're in a higher tax bracket. Also, don't forget about the home office deduction if you're using a dedicated space! The furniture could support that claim. TurboTax Self-Employed (which you'll need for proper business asset handling) has a good workflow for calculating this. One last tip - take photos of your setup and keep all receipts. The IRS loves documentation for business asset claims, especially for home-based businesses.

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Filed my 2022 amended return in February 2024 and still nothing showing up in "Where's My Amended Return." Reading through these comments has been super helpful - sounds like 6-8 weeks before it even shows up in their system is normal. One thing I wanted to add based on what others have shared: if you're planning to file that 2020 amendment, definitely do it ASAP! Based on what @Olivia Evans shared about the IRS agent saying 2020 amendments are being prioritized due to the approaching deadline, it sounds like there might be some advantage to getting it in sooner rather than later. Also, thank you to everyone who shared info about the various services and tools. I've been hesitant to try calling the IRS directly because of the horror stories about wait times, but knowing there are options like Claimyr might give me some peace of mind if I don't see any movement in the next few weeks. The interest payment info from @Christopher Morgan is interesting too - at least there's some compensation for the ridiculous wait times, even if it doesn't make up for the stress of wondering if your paperwork disappeared into the void!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation last year. Filed my 2021 amended return in March 2023 and didn't see ANY movement in the "Where's My Amended Return" tool until almost 10 weeks later. The silence from the IRS system is absolutely nerve-wracking, but it's unfortunately very normal right now. A few things that helped me get through the process: 1. Keep meticulous records - scan everything before you mail it, including the envelope with the postmark if you can 2. If you didn't send it certified mail (like I didn't), don't panic yet. Most returns do eventually make it through, it just takes forever to show up in their system 3. The 6-8 week timeframe mentioned by @Lauren Johnson is pretty accurate in my experience Regarding your 2020 amendment question - definitely get that filed ASAP! The deadline pressure is real, and from what others have shared, it sounds like the IRS is actually prioritizing those right now which could work in your favor. One last tip: when you do eventually see movement on your 2022 amendment, don't expect it to move quickly through the stages. Mine took another 12 weeks after it first appeared in the system to actually get processed. The whole thing was about 5.5 months from filing to refund, but the refund did include interest which was a nice surprise. Hang in there - I know the waiting is brutal when you're not even sure they received your paperwork!