This is 100% a tax scam called "refund fraud" and it's actually really common. The preparer is likely falsifying your coworkers' income or creating fake business expenses. Those ridiculously high refunds are a massive red flag. I worked in a tax office where someone was doing this. The preparer was fired when the company found out, but dozens of clients got audited. The worst part is the preparer had moved on and disappeared while the clients were left dealing with the IRS. They all had to repay the fraudulent refunds plus interest and penalties. The IRS is actually pretty good at catching these schemes. They have systems that flag returns with unusually high refunds compared to income levels. Your coworkers should immediately get a copy of their returns and review what was claimed. If they find false information, they should file amended returns ASAP before the IRS comes to them.

Tell your friends to RUN from this tax preparer immediately! I see several specific red flags that indicate what kind of scam this likely is: 1. If your coworkers don't own businesses but are getting huge refunds, the preparer is probably creating fake Schedule C businesses with losses to offset their W-2 income 2. The "meet at Starbucks" thing is classic for fly-by-night preparers who don't want a traceable location 3. The rush to "get refunds before IRS changes rules" is nonsense designed to pressure people I've seen cases where preparers like this file the return electronically, showing the client one version but actually submitting a different version to the IRS with all kinds of fake deductions. By the time the IRS catches up (and they will), the preparer is long gone.

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! Got a notice saying I owe $1,247 plus interest on my 2290 truck tax, but I have the canceled check from when I paid it back in February. The most frustrating part is they definitely processed it - I can see it cleared my business account. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like this is happening to a lot of people with Form 2290. I'm going to try the Business & Specialty Tax Line number that Dylan mentioned (866-699-4096) first thing Monday morning. Has anyone had success with just mailing in copies of the payment proof along with a letter explaining the situation? I'm worried about calling and getting stuck on hold for hours, but I also don't want the interest to keep building up while I wait for them to process mailed documentation. This whole situation is so stressful when you know you paid what you owe but they're treating you like a tax evader!

I've been dealing with IRS payment issues for years through my tax preparation business, and Form 2290 truck tax problems are unfortunately very common right now. The IRS has acknowledged there are systemic issues with how these payments get processed and applied to accounts. Here's my recommended approach based on what's worked for my clients: First, don't panic about the interest - if you can prove you paid on time, they'll reverse those charges once the error is corrected. Second, when you call that Business & Specialty Tax Line (866-699-4096), have your EIN, the exact payment date, amount, and check number (or confirmation number for electronic payments) ready before you dial. If you can't get through by phone, send a certified letter with copies of your payment proof to the address on the notice. Include the phrase "Request for Payment Trace" in your subject line - this helps route it to the right department faster. Most importantly, keep calling or following up every 2 weeks until it's resolved. These cases can take 30-45 days to fully process, but staying on top of it prevents it from falling through the cracks. The good news is once they locate your payment in their system, the correction usually happens quickly and they'll send you a letter confirming the account is settled.

I've been using the Walmart Money Card for my tax refunds for the past two years, and I've noticed the timing can be pretty inconsistent. This year my refund hit exactly 48 hours after WMR showed "sent," but last year it took almost a week. One thing that helped me track it better was setting up account alerts through the Walmart Money Card app - not just for deposits, but also for "pending transactions" since sometimes the refund shows up there first before it's actually available to spend. Also, if you're really worried about the timing with your medical bills, you might want to call the billing department and explain the situation. Many medical providers are willing to work with patients on payment timing, especially when you can show proof that a refund is coming. I had to do this with my dentist last year and they were surprisingly understanding about giving me an extra week to pay once I showed them my WMR status.

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! Filed on March 3rd, got approved status on March 8th, and still waiting for it to hit my Walmart Money Card. What's been driving me crazy is that I can see on the IRS transcript that it shows a deposit date of March 14th, but that was Friday and still nothing. I called Green Dot customer service this morning and they said sometimes weekend deposits don't process until the following Tuesday due to ACH processing schedules. The rep also mentioned that if your refund amount is over $2,500, they sometimes put a 24-48 hour verification hold on it even after it's received from the IRS. Have you tried checking your card balance at weird hours? I've been checking mine at like 6am and 11pm because I read somewhere that government deposits can post outside normal business hours. Fingers crossed we both see our money soon - medical bills definitely don't wait for anyone!

Just wanted to add some perspective as someone who's been through an IRS audit related to charitable deductions. The auditor wasn't trying to catch me in some elaborate scheme - they just wanted to see that I had reasonable documentation for my claimed values. What saved me was having photos of the items I donated along with a simple spreadsheet listing each item, its condition, and the value I assigned based on the Salvation Army guide. The auditor spent maybe 10 minutes reviewing it and moved on. The key thing I learned is that the IRS isn't looking for perfection in your valuations - they're looking for evidence that you made a good faith effort to be reasonable. A $20 shirt valued at $25 isn't going to raise eyebrows, but a $20 shirt valued at $200 definitely will. For your dresser specifically, I'd suggest looking up similar pieces on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to get a sense of what used furniture in similar condition is actually selling for. That gives you a solid basis for your valuation if anyone ever asks.

As a tax professional, I want to emphasize that the system actually works pretty well despite seeming vulnerable to abuse. The IRS uses data analytics to flag returns with unusually high charitable deductions relative to income, and they have access to aggregate donation data from major organizations. What most people don't realize is that inflating donation values is considered tax fraud, which can result in penalties of 20-75% of the underpaid tax, plus interest and potential criminal charges. The risk-reward ratio just doesn't make sense for most people. For your situation, I'd recommend documenting everything now even though you already donated. Write down what you remember donating, research fair market values using the Salvation Army guide or similar resources, and keep that documentation with your tax records. For the dresser, check sold listings on eBay or Facebook Marketplace for similar items to establish a reasonable value. The key is being able to show you made a good faith effort to determine fair market value. Perfect accuracy isn't expected, but gross overvaluation will definitely get you in trouble if caught.

I can definitely relate to this stress! I had a similar situation last year where my quarterly payment got misapplied between tax years. The good news is that when "Where's My Refund" shows your expected refund amount (calculated refund minus your $2,400 payment), it means the IRS computer systems have already recognized and corrected the error automatically. You definitely don't need to file an amended return - that would actually create unnecessary complications since the IRS has already processed everything correctly on their end. The system is pretty smart about catching these timing issues, especially with payments made close to filing deadlines. Since you're planning to make 2025 estimated payments anyway, treating that $2,400 as your first quarterly payment for 2025 is the perfect solution. Just continue with your normal estimated payment schedule for the rest of the year. For peace of mind, you could pull your tax account transcript from the IRS website in a few weeks to see how everything was applied, but based on what you're describing with the refund amount, you should be all set. This happens more often than you'd think, and the IRS systems handle it routinely.

I just went through this exact same situation last month! My January estimated payment got applied to 2025 instead of 2024, and I was panicking thinking I'd have to amend my return. But just like everyone here is saying, the IRS automatically corrected it - my refund processed with the correct amount that included my estimated payment. The key indicator is definitely your "Where's My Refund" showing the right amount. When mine showed my calculated refund minus the estimated payment I made, I knew the IRS had already fixed the error on their end. No amended return needed! One thing I learned from this experience is to always save screenshots of your payment confirmations when you make estimated payments online. I had mine saved, which helped me verify that I had indeed scheduled it for the right year initially. The error was definitely on the IRS processing side, not something I did wrong. Also, if you want extra peace of mind, you can check your account transcript on the IRS website in a few weeks to see exactly how all your payments were applied. It really helps to see everything laid out clearly. But honestly, if your refund is processing with the expected amount, you're all set!