Does your parenting plan specifically state who claims which child each year? Or does it just say you "split" them? This could make a difference.

I understand your frustration completely. The disconnect between family court orders and actual IRS rules creates these impossible situations for parents. Based on what you've described, you likely had your son for significantly more than 183 nights this year (the IRS threshold for custodial parent status), especially with that 4-month absence. Under IRS rules, the custodial parent has the primary right to claim the child as a dependent. However, you're caught between two systems: the IRS rules that would likely support your claim, and a court order that could hold you in contempt if violated. My suggestion would be to document everything - every night each child stayed with you versus your ex, all expenses you covered during the absence period, any communication about the missed parenting time. Then consider going back to court specifically requesting a one-year modification to the tax arrangement based on the actual custody time this year, not a permanent change to the parenting plan. You might also want to speak directly with an IRS agent about your specific situation. They can clarify whether your actual custody time this year would qualify you as the custodial parent under their rules, which could strengthen your position if you need to return to family court.

Called IRS today - 2 hour wait just to be told to wait longer lmaooo 🤡

Same here! Filed with H&R Block on Jan 30th with EIC and still stuck on "processing" - it's so frustrating when you're counting on that money. At least now I know about the Feb 15th hold requirement, that makes me feel a bit better about the delay. Hope we all get our refunds soon! 🤞

Don't forget about the tax implications! If that final RMD went into her account after death, someone still has to pay taxes on it. If it goes to the estate, the estate will pay the taxes. If it goes back to the IRA and then to you as beneficiaries, you would report that distribution on your tax returns. Either way, the custodian will issue a 1099-R for that distribution. Make sure it's issued correctly depending on how you resolve this - to either the estate's tax ID or to you and your brother's SSNs if you're able to have the distribution redirected.

I went through something very similar with my father's IRA last year. One thing that really helped was getting everything documented in writing from the IRA custodian before making any decisions. When I called them, I specifically asked for written confirmation of: (1) the exact date the RMD was processed, (2) whether my dad had already satisfied his annual RMD requirement before his death, and (3) what their standard procedure is for handling distributions that occur after the account holder's death. Having that documentation was crucial when working with the estate attorney and the bank. The custodian actually admitted they shouldn't have processed the RMD after the death date and helped us reverse it back to the IRA so it could be properly distributed to the named beneficiaries. Also, don't wait too long on this - there are time limits for correcting these kinds of errors. Most custodians are pretty helpful once they understand the situation, but you need to act quickly while the paperwork trail is still fresh.

Just want to say as someone who's been self-employed for years, taking the job while pregnant isn't a bad idea at all. The paperwork isn't that complex for small amounts and you can literally do it whenever you have time. The tax software questios are basically: did you make money from self employment? how much? did you have expenses? list them. That's it. And the money could be great for baby stuff! Take the job if you want it, the tax part is not a reason to turn it down.

Congratulations on the baby coming soon! I totally understand your hesitation about complicating taxes during such a busy time, but honestly, for $3,300 in freelance income, it's really not as overwhelming as it seems. The self-employment tax will be around $465 (15.3% on about 92% of your earnings), but you can deduct legitimate business expenses to lower that. Things like a portion of your internet bill, any software or supplies you bought for the work, even part of your phone bill if you use it for business calls. With married filing jointly (definitely stick with that), you'll just add a Schedule C to your regular tax return. Most tax prep software walks you through it step by step with simple questions. The whole process might add 30-45 minutes to your normal tax filing. That extra income could really help with baby expenses, and since you're due in 6 weeks, you could potentially finish the project before the baby arrives or work on it flexibly afterward. Don't let tax concerns stop you from taking an opportunity that could benefit your growing family!

the whole system is broken fr fr. took me 6 tries last year to get it right smh

make sure ur using the ORIGINAL 1095-A they sent. sometimes they send corrected ones and ppl dont notice