Something nobody has mentioned yet - check if your divorce decree has any specific language about tax benefits! Mine says we alternate years for claiming our child as a dependent, but it's completely silent on filing status. My lawyer confirmed that HOH status is determined by IRS rules regardless of what our agreement says about the dependent exemption. Even in years when my ex gets to claim our son as a dependent, I can still file HOH if he lived with me more than half the time. These are separate issues! Just make sure you're not violating your court order while also following IRS rules.

I went through this exact situation two years ago and here's what I learned: the IRS absolutely goes by actual physical custody, not what's written in your divorce decree. Since your daughter lived with you 7-8 months (65% of overnights), you clearly meet the "more than half the year" test for Head of Household. The key thing is documentation. I kept a simple calendar marking every night my son stayed with me, plus I saved all the texts from my ex asking me to take extra days when she traveled. School pickup/dropoff records were also helpful since they showed which parent was handling daily responsibilities. Don't stress about TurboTax putting you as HOH - the software is just following IRS rules based on the facts you entered. The important thing is that you can back up those facts if questioned. Keep records of who paid for what (sounds like you're covering most expenses anyway) and document those extra overnights when your ex travels. One tip: if you're worried about conflicting returns with your ex, consider having a conversation about it now rather than dealing with potential IRS letters later. Sometimes parents don't realize that custody agreements and tax filing status are separate issues.

I had the exact same experience when I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA two years ago! It's definitely frustrating not having the automatic carryover for that first year, but you're absolutely right that the cost savings make it worthwhile. One thing that helped me was keeping my TurboTax account active (but not paying for filing) just so I could reference my previous year's return when needed. You can still view your old returns there even if you don't file new ones. The manual entry process gets much faster once you're familiar with FreeTaxUSA's interface. I actually prefer their straightforward approach now compared to TurboTax's constant upselling and flashy distractions. And like others mentioned, next year you'll have the automatic data carryover working properly since you'll be filing through FreeTaxUSA this time. Stick with it - the learning curve is worth it for the money you'll save!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA and was confused about why my 2023 test data wasn't showing up in the comparison sections. Reading through these responses, it makes total sense that FreeTaxUSA only carries forward data from returns that were actually filed through their system. It's actually pretty logical when you think about it - they can't assume test data is accurate or complete. I'm planning to take the spreadsheet approach that Anastasia suggested to track my own year-over-year changes this time around. And definitely going to make sure I actually file through FreeTaxUSA this year so I'll have the automatic carryover working for 2025 taxes. The cost savings alone make this minor inconvenience totally worth it. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - really helpful to know I'm not the only one who went through this transition confusion!

I'm also an H-1B holder and went through this exact same status progression earlier this year! The change from Topic 152 to "being processed" is definitely a positive sign - it means your return has moved out of the initial queue and into active processing. From my experience and what I've learned from other international filers, the IRS does run additional verification checks on our returns due to visa status and potential treaty benefits, which is why we often see Topic 152 longer than domestic filers. But once you hit "being processed," you're typically in the home stretch. In my case, I went from "being processed" to having my refund deposited in exactly 8 days. The terminology difference is real - I've seen friends get stuck on "still being processed" for weeks when there were issues, but "being processed" indicates normal workflow. Since you're in your second year filing, the IRS also has your previous year's return to compare against, which can actually speed up some of the verification steps. Keep checking your bank account - you should see movement soon!

As someone who's been tracking WMR status changes obsessively this year, I can confirm that "being processed" vs "still being processed" is a real distinction that matters! I noticed the same terminology difference and did some digging - "being processed" typically appears when your return is actively moving through their workflow, while "still being processed" seems to pop up when there's some kind of hold or additional review needed. The fact that you went from Topic 152 directly to "being processed" (not "still being processed") is actually a really good sign. I've been following several H-1B filers' experiences this season, and most who see this progression get their refunds within 7-12 days. The IRS does seem to run extra automated checks on visa holders' returns, especially for things like treaty benefits or foreign tax situations, but once you clear those hurdles and hit "being processed," you're typically in the final stretch. Keep checking your account - based on the timeline patterns I've observed, you should see movement very soon!

Wow, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my tax software is showing I owe way more than expected. Based on everyone's suggestions here, I'm going to: 1. Double-check all my W-2 entries for typos (especially withholding amounts) 2. Verify my filing status and dependent claims 3. Compare my actual W-2 withholdings to what I thought was being withheld all year It sounds like data entry errors and employer withholding mistakes are way more common than I realized. Emily, I really hope you get this sorted out - definitely check those paystubs against your W-2s like Ethan suggested. That could be the smoking gun! Has anyone else had success stories with getting these kinds of issues resolved? This is giving me hope that my $8k tax bill might not be real either.

This is such a stressful situation, but I'm glad you're getting some good advice here! One additional thing to check - make sure you didn't accidentally enter your gross income instead of your adjusted gross income somewhere, or vice versa. I once made that mistake and it inflated my tax liability by thousands. Also, if you're still stuck after checking all the data entry issues everyone mentioned, you might want to try a completely different tax software as a third opinion. Sometimes there can be bugs or calculation errors in the software itself, though it's rare for both TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA to have the same bug. The withholding discrepancy that Ethan pointed out sounds like it could be your smoking gun though. Definitely pursue that with your wife's HR department - if they were supposed to be withholding an extra $500/paycheck but weren't actually doing it, that would explain almost everything. Keep us posted on what you find!

The IRS, TurboTax, and SBTPG are all playing hot potato with our money while collecting interest. I waited 7 business days after "funded" status before my deposit came through. The system is designed to be confusing and slow.

I'm in the EXACT same situation! Filed early February, got the TurboTax "refund on the way" email March 6th, DDD of 3/15 on my transcript, and SBTPG has been showing "funded" since March 9th. Still nothing in my account as of today (3/17) and my bank says no pending deposits. This is so frustrating - I need that money! Has anyone else with a 3/15 DDD actually received their deposit yet? Starting to wonder if something went wrong or if this is just the normal SBTPG delay everyone's talking about.