The waiting is brutal, I feel you! I'm going through something similar - been waiting 11 months for my refund and just got assigned an advocate last week. From what I've read, the 4-12 week timeframe that Malik mentioned seems pretty accurate. The advocate has to actually investigate what's causing the delay and work with different IRS departments to fix it. At least you're in the system now and have someone specifically working on your case. That's more progress than most people get! Keep us posted on how it goes.

I went through this exact situation last year. Got assigned a Taxpayer Advocate in March after waiting 13 months, and it took another 8 weeks before I saw any real movement. The advocate actually called me around week 5 to update me that they had identified the issue (some coding error on the IRS side) and were working to resolve it. Don't give up hope - 3 weeks is still early in the process. The advocate system really does work, it just moves at government speed unfortunately. Try to get the direct phone number for your specific advocate if you don't already have it, makes follow-up much easier.

I just want to echo what others have said - don't let the tax software companies scare you with "Schedule 3"! I'm a tax professional and I see this confusion all the time. The most common reason people need Schedule 3 is actually something GOOD for them - it's often because they're owed money back from excess Social Security withholding when they worked multiple jobs. The IRS limits total Social Security tax to $10,788 for 2024 (on income up to $168,600), but if you had two employers, each one withheld Social Security tax separately without knowing about the other job. Before paying TurboTax's upgrade fee, definitely check out the free alternatives people mentioned. The IRS Free File program is legitimate and works with forms like Schedule 3. You can also try FreeTaxUSA or even the IRS's own fillable forms if you're comfortable with a little DIY approach. The bottom line: Schedule 3 sounds scarier than it is, and you have options that won't cost you $49!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! TurboTax hit me with that $49 upgrade demand when I got to the Schedule 3 part and I was so frustrated. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were so many free alternatives available. I think I'm going to try the IRS Free File program first since my income definitely qualifies, and if that doesn't work out I'll give FreeTaxUSA a shot. It's really annoying how the tax software companies make Schedule 3 sound like this super complicated advanced form when it's apparently just a standard supplement that lots of people need. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread probably just saved me $49 and a lot of unnecessary stress!

Is there any expiration on capital loss carryovers? I've been carrying some for almost 4 years now.

One thing I'd add to the great advice already shared - make sure you're applying your capital loss carryover in the correct order! The IRS requires you to use the oldest carryover losses first (FIFO - first in, first out). Since you had a $20,000 loss in 2022, that entire amount should be applied against your 2023 gains before you can use any losses from 2023 itself. This shouldn't affect your calculation (you'll still net $30,000), but it's important for record-keeping purposes. Also, double-check that you actually filed your 2022 return and properly reported that $20,000 loss. If for some reason it wasn't properly documented on your 2022 Schedule D, you might run into issues when the IRS processes your 2023 return. The carryover amount needs to have a paper trail from your previous filing.

I'm brand new to this community but had to jump in because I'm literally experiencing this exact same situation right now! My spouse and I just got married last year, moved across states, and filed jointly for the first time. We also received our refund about 3 weeks ago and now have two separate IRS letters showing up in informed delivery today. I was having a complete panic attack until I found this thread! Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly calming. It's amazing how common this scenario seems to be for newlyweds who moved and changed their filing status. The explanation about the Individual Master File system from the tax professionals really opened my eyes - I had no idea the IRS kept separate records for each spouse even when filing jointly. What really struck me is how consistent everyone's stories are. Practically every couple in our situation (marriage + move + name change + filing status change) seems to get these routine verification notices a few weeks after their refund processes. The timing aspect is so reassuring too - if there were serious problems, they would have caught them before releasing our money. I'm still nervous waiting for the actual letters to arrive, but I'm feeling much more confident now that this is just boring administrative paperwork rather than anything we need to worry about. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been a lifesaver for managing tax anxiety! I'll definitely be following this thread to see what the mystery letters actually say. Fingers crossed we can all celebrate mundane government paperwork later today! 😊

I'm completely new to this community but had to join after stumbling across this thread while frantically googling "why did IRS send me letters after refund" - I'm in the EXACT same situation! My husband and I got married 8 months ago, moved states twice for his job, and just filed jointly for the first time. Got our refund 3 weeks ago and now there are two separate IRS letters in informed delivery. I've been a wreck all day! This thread has been such a lifesaver though - I can't believe how many people have dealt with this identical scenario. The consistency is incredible and really reassuring. Between getting married, changing my name, moving multiple times, and switching from single to married filing jointly, we basically hit every trigger for routine verification notices that everyone's mentioned. The explanation about Individual Master File updates makes so much sense now. I was completely panicking thinking we'd made some catastrophic error, but hearing from actual tax professionals that this is standard administrative stuff for couples in our situation has really calmed me down. Plus the timing factor - getting notices AFTER our refund processed successfully - seems to be a really positive sign. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise! I'll definitely be refreshing this thread obsessively waiting to see what the original poster's letters actually say. Hoping we can all celebrate boring government paperwork together! 🤞

I think there's some confusion in this thread about when HSAs actually make sense to use. I've had an HSA for 9 years and have never spent a penny from it - I pay all medical expenses out of pocket and keep the receipts. Why? Because HSAs are actually the ultimate retirement hack if you can afford to use them this way. The money: - Goes in tax-free (reducing your taxable income) - Grows tax-free (through investments) - Comes out tax-free for medical expenses (no matter when they occurred) So to the original poster - if you can afford it, consider paying those medical bills out of pocket, taking the itemized deduction for expenses over 7.5% of AGI this year, but KEEPING all your receipts. Then in retirement, you can reimburse yourself tax-free from your (hopefully much larger) HSA. Just make sure your HSA was established before you incurred the expenses you plan to reimburse later!

I'm new to HSAs and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been reading through all the strategies you've shared and I think I understand the basics now, but I have one practical question. When you're tracking expenses for potential future HSA reimbursement, do you need to keep receipts for EVERYTHING medical-related, or just the bigger expenses? Like, should I be saving receipts for every $20 copay and prescription, or is it mainly worth it for the larger bills like surgeries, specialist visits, etc.? I'm asking because I'm 28 and healthy now, but I want to start this strategy early if it makes sense. Just trying to figure out how detailed I need to be with the record-keeping from day one. Also, does anyone know if there are any good apps or tools specifically designed for tracking these unreimbursed HSA-eligible expenses over the long term? I feel like I need a system or I'll definitely lose track of things over the years.