these cycle codes are so confusing tbh. wish the irs would make this easier for regular ppl to understand

I'm on cycle 20250701 too! Just checked this morning and still nothing new. Good to know about the Thursday/Friday updates though - I've been checking randomly throughout the week like an idiot 😅 Hopefully we both see some movement this Friday!

As someone who just went through this exact situation, I can definitely relate! Got married last year and moved right before tax season - it's stressful not knowing if your refund will find you. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the most important thing is calling the IRS to verify your address ASAP rather than assuming USPS mail forwarding will handle it. I made that call and discovered they still had my old address even though I'd updated everything else. The representative was able to fix it immediately, and my check arrived 7 days later. Also, definitely sign up for USPS Informed Delivery - the Treasury envelope really does look like regular mail, so it's easy to miss. Don't wait the full 2 weeks if you're concerned about the address change; being proactive saved me potentially months of waiting for a returned check to be reprocessed. The phone wait can be brutal, but it's worth the peace of mind knowing your refund is heading to the right place!

Welcome to the community! I went through this exact same situation earlier this year - got married, moved, and was super anxious about my first paper refund check. Based on my experience and what I've learned here, the most critical thing is calling the IRS immediately to verify your address rather than assuming they got it from USPS forwarding. I waited too long initially and almost had my check sent to my old place! The IRS maintains completely separate records, so even with mail forwarding set up, they might still have your pre-marriage address and name on file. When I finally called, the rep updated everything over the phone in about 10 minutes (after a brutal hold time). My check arrived exactly 8 days after the corrected mailing date. Also highly recommend signing up for USPS Informed Delivery - Treasury checks come in surprisingly plain white envelopes that look like regular mail. Don't stress too much about the timeline once your address is confirmed; most people here report 5-10 days delivery. The key is being proactive about that address verification call!

I'm seeing the exact same thing! Filed on January 29th (literally the first day they started accepting returns) and my 2024 shows that same "INFO" status while my previous years show $0.00. I was getting worried too because I've never seen this before - usually it just shows a balance or refund amount pretty quickly. But reading through everyone's comments here, it sounds like this is just how their system works now for the initial processing phase. It's actually kind of relieving to know this is happening to basically everyone who filed early this year. The IRS must have changed something in their system display because I don't remember seeing this placeholder message in previous years. Guess we all just need to sit tight and wait for the real numbers to show up!

I'm experiencing the exact same thing! Filed on January 31st and my account shows that identical "INFO" status with the "Your Information Is Not Available at This Time" message for 2024. It's actually really comforting to read through all these comments and see that literally everyone who filed in the last few days is seeing this same thing. I was starting to worry that there was an issue with my return or that I had accidentally triggered some kind of review process. But it sounds like this is just their new way of displaying returns that are still in the initial processing queue. The fact that your 2022 and 2023 years show clean $0.00 balances is definitely a good sign - shows you're current with the IRS. I'm going to try to be patient and stop checking my account every few hours (easier said than done!). Thanks for posting this question because it really helped calm my nerves knowing we're all in the same boat waiting for our accounts to update!

Great discussion here! I'm an enrolled agent and wanted to add a few practical considerations based on what I've seen with similar cases. The employee vs. contractor distinction is crucial, but there's another angle worth exploring: if your employer is already paying you for 120 hours of this work, you might be able to negotiate having them purchase the iPad as a business tool that stays with the company after the project. Many employers are more willing to buy equipment than deal with the administrative headaches of reclassifying workers. If you do go the 1099 route, document everything meticulously. The IRS has been increasingly scrutinizing worker classification, especially when someone is both an employee AND contractor for the same company. Make sure the mural work truly operates independently from your regular job duties - different work location, your own schedule, using your own tools, etc. One more tip: even if you end up keeping it as W-2 work, if you have ANY other freelance art income (even small commissions), you could potentially allocate a portion of the iPad cost to that Schedule C business activity. Just make sure the allocation is reasonable and well-documented.

As someone who's navigated similar equipment purchases for creative work, I'd strongly recommend starting with the simplest approach first - asking your employer to purchase the iPad directly or reimburse you for it. Many companies have policies for project-specific tools, especially when the equipment will genuinely help you deliver better results on their commissioned work. If they're not willing to purchase it outright, you could propose that they buy it and you "buy it back" from them at a reduced rate after the project (since it will have depreciated). This keeps everything clean from a tax perspective while still getting you the tools you need. The 1099 route is definitely possible, but as others have mentioned, worker misclassification is a real concern when you're already their W-2 employee. The IRS has specific criteria they look at, and doing creative work on their premises using their facilities could complicate the independent contractor argument. One hybrid approach to consider: if you do any other freelance art or design work (even occasionally), you could purchase the iPad for that broader business activity and then use it for the mural project as well. This gives you a legitimate business purpose for the purchase without needing to reclassify your employment status for this specific project.

This is exactly the situation I went through 2 years ago! We started as an LLC with 3 co-founders and converted to a Delaware C-Corp when we were ready for our seed round. A few things I learned that might help: 1. The LLC structure was perfect for our first 18 months - we could deduct startup losses on our personal returns and had maximum flexibility with profit/loss allocations between founders. 2. When we converted, we used what's called a "statutory conversion" rather than having the C-Corp acquire the LLC. This was cleaner from a tax perspective and avoided some of the complications others mentioned. 3. One unexpected benefit of starting as LLC first: it forced us to really think through our partnership dynamics and operating agreements early on. When we converted to C-Corp, we had a much clearer sense of roles, equity splits, and governance than friends who started directly as corporations. 4. Timing-wise, we started the conversion process about 4 months before we wanted to close our seed round. This gave us plenty of time to get everything sorted without feeling rushed. The key is having good legal and tax counsel when you're ready to make the switch. Don't try to DIY the conversion - there are too many ways it can go wrong and create expensive problems later.

I've been through this exact transition and can confirm it's a solid strategy when done right. We started as an LLC for the tax benefits and simplicity, then converted to a Delaware C-Corp about 6 months before our Series A. A few additional considerations that haven't been mentioned yet: 1. **State considerations matter** - If you're planning to operate in multiple states, starting as an LLC can actually be more complex than a C-Corp due to varying state LLC laws. Delaware C-Corps have much more standardized treatment across states. 2. **Employee equity complications** - If you plan to hire employees early and offer equity compensation, LLCs make this much more complex. LLC membership interests don't qualify for things like ISOs (Incentive Stock Options), so you'll likely end up using profit interests or other structures that are harder for employees to understand. 3. **Banking and vendor relationships** - Some banks and enterprise customers prefer working with corporations over LLCs for perceived stability and standardization. That said, the tax pass-through benefits in early loss years can be substantial. We saved about $15k in the first year alone by being able to deduct startup losses on our personal returns. My advice: if you're bootstrapping and expect to be unprofitable for 12+ months, start as LLC. If you're planning to raise money within the first year or hire employees immediately, consider starting as a C-Corp to avoid the conversion complexity later.