I believe what might be happening here is possibly related to Republic Bank's refund transfer product, which sometimes defaults to paper check delivery if certain conditions aren't met. In my experience last tax season, there are a few things that could have potentially triggered this switch: 1. If you perhaps opted to have your preparation fees deducted from your refund, this generally requires using their transfer product 2. If your banking information possibly didn't pass their verification process 3. If there was maybe a discrepancy between the name on your tax return and your bank account It's somewhat frustrating, but generally speaking, once they print the check, you should typically receive it within 5-7 business days, depending on your location and mail service efficiency.

This is such a frustrating experience that seems way too common with Republic Bank! I went through something similar last year where I was absolutely certain I selected direct deposit, but ended up with a paper check that took forever to arrive. What really helped me was calling the IRS directly (yes, the dreaded hold time) to get my actual transcript and see exactly what codes were showing up. Turns out there was a mismatch between my bank account name and my tax return name that triggered the switch to paper check. The IRS rep was actually able to explain exactly why it happened, which Republic Bank never bothered to do. For next year, I'm double and triple checking every field during e-filing to avoid this headache again!

I went through this exact situation last year. Not only do you have to pay Medicare and Social Security with a green card EAD, but you also need to file taxes as a resident alien using Form 1040, not the 1040-NR that nonresidents use.

Just want to add some perspective as someone who went through the exact same confusion. I had my EAD for about 6 months before I finally got clarity on this issue. The bottom line is yes, you do need to pay Medicare and Social Security taxes with a green card EAD - your employer is doing everything correctly. What helped me understand it better was thinking about it this way: the EAD based on your pending green card application puts you in a "resident alien" category for tax purposes, which means you have the same tax obligations as permanent residents and citizens. This is actually a good thing because you're earning credits toward future Social Security benefits and Medicare coverage. I know it feels like a lot of money coming out of your paycheck (especially after 3 months!), but these aren't "lost" taxes - they're contributions to programs you'll benefit from later. Keep good records of your earnings and tax payments, as this will be important when you eventually apply for Social Security benefits or Medicare. If you're still uncertain about your specific situation, I'd recommend speaking with a tax professional who specializes in immigration-related tax issues, especially if you had a different visa status before getting your EAD.

Last year my Georgia refund took forever too. When I finally called, they told me zeroed out status means the return is approved but waiting in the refund queue. They batch process refunds twice weekly. Your bank's processing time adds 1-3 more days after the state releases funds. I learned to just be patient after my first year dealing with this.

I feel your pain! I'm going through the exact same thing with Georgia right now. Filed in early February and been stuck at "processing" for what feels like forever while my federal came through weeks ago. The zero balance is definitely encouraging though - from what I've read here and on other forums, that's usually the final step before they actually cut the refund. I've been obsessively checking the GA Tax Center website too, but it sounds like we just need to be patient for another week or two. At least we're not alone in this waiting game!

This is fascinating - I've never heard of the IRS and employers disagreeing about whether a form was submitted! 🤔 Did the advocate mention anything about which specific department at the IRS handles these discrepancies? I wonder if there's a special unit that reconciles reported vs. processed forms?

I think you might need to ask your employer for more specific information about how they submitted the form... I'm not an expert, but I believe there could be different ways employers report 1099s to the IRS, and perhaps that's where the confusion is happening? Maybe they submitted it through a system that hasn't yet synchronized with the main IRS database?

I noticed something weird on my W-2 this year. Box 12 has code DD with a dollar amount. It's not mentioned in the original question but anyone know what this is? Does it affect my taxes?

Great question! I see others have covered the main boxes, but I wanted to add a helpful tip: if you're still confused after looking at your W-2, the IRS website has a really detailed breakdown of each box at irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w2. They have examples and explanations that can help clarify what each number means. One thing that trips people up is that the amounts in different boxes might not match your total gross pay from your paystubs. This is totally normal! Pre-tax deductions like health insurance, 401(k) contributions, and flexible spending accounts reduce some of the wage amounts but not others, which is why you might see different numbers in boxes 1, 3, and 5. Also, if you work in multiple states during the year, you might see multiple sets of state information in boxes 15-20. Each state where you earned income should be listed separately with its own wage and withholding amounts.