Anyone know if there's a fee for filing an extension through TurboTax? I remember a few years ago they tried to charge me extra for this but I'm not sure if that's still the case.

Just want to add from my experience - when you file an extension through TurboTax, it's super important to be as accurate as possible with your estimate even if you don't have all your documents yet. I learned this the hard way a couple years ago when I way underestimated what I owed and got hit with penalties even though I had filed the extension properly. What helped me was looking at my previous year's tax return and adjusting based on any major changes in income. If your freelance work was similar to last year, you can use that as a baseline and add a buffer. The IRS is generally more forgiving if you overpay and need a refund than if you underpay and owe more later. Also, don't forget that if you made quarterly estimated payments during the year, those count toward what you owe! I almost double-paid one year because I forgot to factor those in when calculating my extension payment.

I've been filing taxes for 15+ years and have noticed significant variation in acceptance times. Here's what I've observed: Step 1: Understand that "acceptance" just means the IRS received your return with no obvious errors - not that they've processed it Step 2: Check your tax software's status page (not just email) as they often have more detailed information Step 3: If it's been more than 48 hours, look for any rejection notices that might have gone to spam Step 4: After 72 hours with no update, contact your tax software support first, then consider contacting the IRS I filed on January 29th this year and it took 26 hours for acceptance - much longer than previous years but everything was fine.

I'm experiencing the exact same thing! Filed my return through FreeTaxUSA on Tuesday and it's now Friday with still no acceptance notification. In previous years, I'd get that green checkmark within an hour or two max. This waiting game is driving me nuts because I have some major expenses coming up and was counting on getting my refund processed quickly. Has anyone tried checking the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool during this limbo period? I'm wondering if it shows anything useful before the official acceptance comes through, or if it just says "return not found" until acceptance happens. Really hoping this is just the new normal with their enhanced security measures and not some system-wide issue that's going to delay the entire season!

2 One important thing nobody has mentioned - there are situations where filing separately can protect you. If ur spouse has shady tax history or might have errors you don't know about, filing separately means you're not liable for their mistakes. My friend's husband didn't report some crypto gains and she got dragged into the mess even tho she had no idea! Just something to consider beyond just the $$$ amount.

Great discussion here! I'm a CPA and wanted to add that while the software comparison tools mentioned are helpful, they sometimes miss nuanced situations. For example, if one spouse has significant medical expenses (over 7.5% of AGI), filing separately might allow that spouse to deduct more medical expenses on a lower individual income vs. the combined income when filing jointly. Also, don't forget about state tax implications - some states don't allow you to file separately if you filed jointly federally, or vice versa. Always check your specific state's rules before making the final decision. The tax software tools are great starting points, but for complex situations (multiple income sources, significant deductions, rental properties, etc.), it might be worth consulting with a tax professional who can run scenarios beyond what the basic comparison tools show.

Don't panic! I went through the exact same thing last year. The "refund status unavailable" message after verification is super common and doesn't mean anything is wrong with your return. What's happening is that your return got flagged for identity verification (which you completed), and now it's being manually reviewed by an IRS employee. During this review process, the automated WMR system can't access your file, hence the "unavailable" message. Since you verified on April 10th and could see your refund for a couple days, that's actually a good sign - it means your return was processing normally before hitting the verification requirement. The fact that it showed $3,456 processing means that amount was already calculated and approved. I'd give it at least 1-2 more weeks before worrying. In the meantime, definitely check your transcripts like others suggested - they often show updates even when WMR doesn't. You can get them free directly from the IRS website. Try not to check WMR obsessively (I know it's hard!) because it'll just show the same message until processing completes. Your refund is most likely still on track, just taking the scenic route through manual review.

I experienced this exact same issue a few months ago and it's honestly one of the most frustrating parts of the whole process! The good news is that seeing your $3,456 refund amount initially means the IRS has already processed and approved your return - that number doesn't just appear randomly. After identity verification through ID.me, there's typically a 1-3 week period where WMR goes completely dark like this. It's basically the IRS equivalent of "we'll call you back" while they finish up the manual review process. The system can't display your status because a human reviewer has your file pulled from the automated system. Since you verified on April 10th, I'd expect to see movement by the end of this week or early next week. In my case, WMR suddenly updated one morning with a direct deposit date, no gradual progress - just straight from "unavailable" to "refund sent." One tip: if you have the IRS2Go mobile app, sometimes it updates before the website does. Also, your bank account might show a pending deposit before WMR even updates, so keep an eye on that too. Hang in there - the waiting after verification is terrible but you're almost through it!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my Box 5 is higher than Box 1, and I was worried I was reading my W2 wrong. Now I understand it's because of my pre-tax deductions like my 401k and health insurance premiums. One thing I wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you're self-employed or have multiple income sources, the calculation gets more complex. Box 5 on a W2 only shows wages from that specific employer, so if you have freelance income or other sources, you'd need to add those separately to get your true total income picture. Also, for those mentioning loan applications - I found that having a brief explanation ready about the Box 1 vs Box 5 difference really helped speed up my approval process. Lenders appreciate when you can clearly explain your income sources and show that you understand your own financial situation.

This discussion has been really enlightening! I'm currently preparing my tax documents and noticed the same Box 1 vs Box 5 discrepancy on my W2. The difference in my case is about $2,200, which now makes sense given my 401k contributions and pre-tax health insurance premiums. What I found particularly useful from this thread is understanding that Box 5 represents your earning capacity better than Box 1 for financial applications. I'm planning to refinance my mortgage this year, and knowing that lenders often prefer to see Box 5 because it includes retirement contributions (which actually demonstrates financial responsibility) is really valuable information. One question I have for the group - has anyone dealt with explaining this difference to lenders who might not be as familiar with W2 boxes? I want to be prepared with a clear explanation, especially since some of the comments mentioned that being able to articulate this difference actually helped speed up approval processes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with the various tools and IRS consultations - it's really helpful to see real-world examples of how others have navigated this confusion!