Just curious - what kind of PFIC investments required you to file Form 8621? I'm looking at some foreign ETFs and trying to figure out if I'll need to deal with this form too. Seems super complicated!

I've been through this exact situation! When I forgot to include my Form 8621 with my mailed return, I ended up doing what several others here suggested - sent the form with a brief cover letter explaining it was meant to accompany my already-filed return. The key things that worked for me: I included my full name, SSN, tax year, and the approximate date I mailed my original return. I also attached a copy of page 1 of my 1040 to help them match it up. Made sure to mail it to the same processing center where my original return went. It took about 6 weeks, but I eventually got a letter confirming they had received and processed the supplemental form. The IRS is actually pretty good at matching up documents as long as you give them enough identifying information. Don't stress too much - this happens more often than you'd think and they have procedures in place to handle it!

Heads up - calling the IRS is basically impossible rn. I tried for 2 weeks straight and couldn't get through. Save yourself the headache

I'm in a similar situation - filed early and have been stuck in "processing" limbo for weeks now. One thing that helped me understand what might be happening is that the IRS has been dealing with some system upgrades and staffing issues that are causing longer processing times than usual this year. The fact that both your federal and state returns show as "accepted" is actually a good sign - it means there were no immediate red flags that would cause an outright rejection. The processing delay could be due to several factors: identity verification reviews, earned income credit verification, or just general backlog. Since you're past your estimated deposit date of 02/12, you might want to wait another week or two before taking action. If you're still stuck in processing by early March, you could try calling the taxpayer advocate service - they're sometimes easier to reach than the main IRS line and can help with extended delays. Also double-check that your bank account info matches exactly what you put on your return, including account type (checking vs savings). Sometimes even small discrepancies can cause delays.

I've been through this same confusion before! The minus sign had me convinced something was wrong with my return until I learned it's just how the IRS does their accounting. It's like they intentionally made it as confusing as possible 😅 One thing I'd add is that if you want to track exactly when your refund will hit, keep an eye out for Transaction Code 846 on your transcript - that's when they actually issue the refund and it usually includes the exact date it'll be deposited. In my experience, once you see TC 846, the money typically shows up within 1-2 business days if you have direct deposit set up. The whole system would be so much clearer if they just used normal accounting where positive numbers mean money coming to you, but hey, at least now you know the secret decoder ring! Your "refund approved" status is definitely the green light you want to see.

The transcript system definitely has a learning curve! I remember being in the exact same boat a few years ago - staring at those codes like they were written in a secret language. One thing that helped me was keeping a simple cheat sheet of the most common codes: • TC 150 = Return filed and processed • TC 846 = Refund issued (this is the golden ticket!) • TC 766 = Credit to your account • TC 768 = Earned Income Credit • Minus signs = Credits/refunds coming your way The timing everyone mentioned about Friday morning updates is spot on. I've noticed the IRS tends to batch process things overnight Thursday into Friday. Once you see that TC 846 with a date, you can pretty much count on the money hitting your account on that exact date if you have direct deposit. It's frustrating that they use backwards accounting logic, but at least once you crack the code, it becomes much less stressful to interpret. Your situation sounds textbook - minus sign plus "refund approved" equals money in the bank soon! 💰

I messed up by using Direct Pay for my first two quarters last year with my EIN instead of SSN, and got a nasty surprise at tax time! The payments weren't showing up on my account and I had to go through a whole thing with the IRS to get it sorted. Just my two cents: Direct Pay might seem easier at first but EFTPS is definitely better long-term. The setup is a bit more involved but totally worth it.

As someone who went through this exact confusion when I started my SMLLC, I can definitely relate to the stress! Here's what I learned after making some mistakes: For a single-member LLC that's disregarded for tax purposes, EFTPS is absolutely the better choice for quarterly estimated payments. Yes, the initial setup takes about a week (they mail you a PIN), but once you're enrolled, you can: - Schedule all four quarterly payments at the beginning of the year - Set up automatic recurring payments - Access detailed payment history for record-keeping - Make changes or cancel scheduled payments if needed Direct Pay is really designed for one-time payments and doesn't save your information or allow advance scheduling. Regarding the SSN vs EIN question - definitely use your SSN. Since your LLC is disregarded, all income flows through to your personal tax return (Form 1040), so the estimated tax payments need to be associated with your Social Security Number, not your business EIN. One tip: When calculating your quarterly payments, don't forget to include both income tax AND self-employment tax in your estimates. The self-employment tax portion catches a lot of new LLC owners off guard! The IRS has a pretty good estimated tax worksheet in Publication 505 that can help you figure out how much to pay each quarter based on your expected annual income.

I was dealing with the exact same confusion a few months ago! Code 290 is when they add or adjust tax (usually increases what you owe), and 291 reduces a previous assessment (decreases what you owe). If you see both, they're likely correcting something - maybe they initially added too much tax with a 290, then realized their mistake and used 291 to reduce it. The key is looking at the dollar amounts and dates to see the full picture of what adjustments they made to your account.

Just went through this same nightmare last month! Code 290 typically means they're adding tax or making an adjustment that increases your liability, while 291 is when they're reducing a previous tax assessment. What really helped me was looking at the transaction dates and amounts - if you see a 291 after a 290, it usually means they caught their own mistake and are correcting it. The IRS transcript system is honestly confusing as hell, but once you understand that 290 = increase and 291 = decrease, it starts to make more sense. Keep an eye on your account - mine took about 2-3 weeks to fully process after I saw both codes.