Something similar happened to me last year. What worked was going to my local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. You need to schedule an appointment first (can't just walk in) but they were able to track exactly where my refund was and fixed the issue while I was there.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago! My refund was sent to a Wells Fargo account I had closed months earlier. Here's what I learned from that experience: The 3-5 week timeline that others mentioned is pretty accurate, but it can stretch longer during peak tax season. In my case, it took almost 7 weeks to receive the paper check. The frustrating part is that the "Where's My Refund" tool will keep showing "refund sent" status even after the bank has rejected the deposit. One thing that helped me was requesting my tax transcript online through the IRS website. It shows more detailed information about what's happening with your refund than the basic tracking tool. You might see codes that indicate when the bank returned the funds and when the IRS started processing the paper check. Also, double-check that the IRS has your current mailing address. If you've moved since your last return or if there are any discrepancies in how your address is formatted, that could cause additional delays. The paper check will be sent to whatever address they have on file from your return. Hang in there - it's stressful but the money will come! Just make sure to update your bank info on next year's return so this doesn't happen again.

Has anybody used TurboTax for multiple Schedule C forms? Their interface is confusing me when trying to allocate home expenses between different businesses.

Just wanted to add some clarity on the home office deduction allocation since I went through this exact situation last year. When you have multiple businesses operating from the same home space, the IRS expects you to use a reasonable method to allocate expenses. The most common approaches are: 1. Time-based allocation - if you spend 70% of your work hours on consulting and 30% on VA services, split your home office deduction accordingly 2. Revenue-based allocation - divide based on the income each business generates 3. Equal allocation - 50/50 split if both businesses use the space equally Document whichever method you choose with records like time logs, income statements, or usage schedules. The key is being consistent and reasonable - the IRS cares more about having a logical system than the specific method you use. Also, that $1,500 tax bill might be accurate unfortunately. Remember that as a self-employed person, you're paying both regular income tax AND self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare) on your net profit. Even small amounts of self-employment income can result in surprising tax bills due to the 15.3% self-employment tax rate.

One thing to consider - contributions made in installments over the year. I had a client who made 4 separate contributions to a foreign partnership, each around $30k, totaling $120k for the year. Does anyone know if these are aggregated for the $100k threshold? The regulations aren't super clear on timing.

Your interpretation is absolutely correct. Since your client contributed $475,000 to the foreign partnership, they definitely meet the Category 3 filing requirements under IRC Section 6038B(b)(1). The $100,000 threshold is clear - any US person who contributes property with a fair market value exceeding $100,000 to a foreign partnership must file Form 8865, regardless of their ownership percentage. The 10% ownership test and the $100,000 contribution test are alternative triggers, not cumulative requirements. Meeting either one requires filing. In this case, even though your client only has a 2.25% interest, the substantial contribution amount makes filing mandatory. Make sure to complete Schedule O (Transfer of Property to a Foreign Partnership) along with the main form. You'll need detailed information about the property transferred, its fair market value at the time of contribution, and any gain recognized on the transfer. Given the high-net-worth nature of your client, I'd also recommend documenting your analysis thoroughly in case of future IRS inquiries.

21 Has anyone here used Robinhood specifically for their Roth IRA? I'm trying to decide between them, Fidelity, and Vanguard. Are there any downsides to Robinhood for retirement accounts that I should know about?

Great question! I was in the exact same boat when I started my Roth IRA. The key thing to understand is that "post-tax" doesn't mean the brokerage takes taxes out - it means you're using money that's already been taxed. Think of it this way: when you get your paycheck, taxes are already withheld by your employer. So that $400 you deposited has already had income tax paid on it. That's why you see the full amount in your account ready to invest. The beauty of a Roth IRA is that since you've already paid taxes on this money, when you withdraw it in retirement (after age 59½ and the account has been open for 5+ years), you won't pay any taxes on the original contributions OR the growth. No action needed on your part for taxes right now - just invest that $400 and let it grow tax-free! The only thing to watch is not exceeding the annual contribution limits ($6,500 for 2023 if you're under 50).

I've seen this exact issue 4 times this tax season. Here's what worked for my clients: Step 1: Go to IRS.gov and request a Wage & Income Transcript for 2023 Step 2: Compare the AGI on that transcript with what you're entering Step 3: If they match and still get rejected, try entering $0 as the prior year AGI Step 4: If still rejected, file by mail with Form 8453-OL attached I'm concerned that both his total income and AGI are identical. This usually indicates no adjustments were taken (no student loan interest, no HSA contributions, etc). If he had marketplace insurance the previous year but didn't report it, the IRS might have flagged his account for review.

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! My client's return keeps getting rejected even though we're using the exact AGI from their 2023 return. What's frustrating is that the IRS error message is so vague - it just says "AGI doesn't match" without any hint about what might be wrong. One thing I learned from calling the Practitioner Priority Service (which took 3 hours of waiting) is that sometimes the IRS system doesn't update immediately when they make adjustments to prior year returns. The representative told me that if a return was adjusted after the initial processing, there can be a delay of several weeks before their e-file system reflects the correct AGI. Has your brother received any notices from the IRS about his 2023 return being adjusted? Even a small change like rounding or a calculation correction can throw off the AGI verification. I'd definitely recommend getting that transcript as others mentioned - it's the only way to see what the IRS actually has on file versus what Jackson Hewitt gave him.