This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been dealing with the exact same issue for the past few years - my W2 consistently shows about $4,200 more than my final paycheck's YTD earnings. After reading through everyone's explanations, I finally understand what's happening. I checked my W2's Box 12 and found several codes I'd never paid attention to before: DD (employer health insurance contributions), C (group term life insurance over $50k), and a few others related to wellness programs my company offers. What really clicked for me was @Ethan's explanation about how these benefits show up on the W2 but not in regular paycheck YTD totals. My company has been pretty generous with benefits, but I never realized some of them counted as taxable income that would appear on my W2. For anyone else confused about this - definitely start by looking at Box 12 on your W2 and researching what each code means. It's amazing how much "hidden" compensation we actually receive beyond our regular paychecks!

This is exactly what I needed to see! I've been stressing about a similar $4,500 discrepancy between my W2 and final paycheck for months. After reading through all these responses, I finally understand it's likely fringe benefits showing up as taxable income on the W2. I just checked my Box 12 and found several codes I'd completely ignored: DD for health insurance (about $2,800), C for group life insurance ($800), and what looks like codes for our company's fitness reimbursement program and tuition assistance. When I add those up, it accounts for most of my missing amount! It's honestly a bit frustrating that employers don't explain this better when they give you your W2. I was starting to think there was an error with my taxes or payroll. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread probably saved me hours of stress and confusion!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed early February, got the "Refund Sent" checkmark with a Feb 27th date, and still nothing in my account as of this evening. It's so nerve-wracking when you're counting on that money. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the Feb 27th date is when the IRS *sends* the payment to the bank, not when it actually hits our accounts. Plus someone mentioned there might be system delays affecting refunds scheduled for this week. I'm trying to stay patient until that March 4th deadline they give us, but it's definitely stressful! I called my bank earlier and they said to check again tomorrow morning since some deposits don't show up until after midnight or early morning. Fingers crossed we both see our refunds soon! 🤞

I'm in the exact same situation! Filed on February 6th and have been watching WMR obsessively. Got the "Refund Sent" checkmark with February 27th scheduled date, but nothing in my account yet either. What's helping me stay sane is remembering that February 27th is when the IRS *initiates* the payment to Treasury, not when it hits our accounts. Banks typically need 1-3 business days to process ACH transfers, and some don't even show pending deposits until they fully post. I called my credit union this morning and they confirmed no pending deposits, but the rep said to check again tomorrow since their system updates overnight. She also mentioned that if it was sent today, it might not show as pending until Friday and could post over the weekend or Monday. The March 4th deadline they give us is really the key date - that's when we should actually start worrying if something went wrong. Until then, it's still within normal processing timeframes according to everything I've read. Hang in there! The waiting is brutal when you're counting on that money, but it sounds like we're still well within normal timing. 🤞

I remember this credit! The original 2008 version was basically a $7,500 interest-free loan you had to pay back over 15 years. Lots of people got confused because later versions (2009-2010) turned into a true credit you didn't have to repay if you kept your home long enough. What sucks about your situation is that since you sold the home in 2016, the ENTIRE remaining balance would have become due on your 2016 taxes. That's probably why your 2018 and 2019 returns are getting rejected - there's an outstanding balance the IRS is looking for. The fact that BoA mentioned your loan was from 2009 is probably because of the refinance, which is a separate issue from the homebuyer credit. I suggest calling the IRS (I know, painful) and asking specifically about your Form 5405 from 2008 and what the remaining balance is. Then file your 2016 return with that repayment info.

This is a really complex situation, but it sounds like you definitely received the 2008 First-Time Homebuyer Credit even though you weren't aware of it. The key detail is that September 2008 refund showing up right around your home purchase - that's almost certainly the $7,500 credit. Here's what likely happened: Your tax preparer included Form 5405 on your 2008 return, which triggered the credit. The 2008 version was structured as an interest-free loan requiring $500 annual repayments starting in 2010. The critical issue is that when you sold in 2016, you should have repaid the entire remaining balance (roughly $4,000-4,500) on that year's tax return using Form 5405 Part II. Since you didn't file in 2016, that outstanding balance is now preventing your newer returns from being accepted. Your action plan should be: 1. Get your complete tax transcript for 2008 to confirm the exact credit amount 2. Calculate remaining balance (original amount minus any payments from 2010-2015) 3. File your 2016 return immediately with Form 5405 showing the full repayment 4. Once 2016 is processed, then file your 2018 and 2019 returns The Bank of America loan modification issue is separate - they were likely referring to your 2009 refinance date, not the original mortgage or the tax credit. This is definitely fixable, but you'll need to tackle that missing 2016 return first to clear the IRS block.

Make sure you're keeping track of your Form 8606 information year to year! This bit me hard last year. If you've been doing backdoor Roth conversions for multiple years, you need to have the previous year's Form 8606 values for line 14 (your basis). TaxAct won't automatically pull this information from your previous returns, even if you used TaxAct last year. Messed this up once and almost paid tax twice on $12,000!

I went through this exact same nightmare with TaxAct last year! The software's handling of backdoor Roth conversions is definitely not intuitive. Here's what finally worked for me: 1. Don't enter your 1099-R first - that just confuses the software 2. Go to Federal > Income > IRA, Pensions and Annuities and find the Form 8606 section 3. Answer "yes" to making nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA 4. Enter your basis (the amount you contributed with after-tax dollars) 5. THEN enter your 1099-R information The key insight is that TaxAct needs to know about your nondeductible contributions before it processes the conversion. Once you do this correctly, only the small amount of earnings (like that $3 of interest you mentioned) should be taxable. Also, keep really good records of your Form 8606 from year to year - you'll need the basis information for future conversions. I learned this the hard way when I almost paid tax twice on a $6,000 conversion because I didn't carry forward my basis correctly. Hope this helps save you from the hours of frustration I went through!

I went through a dependent verification audit for my grandson in 2024, and one thing that really saved me was keeping a detailed expense log throughout the year. Beyond just the formal documents everyone's mentioned, I tracked every grocery store trip, clothing purchase, and medical expense for him with receipts and notes. The IRS agent told me this kind of detailed financial record-keeping was exactly what they needed to see proof of support. I also recommend getting a letter from your dependent's school counselor or principal - they can verify not only attendance but also confirm you as the primary contact for emergencies and school communications. Don't forget about any extracurricular activities either - registration forms, payment receipts, and permission slips all help build that comprehensive picture of daily care. The whole process took about 12 weeks for me, but having everything organized by category (relationship proof, residency proof, support proof) made it much smoother. Start gathering everything now - even if some documents seem minor, they all contribute to telling your complete story as the primary caregiver.

I've been through a dependent verification audit twice - once for my stepson in 2021 and again for my elderly mother in 2023. One document that was absolutely crucial both times but hasn't been mentioned much here is the IRS Form 8332 (Release/Revocation of Release of Claim to Exemption for Child by Custodial Parent) if there's any shared custody situation, even informally. For my stepson, even though his biological father wasn't actively involved, the IRS still wanted documentation that he wasn't claiming the same dependent. Also, don't underestimate the power of consistent documentation from the same sources throughout the year - if you use the same pediatrician, same school, same pharmacy, etc., it creates a very compelling timeline. I created what I called a "life timeline" for each dependent showing where they were living each month with supporting documentation. The IRS agent actually complimented me on how organized everything was and said it made their review much faster. One final tip: if your dependent receives any government benefits (school lunch programs, Medicaid, etc.), get copies of those records too - they show both residency and that you're listed as the responsible party.