I'm so sorry you're dealing with this during health issues! Just to clarify one thing - the "as of" date on your transcript doesn't necessarily mean that's when it was last updated. It's actually a forward-looking date that the IRS system uses for processing purposes. So seeing April 17th with zeros doesn't mean nothing has happened since then - it's just how their system displays information during processing. I was absolutely devastated when I was in your position last year, but my refund did eventually come through after about 6 weeks post-verification. Hang in there! 💕

I completely understand your frustration with the all-zeros transcript situation! I went through ID.me verification about 8 months ago and had the exact same experience. The zeros showing on your transcript is actually a good sign - it means your return was received and is being held for identity verification, which you've now completed successfully. From my experience, the transcript won't show any movement until the verification fully processes through their system, then everything updates at once. The 1.5-2 week timeframe the IRS gave you is pretty standard, though it can sometimes take a bit longer depending on their current workload. One thing that helped me during the wait was knowing that once the transcript does update, the refund usually follows within a few days if you have direct deposit set up. I know it's especially stressful when you're dealing with medical expenses, but try to hang in there - the system just moves slowly but it does work eventually. Keep checking that transcript every few days and you should see movement soon! 🤞

Quick question for anyone who knows - does the vehicle have to be new to qualify for deductions, or can it be used? Looking at a 3-year old SUV that would be perfect for my client visits.

As someone who works in tax preparation, I want to emphasize the importance of keeping meticulous records during your 1099 contractor period. Since you're receiving mileage reimbursements that exceed the IRS standard rate, you'll need to report the excess as taxable income. Here's what I'd recommend: Start tracking ALL your vehicle expenses immediately - gas, maintenance, insurance, registration fees, etc. Also keep a detailed mileage log separating business vs personal use. This gives you the data to calculate both methods (standard mileage vs actual expenses) and choose whichever saves you more money. One thing people often miss: when you transition to W-2 employee status mid-year, your tax situation changes completely. Employee business expenses are generally no longer deductible, so make sure you're maximizing deductions during your contractor months. Given the complexity of your situation with the mid-year status change and above-standard reimbursement rates, I'd strongly suggest consulting with a tax professional before making any major vehicle purchase decisions. The wrong choice could cost you thousands in missed deductions or unexpected tax liability.

Based on what you're describing, I'd suggest a different approach than constantly checking WMR and transcripts. In my experience with similar situations over the past few tax seasons, the most productive thing to do is to set up Direct Deposit alerts with your bank. Last year, I had a client whose WMR never updated beyond "processing" and whose transcript remained blank except for address updates - yet their refund deposited without warning. The IRS systems don't always communicate effectively with each other or with the public-facing tools. I'd also recommend checking your state tax refund status if applicable - sometimes state refunds will process even while federal returns are still pending, which can provide some financial relief while waiting. The address update and "as of" date change are positive indicators that your return is in the system and being processed, not rejected or lost.

I'm going through almost the exact same thing! Filed about 3 weeks ago, had to verify my identity online (couldn't get an in-person appointment), and my transcript is showing the same pattern - address updated, "as of" date changed from 2/24 to 3/10, but completely blank otherwise. What's really frustrating is that my WMR has been stuck on "Your return is being processed" this entire time with no changes whatsoever. I keep refreshing it like it's going to magically update, but nothing. The one thing that's giving me some hope after reading through all these responses is that the address update seems to be a good sign that our returns are actually in the system and moving through the process, even if we can't see the progress. Has anyone noticed if there's a typical timeframe between when the "as of" date changes and when you start seeing actual codes populate on your transcript? I'm trying to manage my expectations here since I also budgeted around getting this refund soon. Thanks for posting this - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this limbo situation!

Has anyone used TurboTax to input the PMI for a rental? I'm trying to figure out where exactly to put this and whether TurboTax automatically puts it on the right line of Schedule E or if I need to manually override something?

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with the same situation - converted my primary residence to a rental last year and have been paying PMI the whole time. It's reassuring to see multiple confirmations that this is definitely deductible on Schedule E, line 9. One thing I'd add for anyone in a similar boat: make sure you check if your loan servicer is automatically including the PMI in your 1098 mortgage interest statement. Mine was lumping it all together, which made it confusing when trying to separate the actual mortgage interest from the PMI for tax purposes. I had to call them to get a breakdown so I could properly allocate each expense to the correct line on Schedule E. Also, if you're like me and missed claiming this deduction in previous years, it's definitely worth looking into filing amended returns. The three-year statute of limitations means you can still claim refunds for 2021, 2022, and 2023 if you didn't properly deduct your rental PMI.

I just searched through 3 different tax textbooks and NONE of them had a simple name for this stupid tax thing. How are regular people supposed to understand the tax code when even the "simplified" explanations are so complicated? And why does rental property depreciation get a special 25% rate anyway? Regular income can be taxed much higher, and normal capital gains much lower. The whole system seems designed to be confusing on purpose.

As someone who just went through this exact same confusion last year, I feel your pain! I ended up calling it "the rental property tax penalty" when explaining it to my family, which isn't technically accurate but gets the point across. What really helped me understand it was thinking of it this way: every year you owned that rental, you got to deduct depreciation from your taxes (whether you actually claimed it or not). That saved you money on your tax bill each year. Now when you sell at a profit, the IRS is basically saying "hey, remember all that money we let you save on taxes? We want a piece of that back." The 25% rate is actually better than if they taxed it as regular income (which could be much higher), but worse than regular capital gains rates. It's like a middle-ground compromise. For explaining to your spouse, I found it easiest to say: "It's a special tax on the depreciation benefits we got while owning the rental." Much simpler than the full legal terminology!