One thing nobody's mentioned: check with a CPA who specializes in audit representation. I did this as a last resort and found out that professional tax preparers often have access to a dedicated IRS practitioner hotline that's WAY less busy than the public numbers. I paid my CPA for 2 hours of time ($350) to handle my audit communication, and she was able to reach my auditor on her first try through the practitioner line. Worth every penny for the stress reduction alone!

I'm dealing with a similar situation with my 2019 audit that's been dragging on for over a year. The phone disconnections are absolutely maddening - I've had it happen 6 times now after waiting 45+ minutes each time. One thing that helped me was finding the "Collections" number (800-829-7650) which sometimes has shorter wait times, and they can often see your audit status even if they can't resolve it directly. When I explained my situation, they were able to confirm that my case was indeed assigned to a specific auditor and gave me some internal reference numbers to use when calling back. Also, I discovered that calling first thing Monday morning (like 7 AM) seems to have better success rates - I think fewer people are calling then. Still took 25 minutes on hold, but at least I didn't get disconnected. Has anyone had success with the "Where's My Amended Return" tool online? I'm wondering if audit status shows up there too, or if it's completely separate from regular return processing. The whole system is so broken - we shouldn't have to use third-party services or wait literal hours just to talk to someone about our own tax situation!

This is exactly why I always screenshot my tax prep progress and keep detailed notes! FreeTaxUSA's interface can be confusing about when charges actually process vs. when they're just authorized. Here's what I'd do in your situation: 1. Log into your FreeTaxUSA account immediately and check your return status - it should clearly show "Draft" or "Not Filed" if you didn't complete the final submission 2. Take a screenshot of this status page for your records 3. Check if the charge on your bank account is listed as "pending" or "posted" - pending charges from incomplete transactions usually disappear within 3-5 business days 4. Call FreeTaxUSA customer service at 801-717-1040 first thing tomorrow morning (they're usually less busy early in the day) The good news is that if you didn't click the final file button, your return almost certainly wasn't submitted to the IRS. You still have time to sort this out before the deadline. FreeTaxUSA generally doesn't process final payments until you actually file, so this sounds like a pre-authorization that got stuck in your account. Don't stress too much - this happens more often than you'd think, and it's usually resolved pretty quickly once you get in touch with their support team.

I've been through this exact situation with FreeTaxUSA! Don't panic - what you're describing sounds like a classic pre-authorization hold rather than an actual charge. Here's what likely happened: When you selected the "pay with refund" option, FreeTaxUSA placed an authorization hold on your payment method to verify it's valid, but since you never clicked the final "FILE" button, your return wasn't actually submitted and the payment shouldn't process. Quick steps to resolve this: 1. Log back into your FreeTaxUSA account and check your return status - it should show "In Progress" or "Draft" if you didn't file 2. Call their customer service at 801-717-1040 and explain you didn't complete filing but see a charge 3. Check with your bank if the charge shows as "pending" vs "posted" - pending authorization holds typically drop off in 2-5 business days I had this same thing happen last year and the hold disappeared after 3 days once I confirmed with FreeTaxUSA that my return wasn't filed. Their customer service was actually helpful in explaining that the authorization doesn't become a real charge unless you complete the filing process. You still have time before the deadline to either complete your FreeTaxUSA return or switch to another service if you prefer. Just don't file duplicate returns!

Has anyone had success calling TD Ameritrade directly about this issue? I wonder if they might have a technical solution or workaround specific to TurboTax desktop software.

I've been dealing with this exact same Section 1256 import issue for the past two years with TurboTax desktop and TD Ameritrade. What finally solved it for me was a combination of approaches mentioned here. First, I tried the TXF file download that Dyllan mentioned - you can find it in TD Ameritrade's Tax Center under "Tax Forms & Info" then "Download Tax Data." This worked better than the PDF import but still missed some Section 1256 details. What really made the difference was manually entering the Section 1256 summary data (as Fiona suggested) but using the taxr.ai tool to double-check my numbers. The tool helped me catch a calculation error I had made when transcribing the 60/40 split amounts. One tip: when manually entering in TurboTax desktop, make sure you're in the "Investment Income" section and specifically look for "Section 1256 Contracts and Straddles" - it's buried pretty deep in the menus. The software will automatically calculate the 60% long-term / 40% short-term treatment once you enter your net gain/loss amount. The whole process is definitely more cumbersome than the online version, but at least it's doable once you know the workarounds.

Great point about the QBI deduction! That's a game-changer that often gets overlooked. For 2024, you can potentially deduct up to 20% of your qualified business income from your 1099 work, which significantly reduces your taxable income. However, there are income limitations - the deduction phases out for single filers with taxable income over $191,950 and married filing jointly over $383,900. For most part-time workers, this won't be an issue. So in your 15 hours/week scenario, if you're making say $15,000 annually from this gig as 1099, you could potentially deduct $3,000 through QBI alone. That's a substantial tax savings that could easily offset the extra self-employment tax burden. Combined with other business deductions (mileage, home office, etc.), the 1099 option might be more attractive than the simple formulas suggest. Definitely worth factoring this into your calculations!

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the impact on your Social Security earnings record. As a W-2 employee, your earnings are automatically reported and contribute to your future Social Security benefits calculation. With 1099, you're still paying into Social Security through self-employment tax, but you need to make sure you're reporting everything correctly. Also, consider the administrative burden. As 1099, you'll need to track expenses throughout the year, make quarterly estimated tax payments, and deal with more complex tax filing. For a 15-hour/week gig, ask yourself if the potential tax savings are worth the extra bookkeeping hassle. Given that your employer prefers W-2 and you don't have significant deductible expenses beyond mileage, I'd lean toward W-2 for simplicity unless the math clearly favors 1099 by a meaningful margin (at least $1,000+ annually in your pocket).

Tip from a former IRS employee: call on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday around 1-2pm Eastern. Mondays and Fridays are absolute nightmares with call volume, and mornings are always slammed too. Mid-week afternoon is your best chance of getting through.

I feel your pain! I was in the exact same boat with my 2023 refund showing "still processing" for months. What finally worked for me was calling the practitioner priority line at 866-860-4259. You're supposed to be a tax professional to use it, but they don't actually verify - just say you're calling on behalf of a client (yourself). The wait times are usually much shorter and the agents seem more knowledgeable. Got through in about 20 minutes and found out there was a simple address verification issue holding up my refund. Had it resolved the same day!