Even though it seems unconventional, Claimyr's service could be quite beneficial. They automate the hold process and directly connect you to a live representative, which can save substantial time. However, keep in mind the $20 fee might be a deterrent for some people. Moreover, it’s essential to ensure the legitimacy and security of any third-party service you decide to use. Reading reviews and researching the company beforehand is always a good practice. Remember, patience and persistence are key when dealing with government agencies!

Another tip that worked for me: try calling right after lunch around 1-2 PM. I know everyone says early morning, but I actually had better luck in the early afternoon when maybe some people are taking breaks from calling. Also, make sure you have your Form 8822 (Change of Address form) filled out beforehand - you can download it from the IRS website. Having everything ready speeds up the process once you finally get through to someone. The wait times are brutal but don't give up! 📞💪

Be careful about assuming acceptance. I thought mine was accepted last year. Never got a rejection notice. Found out THREE MONTHS LATER that it was rejected due to an incorrect AGI from the previous year. Had to pay a penalty for late filing even though I filed on time. Always verify acceptance through multiple channels. Don't trust just one confirmation method.

As someone who just went through this same anxiety, I totally get your concern! Here's what I learned: the IRS actually has three different statuses - "transmitted," "received," and "accepted." Your confirmation email probably just means it was transmitted successfully. The quickest way to verify actual acceptance is to log into your tax software account and look for a status update (should say "IRS Accepted" not just "Transmitted"). You can also use the IRS Where's My Refund tool at irs.gov after 24 hours - just enter your SSN, filing status, and exact refund amount. Since you mentioned this is your first time with new software AND you have homeowner deductions now, I'd definitely recommend checking your tax transcript in a few days through irs.gov - that's the most definitive proof your return was processed. The mortgage interest and property tax stuff shouldn't cause delays, but it's always good to double-check when your situation gets more complex. Don't panic if it takes 48-72 hours to get full confirmation - that's totally normal during busy filing periods!

Don't forget about the long-term benefits of this Roth conversion! Yes, the tax hit is painful now, but all that growth will be completely tax-free in retirement. I did a similar conversion 5 years ago, paid about 22k in taxes, and that account has nearly doubled since then - all future withdrawals completely tax free!

Just wanted to add from my experience - when I did a similar Roth conversion, I found that increasing my withholding was much easier than dealing with estimated payments and Form 2210. The key thing to remember is that you need to calculate how much extra to withhold based on your marginal tax rate for both federal and state. For a $110k conversion, you're probably looking at withholding an extra $24k-$30k depending on your bracket. I divided that by my remaining paychecks and adjusted my W-4 accordingly. Make sure to account for both federal and state taxes when calculating the amount. One tip: if you're close to year-end and don't have enough paychecks left to spread out the withholding, you might want to do a combination approach like Christopher mentioned - make a partial estimated payment now and increase withholding for what you can cover through payroll.

ok so this happened to me last year! got a nice $4k refund and spent half of it immediately (dumb i know). six months later got a letter saying they found a mistake and I actually qualified for LESS of the child tax credit than i claimed. had to pay back $1200 plus interest. they gave me a payment plan but still sucked. moral of the story: YES they can and will take it back so maybe wait a bit before spending it all if ur not 100% sure u did everything right.

Based on what you've described, I'd definitely recommend setting that $3,200 aside for at least 6 months to be safe. The IRS does have automated systems that continue checking returns even after refunds are issued, and questionable deductions are one of the things they look for. If you're genuinely unsure about those deductions, you might want to consider filing an amended return to correct any mistakes before the IRS potentially finds them. It's always better to fix errors proactively rather than wait for them to catch it - you'll avoid penalties and the stress of dealing with IRS notices. The good news is that if they were honest mistakes and not huge amounts, you're looking at paying back the incorrect refund plus interest, not massive penalties. But yeah, definitely don't spend that money until you're confident everything was filed correctly!

For what it's worth, I've used TurboTax to handle my Form 2555 for the past three years while working in various Middle East locations. Their interview process walks you through the combat zone exception pretty well and automatically calculates the prorated exclusion. Just make sure you have your exact dates of entry and exit from the combat zone and documentation from your employer confirming you were supporting US Armed Forces.

Just want to add another perspective here - I was in a similar situation as a contractor in Afghanistan for about 180 days last year. The combat zone exception definitely applies, but make sure you're crystal clear on which specific days count toward your physical presence. One thing that tripped me up initially was that travel days to and from the combat zone don't automatically count unless you're actually physically present in the designated area. So if you had layovers in Dubai or other non-combat locations, those days typically don't count toward your 163. Also, double-check that Iraq/Kuwait region work qualifies - it should under the Arabian Peninsula Area designation, but the IRS is very specific about which locations qualify. You can find the complete list in Publication 3 (Armed Forces' Tax Guide) to make sure your specific work sites are covered. The prorated calculation everyone mentioned is correct (163/365 × $120,000), but just be extra careful with your date documentation since the IRS tends to scrutinize foreign income exclusions more closely, especially for contractors.