One thing to consider that I haven't seen mentioned yet - the IRS has been dealing with massive backlogs and staffing shortages since COVID. While getting your case back from CBE Group might give you access to better resolution options, it could also mean your case sits in limbo for months before anyone actually works on it. I had a similar situation with about $60k in back taxes. When I requested my case back from the collection agency, it took nearly 6 months before the IRS actually assigned someone to work on it. During that time, interest and penalties kept accruing. The upside was that once they did assign someone, I was able to get into a partial payment installment agreement that the collection agency couldn't offer. My advice would be to have a clear plan for what type of resolution you're seeking before requesting the transfer. If you just want a basic payment plan, the collection agency might actually move faster. But if you need hardship consideration, Currently Not Collectible status, or want to explore an Offer in Compromise, then definitely get it back to the IRS despite the potential delays.

I've been through this exact situation with $62k in tax debt that went to CBE Group. Here's my take after dealing with both sides: The main advantage of getting it back to the IRS is access to programs like Currently Not Collectible status if you're facing genuine financial hardship. CBE Group literally cannot put your account into CNC status - they can only offer payment plans or temporary delays. However, timing matters. If you're ready to move quickly on an Offer in Compromise or have all your financial documentation ready for a hardship determination, then request the transfer immediately. But if you're still getting your finances organized, the collection agency might actually buy you time since they tend to be less aggressive than IRS revenue officers. One tip that helped me: when you request the transfer back to the IRS, include a brief statement about what type of resolution you're seeking (installment agreement, OIC, hardship status, etc.). This can help prioritize how your case gets assigned once it's back with them. The whole process took about 8 weeks for me, but I ended up qualifying for a partial payment installment agreement that reduced my monthly payment by almost half compared to what CBE was demanding.

Has anyone actually had experience with both options (checking box C vs. doing the multiple jobs worksheet)? I did the worksheet last year after getting married and I think we ended up overwithholding by like $4000! Wondering if just checking the box would have been better...

Thanks for all the detailed responses everyone! This is exactly the kind of real-world experience I was hoping for. Based on what I'm reading, it sounds like the "two jobs total" box might be too blunt an instrument for our income difference. The $50k gap between my salary and my husband's seems significant enough that we'd probably end up overwithholding if we just check box C. I think my plan is to start with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator that Leslie mentioned, and then maybe try one of the other tools people have suggested if I need more specific guidance on filling out the actual form. I definitely want to avoid both owing a bunch at tax time AND giving the government an interest-free loan! One follow-up question - should we both update our W-4s at the same time, or is it better to adjust mine first (as the higher earner) and see how that affects our withholding before touching his?

I've been using TaxSlayer for years and never had issues with their import feature. Maybe give them a try? Their interface is pretty straightforward and they're usually cheaper than H&R and TurboTax.

Has anyone else noticed that tax software seems to be getting buggier every year? I used to never have these problems, but the last 3 years I've had weird glitches with multiple platforms. Is it just me???

Don't stress too much about this. I've been filing 1099s for 7 years as an IT professional and I've used slightly different descriptions as my work evolved. One year I used "software programmer" and another "IT consultant" when my work shifted. I think we techies tend to overthink the classification stuff. As long as it's reasonably accurate and your expenses make sense for that type of work, you're fine!

As someone who's been doing IT contract work for several years, I'd recommend going with "Software Developer" since that seems to be your primary focus. The IRS business code 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services) would be appropriate for this. The key thing to remember is that your business description should reflect where most of your income comes from. Since you mentioned backend development is your main work, "Software Developer" is accurate and straightforward. The fact that you also do some frontend, server maintenance, and security work doesn't change your primary classification - many developers wear multiple hats. TurboTax will walk you through the business code selection when you get to the Schedule C section, and you'll be able to search for "software" or "programming" to find the right code. Don't overthink it - consistency with your actual work activities is what matters most!

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing! The advance you got is basically TurboTax giving you a loan against your expected refund. It's not free money - there are fees involved that get deducted from your final refund amount. The "accepted but not approved" status on WMR is totally normal at this point in the season. The IRS is super backed up right now. Your actual refund is still working its way through their system. Once it gets approved, TurboTax will receive the full amount, subtract what they already advanced you (plus any fees), and deposit the remainder to your Credit Karma account. I'd estimate you'll see the rest in about 1-2 weeks based on current processing times. Just keep checking WMR for updates!

I went through this exact same confusion last year! What you received in your Credit Karma account is just the refund advance - basically a partial payment while your actual tax return is still being processed by the IRS. The "accepted but not approved" status on Where's My Refund is completely normal and just means they have your return but haven't finished reviewing it yet. Here's what will happen next: Once the IRS approves your return (usually takes about 21 days total from filing), they'll send your full refund amount to TurboTax. TurboTax will then keep the advance amount they already gave you, subtract any fees, and deposit the remaining balance to your Credit Karma account. So if your total refund is supposed to be $2000 and you got a $500 advance, you should expect to see around $1500 more once everything processes (minus any TurboTax fees). Just keep checking the WMR tool - once it shows "approved" with a deposit date, that's when you'll get the rest!