Took 6 months for mine to process but I did get a decent interest payment so theres that 🤷‍♀️

I feel you on the anxiety! Filed my amended return in October and still waiting too. The IRS amended return tool hasn't been super helpful - just says "received" for weeks now. Might have to accept that Christmas refund isn't happening this year 😔 At least we're not alone in this waiting game!

Just wanted to add something important - when we had our ITIN rejected, we learned that timing matters! If you submit your W7 with your tax return during the peak filing season (February-April), the processing time can be much longer than the estimated 11 weeks. We resubmitted in June after our initial rejection, and got the ITIN in about 7 weeks instead of 11. If your tax situation allows for it (like if you're getting a refund or don't owe much), consider filing an extension and then submitting when the IRS isn't as swamped.

I went through this exact situation last year! The TAC verification route is definitely your best bet - I was terrified to mail my wife's original passport too. One thing I learned that might help: when you call for the TAC appointment, ask specifically about their ITIN verification hours. Some locations only do ITIN services on certain days or during specific time slots, so you want to make sure you're booking during those times. Also, bring copies of everything in addition to the originals. The agent will verify the originals but keep copies for their records. And definitely bring that rejection letter you received - it helps the agent understand exactly what went wrong the first time. The 11-week timeline is frustrating, but once you get that stamped W7 from the TAC, you're in much better shape. Just make sure your tax return is completely filled out and accurate before you go to the appointment, because they'll review both documents together.

Lots of great advice here but I wanted to add that you should also check if your state has income tax too! I messed up my first year in college by only worrying about federal taxes and completely forgot about state taxes. Ended up owing a few hundred dollars to my state that I hadn't budgeted for.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I'd recommend keeping detailed records of your income from each job throughout the year. Since your hours are so inconsistent, it'll help you track whether you're on pace to earn more or less than you initially estimated when you set up your W-4s. I use a simple spreadsheet to track my weekly earnings from each job, and I review it monthly to see if I need to adjust my withholding. If you find you're earning significantly more than expected from one job, you might want to increase your additional withholding on that W-4 to avoid a surprise tax bill. Also, don't forget to save all your pay stubs and any receipts for work-related expenses (like uniforms, transportation between jobs, etc.) - some of these might be deductible depending on your situation. The key is staying organized throughout the year rather than scrambling to figure everything out at tax time.

Has anyone dealt with the "testing period" for the last-month rule with HSAs? I'm in a similar situation and thinking about using that rule, but I'm worried about what happens if I can't maintain HDHP coverage for the full testing period next year.

Congratulations on your marriage! Your timing is actually pretty good for HSA planning since you're changing jobs early in the year. Here's what I learned from my own similar situation: First, you absolutely don't need to roll over your existing HSA - it's your money forever. I kept mine with the old provider since they had better investment options and lower fees than my new employer's HSA. For contribution limits with marriage, it depends on your coverage types. If you both keep individual/self-only HDHP coverage through your respective employers, you can each contribute the full individual limit ($3,850 for 2025). However, if either of you has family coverage, you're limited to one family contribution total ($7,750 for 2025) that you split between your accounts. Since you're changing jobs, track your coverage months carefully. You can only contribute based on months you actually have qualifying HDHP coverage. So if you start your new job in May, you'd prorate your contributions accordingly. One tip: coordinate with your spouse on contribution timing if you're both maxing out. We set up automatic contributions but made sure to monitor them monthly to avoid any accidental over-contributions, especially since employer contributions count toward your limits too. The IRS Publication 969 has all the detailed rules if you want to dive deeper into the specifics!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such helpful experiences! I'm currently facing a similar dilemma with a cashier's check my bank made out to "U.S. Treasury" instead of "United States Treasury" for my tax payment. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring, especially hearing from the tax preparer and people who've actually gone through this exact situation with successful outcomes. The consistent message seems to be that the IRS processing systems are designed to handle these common payee name variations as long as the 1040-V voucher is properly completed. I was initially panicking about whether to try to get a replacement check, but given that the deadline is so close and multiple people have confirmed their payments went through without issues, I think I'm going to send mine as-is. The advice about prioritizing meeting the deadline over having a "perfect" payee name makes a lot of sense - late payment penalties would be much worse than any potential processing hiccup. This community has been such a lifesaver for getting real-world guidance on these stressful tax situations. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my voice to the reassuring chorus here! I just went through this exact situation last month with my quarterly estimated tax payment. My bank teller made out the cashier's check to "IRS" instead of "United States Treasury" and I was absolutely panicking about it. After reading similar advice in tax forums (though not as comprehensive as what's been shared here), I decided to send the payment as-is since I was cutting it close to the deadline. I made sure my 1040ES voucher was filled out perfectly with all my information. The payment was processed without any issues! I was able to check my IRS account online about 10 days later and the payment had been properly applied to my estimated tax account. It's such a relief to know that their systems really are set up to handle these common clerical variations. For anyone else in this situation - based on my experience and all the great advice shared here, I'd definitely recommend sending the payment as long as your voucher is correct rather than risking late penalties. The IRS seems much more flexible with these minor payee name issues than their official guidance might suggest!