Great thread everyone! As someone who went through this process last year, I wanted to add a few practical tips: 1. **PTIN timing**: While Oliver mentioned PTINs are issued quickly online, be prepared for potential delays during peak application periods (November-January). I'd recommend applying ASAP to avoid any last-minute issues. 2. **EFIN considerations**: If you're just starting out with tax prep, consider whether you actually need your own EFIN right away. Many new preparers partner with established firms or use third-party e-filing services for their first season to test the waters before committing to the full EFIN process. 3. **State requirements**: Mikayla touched on this, but definitely research your state's specific requirements. Some states require separate registrations even if you have a CPA license. California, for example, has its own CTEC registration for non-credentialed preparers, though CPAs are exempt. 4. **Insurance**: Something not mentioned yet - consider professional liability insurance once you start preparing returns for compensation. Your CPA license might provide some coverage, but tax preparation has its own specific risks. Ashley, to directly answer your question: Yes, you need the PTIN regardless of your CPA status, and getting it now will absolutely cover you for the 2024 tax season. The EFIN is only if you want to e-file directly yourself.

One important detail that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you understand the difference between getting a PTIN for "occasional" vs "regular" tax preparation. The IRS considers you a tax return preparer if you prepare even ONE return for compensation, so your CPA license doesn't change that requirement. However, if you're planning to prepare more than 10 returns per year, you'll also need to complete continuing education requirements through the IRS Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) - though as others mentioned, CPAs are exempt from this since you already have CE requirements. Also worth noting: if you decide to go the EFIN route, the IRS now requires you to maintain detailed records of all returns you e-file, including client consent forms and copies of all tax documents. It's a significant administrative burden that many new preparers underestimate. The third-party e-filing route that Sean mentioned really does make sense for your first season to see if you want to commit long-term. One last tip - consider joining your local chapter of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) or similar organization. They often have resources specifically for CPAs transitioning into tax preparation and can help navigate some of these regulatory requirements.

Yes, those are definitely positive signs! The disappearing verification notice is one of the clearest indicators that the IRS has accepted your verification and is moving your return forward in their system. When combined with the WMR update, it strongly suggests your return is now actively being processed. Don't worry about the blank transcript - this is completely normal and transcripts typically lag behind other systems by several days or even a week. I've seen many people in similar situations receive their refunds within 10-14 days despite being quoted the standard 21-day timeframe. The fact that the agent confirmed everything looked good during your verification call is also very encouraging. Try to check your transcript every few days rather than obsessively refreshing it. Based on your description, you're definitely on the right track for getting your refund soon!

Those are absolutely positive signs! The disappearing verification notice combined with the WMR update is exactly what you want to see after a successful verification call. I went through the same process about 6 weeks ago - called for verification, notice vanished within 24 hours, and WMR updated shortly after. My transcript stayed completely blank for almost 10 days which had me panicking, but then it suddenly populated with all the processing codes and my refund hit my account 3 days later. The transcripts really do lag way behind everything else. Since the agent confirmed everything looked good and you're seeing these positive changes, I'd expect your transcript to update within the next week and your refund probably within 2 weeks max, despite the 21-day quote. Try not to refresh the transcript too obsessively (I know it's hard!) - you're definitely on track for a successful resolution!

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! Like others have mentioned, tax prep fees are almost always deducted from your federal refund only - most states don't allow third-party deductions from state refunds. Here's what helped me figure it out: I found my "Refund Transfer Authorization" form that I signed when I chose to pay fees from my refund. It clearly showed that only the federal refund would be used for fee payment. My tax software (TurboTax) also had a detailed breakdown in the "Documents" section showing the fee allocation. For your state refund being lower than expected, I'd suggest double-checking if you had any state taxes withheld that you might have forgotten about, or if there were any state-specific credits that got adjusted during processing. In my case, my state had automatically applied a credit I wasn't aware of, which changed my final refund amount. If you're still unsure, most tax prep companies have a customer service line specifically for refund questions - they should be able to pull up your account and show you exactly where each fee was deducted from. Don't stress too much though, this confusion happens to a lot of us! 😊

Hey Noah! 👋 As someone who's also navigated the US tax system as a newcomer, I totally understand the confusion! The good news is that you're almost certainly overthinking this - tax prep fees are virtually always taken from federal refunds only, not state refunds. Here's what I'd recommend checking first: • Log into your tax prep service and look for a "Fee Summary" or "Refund Disbursement" document • Compare your actual state tax return (the final filed version) with your initial calculations - you might have missed a deduction or credit adjustment • Check if your state made any automatic adjustments during processing (this happens more often than you'd think!) The fact that you received your federal refund in full actually supports this - if fees were deducted, they would have come out of that amount first. Your state refund difference is likely due to calculation variations or state-specific processing adjustments. Don't worry, this exact scenario trips up tons of people every tax season! Once you find that fee breakdown document, everything should make much more sense. The tax system here has a lot of moving parts that aren't always obvious at first glance. 😊

Is there a quick way to estimate how much EIC I might get? I'm a single parent with 2 kids making about $32,000 from my job and some gig work.

Just to add some clarity for the original poster @Malik Johnson - since you mentioned you're a bartender with tips, make sure you're reporting ALL your tip income accurately. The IRS pays close attention to tip reporting in the service industry, and underreporting tips can not only get you in trouble but also reduce your EIC since it's based on your reported earned income. If your employer doesn't already track and report all your tips through payroll, you'll need to use Form 4137 to report unreported tip income. This includes cash tips that customers give you directly. Many bartenders don't realize that underreporting tips actually hurts them twice - once by potentially triggering an audit, and again by reducing credits like the EIC that they're entitled to. With your AGI being lower than your gross due to 401k and health insurance, you're in a good position for the EIC. Just make sure your tip reporting is accurate and complete!

Don't forget you still have to pay the self-employment tax of 15.3% on your net profit from doordash (after deducting mileage and expenses). The mileage deduction reduces your income tax but you still gotta pay SE tax on whatever profit is left.

This is actually a really common scenario that confuses new gig workers! Your calculation sounds about right. Here's what's happening: Your $7,300 DoorDash income minus the $2,600 mileage deduction leaves you with $4,700 in taxable profit. The self-employment tax on that would be around $664 (15.3%), plus regular income tax. But if you had taxes withheld from another job earlier in the year, those withholdings get applied against your total tax liability. So even though you owe taxes on your DoorDash income, the amount already withheld from your W-2 job might be more than your total liability, resulting in a refund. A few things to double-check: - Make sure your tax calculator is including self-employment tax (many don't) - Verify you're using the correct 2025 mileage rate (it's $0.70 per mile) - Consider other deductible expenses like phone usage, delivery bags, etc. It's totally normal to get a refund in this situation - it just means you prepaid more than you actually owe. Just make sure all your deductions are legitimate and well-documented!