Has anyone actually had their return rejected specifically because of a printed scanned signature? I'm curious because I've done the print-sign-scan approach for 3 years now (living in Australia) and never had an issue. The IRS cashed my check and processed my return just fine each time.

I can confirm from personal experience that the scanned signature approach works perfectly fine. I've been filing from the UK for the past 4 years using exactly the method you described - sign the forms here, scan them, email to family in the US who print and mail them in. Never had a single issue with acceptance or processing. The IRS has been quite accommodating about this, especially as more Americans live abroad. Just make sure your signature is dark and clear when you scan it, and that it's positioned exactly on the signature line. One small tip: I always include a brief cover letter explaining that I'm filing from overseas, which seems to help the processing go smoothly. Also double-check that your parents include all pages in the correct order when they mail it - that's usually where mistakes happen, not with the signature itself.

I just went through this EXACT situation last month and I was SO STRESSED waiting! 😫 My appointment was March 4th, transcript updated March 10th showing verification complete, and my refund hit my account March 18th. So exactly 2 weeks from appointment to money. The waiting was torture but the appointment itself was quick and easy. Just make sure you bring EVERYTHING they ask for - I saw someone get turned away because they didn't have their social security card. Good luck!!! 🍀

Hey Liam! I went through identity verification just two months ago and I totally understand the anxiety of waiting! 😅 My timeline was pretty typical - had my appointment on a Tuesday, transcript updated the following Monday showing verification complete, and got my direct deposit exactly 12 days later. One tip that really helped me stay sane during the wait: set up text alerts with your bank so you know the moment your refund hits. I was checking my account obsessively until I did that! Also, resist the urge to call the IRS during those first two weeks - they'll just tell you to wait since verification processing takes time. The appointment itself was super straightforward. They just verified my documents and that was it - took maybe 20 minutes total. You're so close to getting this resolved! 🎉

Word of warning. My transcript was stuck on 'as of Feb 18' for weeks. Called IRS. Return flagged for verification. Additional 8 week delay. Sometimes no movement means problems. Not always. But possible.

Thanks for starting this thread! I'm dealing with the same confusion. Filed 2/25, accepted 3/8, and my transcript has been stuck on "as of March 15" for over two weeks now. The explanations here about the 'as of' date being an internal account marker rather than a processing timeline are really helpful - I had no idea! For what it's worth, I called the IRS yesterday (after a 90-minute hold) and the agent confirmed my return is in normal processing with no flags or issues. She said the 'as of' date on my transcript means absolutely nothing about when I'll get my refund. Apparently they're just working through a backlog and weekly cycle filers like us should expect 4-6 weeks total processing time this year. The waiting is definitely stressful, but it sounds like most of us are in the same boat with normal delays rather than actual problems.

Has anyone used a 1031 exchange for land? I know it doesn't work for primary residences but maybe OP could buy another investment property instead and defer the taxes that way?

I went through something very similar last year when I sold inherited land to buy my first home. Unfortunately, as others have mentioned, there's no rollover provision for land sales into primary residence purchases - they're treated as completely separate transactions. One thing that really helped me was making sure I captured every possible expense that could be added to my basis. Beyond the obvious purchase price, I was able to include title insurance, legal fees from the original purchase, survey costs, and even some environmental testing I had done. I also found receipts for property tax payments during the holding period that I thought were lost. The key is documenting everything thoroughly. I ended up reducing my taxable gain by about $2,800 just by being more careful about what qualified as part of my cost basis. Even though you can't avoid the capital gains entirely, maximizing your basis can definitely minimize the tax hit. Good luck with both the sale and your new home purchase!

This is such a frustrating situation, but unfortunately very common. I went through something similar a few years ago and learned the hard way that the ACA subsidy system is basically designed to catch people in exactly this scenario. One thing I don't see mentioned yet - if you're still within the statute of limitations (generally 3 years), you might want to double-check that the IRS calculated your repayment correctly. I've seen cases where they made errors in determining the final income or didn't properly account for household size changes. Also, since you moved states mid-year, make sure you're using the correct Federal Poverty Level guidelines. Some people get tripped up because the FPL can vary slightly by state/region, and if you moved from a lower-cost area to a higher-cost area, that might affect the calculation. The suggestions about maxing out an IRA contribution for 2023 are excellent - that $6,500 could potentially make all the difference in whether you hit that 400% threshold. Even if you've already paid, an amended return could get you a significant refund if it brings you under the cap where repayment limits kick in. Don't beat yourself up about not knowing this could happen - the ACA reconciliation process is poorly explained and catches thousands of people off guard every year.

I've been following this thread closely as someone who works with ACA compliance issues, and there are several excellent suggestions here that could really help your situation. The IRA contribution strategy mentioned by several people is absolutely your best bet right now. Since you can still contribute $6,500 for 2023 until April 15th, 2024, this could potentially drop your MAGI enough to get you under that 400% FPL threshold where repayment caps kick in. Even if you've already paid the $2,700, you can file Form 1040X (amended return) to get money back. Regarding the state move from Georgia to Colorado - while this won't directly reduce your repayment obligation, it's worth documenting because it demonstrates that your original income estimate was made in good faith based on your circumstances at the time. This could be relevant if you end up needing to work with the IRS on any hardship considerations. A few practical next steps: 1) Calculate exactly what your MAGI would be with a maximum IRA contribution, 2) Compare that to the 400% FPL for your household size, 3) If it gets you under the threshold, make the contribution and file an amended return. The tools mentioned earlier in this thread (like taxr.ai) might help you run these calculations precisely. The system is definitely frustrating, but there are still options available to you even after you've already paid. Don't give up yet!