lmaooo the IRS is such a joke. processing date means absolutely nothing except they touched ur file with their clown hands 🤡

The processing date basically just shows when the IRS system last "touched" your file - could be for review, corrections, or actually processing your refund. What you really want to look for is a 846 refund issued code on your transcript. That's when you know money is actually coming! The processing date changing is usually good though - means you're not completely forgotten in the system.

I'm dealing with a similar situation as a freelance consultant - had several business expenses in 2020 but very little income due to the pandemic. From what I've researched and discussed with other self-employed folks, you definitely can and should claim those legitimate business expenses even with zero income. The key things to remember: keep all your receipts and documentation organized, make sure the expenses were genuinely for business purposes (which yours clearly were - license, insurance, conference, supplies are all standard business costs), and don't let the software warnings scare you. A net loss from a business is completely normal and legal, especially during 2020. One tip that helped me - when entering everything in the tax software, I made notes in the description fields explaining the business purpose of each expense. It helps create a clear paper trail showing these were legitimate business costs, not personal expenses you're trying to write off.

This is actually a really straightforward situation that many self-employed people faced in 2020. You absolutely should report your business on Schedule C even without receiving any 1099s - the IRS doesn't require you to have received a 1099 to report business income (or in your case, $0 income). All of those expenses you mentioned - the license renewal, liability insurance, office supplies, and business conference - are completely legitimate business deductions. The fact that you had no income doesn't disqualify you from claiming them. You'll end up with a net business loss, which can actually help reduce your overall tax liability if you have other income. A few important points: Make sure you keep all receipts and documentation for these expenses. The conference expenses should be broken down properly (travel, meals at 50%, lodging, etc.). And don't worry about audit flags - business losses are normal, especially for 2020. The IRS understands that many businesses had extraordinary circumstances that year. Just file Schedule C with $0 gross receipts and list all your legitimate business expenses. Your tax software should handle this just fine.

As another newcomer who just went through this exact nightmare, I wanted to share what finally worked for me. After reading through all these helpful comments, I checked my email more thoroughly and found not one, but THREE different emails from TurboTax about my refund advance - one initial confirmation, one from Green Dot with setup instructions, and a third one that got buried in my promotions tab with the actual account details. The Green Dot app route that NeonNinja mentioned saved me too! My advance had been sitting there for almost a week while I was frantically checking my regular bank account. What's really frustrating is that TurboTax's own "Refund Status" page just showed "processing" with no mention of where to actually look for the funds. It's clear from everyone's experiences that this isn't just user error - TurboTax has genuinely created a confusing system with multiple banking partners and poor communication. I'm definitely joining the "direct deposit only" club next year. Thanks to this community for being more helpful than TurboTax's actual customer service!

As someone completely new to this community and currently stuck in the same TurboTax refund advance maze, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences here! I've been checking my regular bank account obsessively for the past week with no luck. After reading through all these posts, I immediately went to check my spam/promotions folders and found the buried Green Dot email from 5 days ago - my advance has been sitting there this whole time! It's absolutely ridiculous that TurboTax markets this as a streamlined service when it requires community forums and detective work to actually access your own money. The fact that they're using multiple banking partners (Green Dot, Credit Karma Money, etc.) without clearly communicating which one applies to each customer is just terrible service design. This thread provided more clarity in 15 minutes than hours of navigating TurboTax's confusing interface. Count me in with everyone else who's swearing off these advance products - direct deposit to my own bank account is definitely the way to go next year. Thanks again to everyone, especially NeonNinja, for the Green Dot tip that actually solved this!

I've been dealing with transcript access issues too! One thing that helped me was making sure I was using the exact same personal information (name, SSN, address) that the IRS has on file from my most recent return. Even small differences like abbreviations vs. full street names can cause the system to reject your login. Also, if you're still having trouble after trying all these suggestions, you can request transcripts by mail using Form 4506-T. It takes 5-10 business days but it's a reliable backup option when the online system isn't cooperating. The mailed transcripts show all the same information including amendment status codes.

I had this exact same issue last month! The new IRS transcript system is definitely confusing. What worked for me was using a completely fresh browser session - I cleared all cookies, cache, and browsing data, then went directly to irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. Don't use any bookmarks from previous years as those URLs might be outdated. When you get to the verification step, I'd recommend trying the Direct Authentication method first before ID.me - it seemed more reliable for me. Also, make sure you're looking for the right transcript type: for amended returns, you need the "Account Transcript" which will show processing codes. The "Return Transcript" won't show amendment status. If you're still stuck after trying these steps, the phone option that @Liam Fitzgerald mentioned might be worth it since amended returns can have specific issues that need agent assistance.

Don't forget that US Social Security benefits paid to non-residents also fall into this middle category! If you worked in the US in the past but now live abroad, your Social Security payments are US-sourced income not effectively connected with a trade or business. These are generally subject to 30% withholding unless your country has a tax treaty with better terms. For example, Canada's treaty makes US Social Security completely exempt from US tax for Canadian residents.

This is such a helpful thread! I've been struggling with this exact issue as a non-resident. One thing that really helped me understand the distinction was thinking about it in terms of "passive" vs "active" income. The middle category (US-sourced income NOT effectively connected with a US trade or business) is essentially passive income - you're not actively working or conducting business in the US to earn it. Examples include: - Bank interest from US accounts - Dividends from US stocks in your investment portfolio - Capital gains from selling US securities - Rental income from a property you own but don't actively manage - Lottery or gambling winnings in the US - Annuity payments from US sources The key test is whether you have a "US trade or business." Simply owning investments or property doesn't create a trade or business - you need to be actively engaged in commercial activities with some regularity and continuity in the US. So if you're sitting in Tokyo and receive Apple dividends, that's passive US-sourced income taxed at 30% (or your treaty rate). But if you're flying to New York every month to actively manage a trading business, that same investment income might be "effectively connected" and taxed at regular US rates.