Just wanted to share some good news - I was in almost exactly your situation last Tuesday. SBTPG said it was sent, Chime said "tomorrow," but then I actually got it around 9pm that same night! Seems like Chime sometimes underpromises and overdelivers. Hope you see yours pop up tonight!

This is such a common frustration with SBTPG and Chime! I went through the exact same thing last month. SBTPG told me my refund was "sent" but Chime wouldn't release it for 24 hours. What I learned is that even though Chime advertises early direct deposit, they're more conservative with tax refunds that come through third-party processors like SBTPG. The ACH network still has standard processing times, and Chime waits for full settlement before releasing funds from these processors. It's annoying when you're expecting that "early" deposit benefit, but at least you know it's actually on its way now!

My tax preparer told me that the IRS is getting stricter about this "two HOH in one physical house" situation. You might want to keep really detailed records of exactly who pays for what. Like, if you claim you pay 60% of expenses, have documentation showing which specific bills you pay. Especially if you get audited.

This is a really nuanced situation that trips up a lot of people in blended families. From what you've described, it sounds like you and your partner could both potentially qualify for Head of Household status, but you'll need to be very careful about how you structure and document your finances. The key thing the IRS looks at is whether you're maintaining separate households economically, even if you're under the same roof. Since you contribute 60% of household expenses and she covers the rest, that's actually a good foundation - but you'll want to make sure you can clearly demonstrate which expenses each of you pays for. I'd recommend setting up separate systems for tracking who pays what bills, groceries, childcare costs, etc. Some couples in your situation even use separate checking accounts for household expenses to make the paper trail clearer. The IRS wants to see that you're each genuinely maintaining a household for your respective qualifying dependents. One thing to double-check: for your shared son, make sure you're the one who can legitimately claim to provide more than 50% of his support if you're planning to claim him as your qualifying person for HOH status. Only one parent can claim a child as a dependent. Given how complex this can get, it might be worth consulting with a tax professional who has experience with blended family situations to make sure you're setting everything up correctly from the start.

Just wondering - has anyone used those "tax relief" companies that advertise on radio/TV for situations like this? They claim they can settle with the IRS for "pennies on the dollar" but I'm not sure if they're legit or scams.

I've been through almost the exact same situation - 6 years of unfiled returns after getting overwhelmed by an initial IRS notice. The anxiety was paralyzing, but dealing with it was actually much less scary than I had built up in my head. Here's what worked for me: I started by requesting my wage and income transcripts online from the IRS website. This showed me exactly what employers had reported each year, so I didn't have to track down old W2s. Then I filed all the missing returns at once using tax software (TurboTax actually handles prior years pretty well). The biggest shock? I actually got refunds for 3 of those years because I had overpaid through withholdings. The refunds almost completely offset what I owed for the other years. Don't let the anxiety keep you frozen - the IRS genuinely wants to work with people who are trying to get compliant. You've been having taxes withheld this whole time, which shows good faith. Start with getting those transcripts and you'll have a much clearer picture of where you actually stand financially. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Quick warning - don't forget to pay self-employment tax on your farm income! Schedule F income is subject to self-employment tax (15.3% covering both Social Security and Medicare). This catches a lot of new farmers by surprise.

Omar, your buddy gave you solid advice! As a newcomer to farm taxes myself, I was confused about this same thing last year. Schedule F business deductions are completely separate from your personal standard deduction - you get both! Think of it this way: your farm is a business entity, so those $3,800 in feed, equipment repairs, and seed costs are business expenses that get deducted on Schedule F. Meanwhile, you as an individual can still claim the standard deduction (or itemize if that's better) for your personal expenses. They don't interact with each other at all. Just make sure you keep detailed records of all your farm income and expenses, and that you're operating with genuine profit intent. The IRS wants to see that this is a real business, not just a hobby. Good luck with your farming venture!

You mentioned a company car - was that during your contract work or only after becoming an employee? If you had it during contract work, there might be tax implications there too.

I went through something very similar last year - owing a big chunk because of mixed W-2 and 1099 income. The self-employment tax on that $13,500 is probably what's killing you the most. A few things that helped me: 1. Double-check if your employer reimbursements were incorrectly included in your 1099-NEC income 2. Even small business expenses add up - phone usage, internet, any equipment or supplies 3. Set up quarterly estimated payments for next year to avoid this mess again The underpayment penalty stings, but at least it's relatively small compared to your total bill. I'd definitely recommend seeing a tax pro - they often find deductions that save more than their fee costs. Don't beat yourself up too much, this is a super common situation when transitioning from contract to employee work.