These tax places stay messing up the bank info I swear 🤦‍♀️

Call JH customer service and get a tracking number for the check. They can usually provide that

Just a heads up to everyone - I used an excel spreadsheet similar to this one last year and while it was super helpful for understanding my taxes, I discovered that there was a formula error in one of the cells that calculated my qualified business income deduction. Double check all the calculations especially for newer tax provisions!

This is exactly what I've been looking for! I'm one of those people who gets overwhelmed by commercial tax software because I never understand what's actually happening with my money. The idea of being able to see all the formulas and how different parts of my return connect together sounds amazing. I've been doing my own taxes for a few years now but always felt like I was just blindly following instructions without really understanding the bigger picture. A spreadsheet that shows the actual calculations and relationships between different forms would be so helpful for building my confidence. Quick question - does this 2020 version handle the stimulus payment reconciliation? I think I might have received a different amount than I was supposed to get, and I'm not sure how to figure out what I should claim on my return. Also curious if anyone has tips for double-checking spreadsheet calculations? I'm always paranoid about making mistakes even though I'm pretty comfortable with Excel in general.

19 From my experience as a full-time Uber/Lyft driver, the key thing the IRS is looking for is consistency in your record-keeping method. If you create a system and stick with it all year, you're much less likely to be questioned. What I do: I take a photo of my odometer at the start of each shift and another at the end (with timestamps). I keep a super simple spreadsheet with date, starting miles, ending miles, which app I was driving for, and total business miles. That's it. Been doing this for 4 years, never had a problem with the IRS. The people saying you need origin/destination for every trip are probably mixing up the requirements for reimbursement from an employer (which is more detailed) versus self-employed mileage deduction (which is more reasonable).

As a tax professional who works with a lot of gig drivers, I can confirm that your daily starting/ending odometer readings are actually a solid foundation for mileage deduction! The IRS doesn't require trip-by-trip logging for delivery drivers like some people think. Here's what you should definitely keep: 1) Date of work, 2) Starting odometer reading, 3) Ending odometer reading, 4) Total business miles, and 5) Brief description like "Pizza Hut delivery shift." The key is being consistent with whatever method you choose. One thing I'd add to your current system: keep track of your total annual mileage (both business and personal) so you can show the percentage of business use. Also, if you use your car for both jobs on the same day, try to separate those entries if possible - it makes things cleaner if you ever get audited. You're not doing anything wrong! Your method is actually pretty good compared to some drivers I've worked with who have no records at all.

Tax professional here. What's happening in your situation is like a relay race with multiple handoffs. Think of it this way: IRS → SBTPG (TurboTax's bank) → Credit Karma. Each handoff takes time. With direct deposit to your own bank, it's just one handoff: IRS → Your Bank. The advance is like getting a small head start while waiting for the full race to finish. In my clients' experience, TurboTax + Credit Karma typically results in funds being available 0-1 days before the official DDD about 70% of the time. The other 30% see it exactly on the DDD. The advance portion usually comes much earlier, but that's a separate transaction.

Thanks everyone for the detailed responses! This is incredibly helpful. I'm in the same boat - TurboTax with fees, got the advance, and using Credit Karma card. My DDD is March 15th according to my transcript. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like I should expect the main refund portion somewhere between March 14th-15th, with the advance already processed. I'll definitely check that SBTPG site that was mentioned to track when they receive it from the IRS. The relay race analogy really helped me understand why there's variability - more handoffs means more potential delays. I'll plan my mortgage payment for March 16th just to be safe, but fingers crossed it comes a day early like most of you experienced! One follow-up question: does anyone know if Credit Karma posts deposits immediately when they receive them, or do they batch process at certain times of day?

You might want to check the "routine maintenance safe harbor" rule too. If you can show the work was done to keep the property in efficient operating condition AND you expect to do similar work again within 10 years, it might qualify under this rule as an immediate deduction regardless of whether it would otherwise be considered a capital improvement. For rental properties, this can be really helpful for larger repair costs. The key is documenting that it's part of your regular maintenance plan rather than a one-time improvement.

One thing nobody's mentioned - if you determine some of these costs ARE improvements rather than repairs, you may still be able to take advantage of partial expensing through Section 179 or bonus depreciation, depending on how the property is used and your overall tax situation.