Has anyone tried just calling the mortgage company and asking what alternatives they'll accept? When I got my mortgage last year, I was missing one W2 and they said a final paystub from that year would work as a substitute. Might save you some time if they're flexible!

Just want to add another perspective as someone who went through this recently. If you're in a time crunch, I'd recommend trying multiple approaches simultaneously rather than going one by one. I started with the IRS transcript request online (which was fastest), contacted my old employers' HR departments, and also checked if I had any old tax prep files saved on my computer or email. The IRS transcripts came through in about 2 days and my lender accepted them without any issues. But having the backup requests going meant I wasn't stressed about timing. Also, pro tip - if you're working with a mortgage broker, they often have relationships with lenders who are more flexible about documentation requirements than if you go direct to a bank.

I completely understand your frustration - this AMT screen has tripped up so many people! Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like you have a few solid options to move forward. Since you mentioned your income and that you never received a Form 6251, you're likely in the same boat as most people who get stuck here. The software is being overly cautious and asking for prior year AMT data even when it probably doesn't apply to your situation. Given that you need to file soon, I'd suggest trying the zero entry approach first - if your income last year was similar to what others have mentioned (under $80k) and you took standard deductions, entering zeros will likely work fine and let you proceed. You can always go back and correct it before final submission if you find your actual prior year return later. If you want to be absolutely certain, the IRS transcript route that several people mentioned is definitely the most reliable way to get the exact numbers, though it might take a bit longer if you have trouble with the identity verification. Don't let this one screen derail your whole filing process - you're closer than you think to getting this resolved!

I went through this exact same issue earlier this year and totally feel your frustration! The AMT screen in TurboTax can be really confusing because it's not clearly explained why it's asking for this information. Here's what I learned: TurboTax needs your prior year AMT data to calculate any potential AMT credit carryforward for the current year, even if you didn't actually owe AMT last year. It's basically doing calculations behind the scenes to make sure you get any credits you're entitled to. For your situation, since you mentioned you never received Form 6251 (which makes sense - it's generated as part of your return, not sent to you), you have a couple options: 1. **Quick solution**: If your income last year was under $75-80k and you took the standard deduction with no complex investments, you can probably safely enter zeros in those fields. This is what most people in your situation end up doing. 2. **More thorough approach**: Get your prior year tax transcript from the IRS website (irs.gov) - it's free and instant if you can verify your identity online. Look for any AMT-related entries. 3. **If you used TurboTax last year**: Log into your old account and check if Form 6251 was generated as part of your return, even if you didn't owe anything. Don't stress too much - this is super common and you're not missing anything important. The software is just being extra cautious with AMT calculations!

Same exact thing happened to me last week! The $0.00 balance change is definitely a good indicator that your return is done processing. I had the same "Refund Status Now Available" notification and those random payment options showing up even though I was getting a refund. My timeline was: $0.00 balance appeared on Thursday, got my DDD on the following Monday, and money hit my account that Friday. So you're probably looking at getting your deposit date within the next few days! The waiting is brutal but you're in the home stretch 💪 Keep checking those transcripts daily around 3-6am EST, that's when they usually update with the DDD. Good luck!

Hey there! I went through the exact same thing about 3 weeks ago - that $0.00 balance appearing is actually a really positive sign that your return has finished processing! When I saw that change from "no info available" to the zero balance, I got my DDD exactly 6 days later. The "Refund Status Now Available" notification is definitely worth clicking on, even if it just redirects you to WMR. Sometimes it updates with more specific info about your refund amount or processing status. Those payment options showing up are totally normal - the IRS portal displays them for everyone regardless of whether you owe money or are getting a refund. Based on your timeline and what you're seeing, I'd expect your DDD to show up on your transcript sometime between now and early next week. Keep checking those transcripts daily around 3-5am EST - that's when they typically update with the 846 refund code and deposit date. You're definitely in the final stretch now! 🎯

I wish I had known about VITA years ago! I've been paying H&R Block around $300 every year for what's essentially a basic return - just my W-2, some student loan interest, and the standard deduction. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like VITA would have been perfect for my situation and saved me thousands over the years. The quality review process actually gives me more confidence than some of the chain tax prep places where you never know if you're getting someone experienced or a seasonal worker who just finished their training. The fact that these are volunteers who choose to help their community rather than employees trying to upsell services is really appealing. I'm definitely going to look into this for next year's taxes. For anyone else on the fence - it seems like the worst case scenario is you find out your situation is too complex and you're back where you started, but the potential savings and peace of mind from the quality review process make it worth trying. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

This is exactly the kind of information that should be more widely publicized! I work at a local community center and we actually host a VITA site every tax season, but I'm always surprised by how many people in our community don't know about it. One thing I'd add is that many VITA sites also offer additional services beyond just tax preparation. At our location, volunteers help people understand their tax documents, explain what different forms mean, and even provide basic financial literacy information. Some sites also help with opening bank accounts for people who need direct deposit for their refunds. For anyone worried about the volunteer aspect - these aren't just random people off the street. The IRS training and certification process is quite rigorous, and many of our volunteers are retired accountants, bookkeepers, or folks who just have a passion for helping others with taxes. They take annual continuing education to stay current on tax law changes. Also worth mentioning that if you use VITA services and later have questions about your return, most sites will help you understand any IRS correspondence you receive. That kind of ongoing support is something you definitely don't get from commercial software!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with Uber Eats and Grubhub. Made about $450 with Uber Eats (no 1099) and $680 with Grubhub (got the 1099-NEC). Reading through all these responses really clarified things for me - I definitely need to report both amounts even without the Uber Eats form. The tip about checking the app for annual summaries is gold! I just logged into my Uber Eats driver app and found a detailed breakdown I didn't even know existed. One thing I'm still wondering about - does anyone know if the mileage deduction is calculated separately for each gig app, or do you combine all your delivery miles together? I drove for both platforms sometimes on the same trips, so I'm not sure how to split that up properly. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is way less intimidating now that I understand the process better!

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Made about $420 with Instacart and $750 with DoorDash last year. Like you, I was confused about whether I needed to report the Instacart income without getting a form. After reading through all these responses, it's crystal clear now - you absolutely need to report ALL your gig income, regardless of whether you got tax forms. The $600 threshold is just for when companies are required to send you paperwork, not for when you need to report the income to the IRS. One thing that really helped me was going into my Instacart shopper app and looking at the earnings history. You can actually export or view a summary of your total earnings for the year, which makes it super easy to get the exact amount to report on Schedule C. Also, definitely don't forget to track your expenses! I was only thinking about the mileage deduction, but reading about phone bills, delivery bags, and other business expenses opened my eyes to deductions I was missing. Every legitimate business expense reduces your taxable income, so it's worth being thorough. Good luck with your filing - sounds like you're being responsible by asking these questions upfront rather than just ignoring the smaller income streams!