anyone know if child tax credit falls under this too?

Thanks for the detailed breakdown! Filed early with EITC and have been anxiously checking WMR daily. Good to know Feb 22nd is when things actually start moving. The waiting game is brutal but at least there's a clear timeline now 🙏

For what it's worth, I use TurboTax Premier for my returns with Form 1116, and it handles all these calculations automatically. Saves me from having to decipher the IRS instructions. I had a similar issue with Canadian income last year, and the software correctly applied my excess foreign tax credits to previous and future years.

I went through this exact same frustration with my UK income last year! The issue you're describing with Line 19 sounds like you might be running into the foreign tax credit limitation calculation. Here's what I learned: the Foreign Tax Credit can never exceed the amount of US tax that would be owed on that same foreign income. So even if you paid more in UK taxes than you would owe in US taxes, you're limited to crediting only the US tax amount. The confusing part is that Line 19 is calculating what portion of your total US tax liability is attributable to your foreign income. If you have both US and foreign income, or if you're taking the standard deduction, this can create a situation where your allowable credit is less than the foreign taxes you actually paid. One thing to double-check: are you sure you don't have any US-source income mixed in? Even small amounts of US interest, dividends, or other income can throw off the calculation. Also, make sure you're not accidentally including any UK taxes that were paid on income that's excluded from US taxation. The silver lining is that any excess foreign tax credits can be carried forward for up to 10 years, so they won't go to waste if you continue earning foreign income.

Can someone explain if the QBI deduction works for a single-member LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship? I make custom furniture and reported about $62,000 in profit on Schedule C. My tax guy mentioned QBI but I don't understand if I'm actually getting it or how much it should be.

I had the exact same confusion with my graphic design business last year! The QBI deduction was actually working perfectly, but TurboTax's interface made it seem like nothing was happening. What's likely occurring is that TurboTax calculates your potential QBI deduction as soon as you enter your Schedule C information. So when you get to the specific QBI section later in the process, you're just confirming something that's already been factored into your refund calculation. Think of it this way - if your husband's photography business had $50k in qualified business income, you could potentially deduct $10k (20% of $50k) from your taxable income. But TurboTax probably already included this benefit in your running refund total based on the business income you entered earlier. To verify this is working correctly, look for Form 8995 or 8995-A in your tax documents when you're done. That's where the QBI calculation actually appears, and you should see the 20% deduction amount listed there. The QBI deduction is definitely valuable - it can save hundreds or thousands in taxes depending on your business income and tax bracket. It just doesn't show up as a dramatic "refund jump" because good tax software anticipates it!

Has anyone tried claiming the home office deduction using freetaxusa instead of turbotax? Turbotax is charging me an extra $120 just to add a schedule C but I heard freetaxusa lets you do it for free.

Just wanted to add another perspective on this whole home office depreciation thing. I've been running a small business from my home for about 5 years now, and I've used both the actual expense method (with depreciation) and the simplified method at different times. The simplified method ($5 per square foot) is honestly a lifesaver if you're just starting out or don't want to deal with the complexity. It's clean, simple, and you don't have to worry about depreciation recapture when you sell your house. But if you have a larger home office space and significant home expenses, the actual expense method can definitely save you more money. Just make sure you're keeping meticulous records of everything - utilities, repairs, insurance, property taxes, etc. The IRS can be pretty strict about home office deductions, so documentation is key. One tip: take photos of your home office setup and keep them with your tax records. It helps establish that the space is used exclusively for business if you ever get audited.

I went through this exact situation two years ago and here's what I learned the hard way. First, definitely use the "Where's My Amended Return" tool instead of the regular WMR - they're completely separate systems. Second, set up access to your IRS transcript online if you haven't already, because it really does update weeks before the WMAR tool shows anything. Look for transaction codes like TC971 (which means they received it) and TC977 (which means they're processing it). For the timing issue with your tuition - I hate to say this, but you really should have a backup plan. Even in the best case scenario, you're looking at 12-16 weeks minimum, and that's assuming no complications. If you absolutely need that refund for tuition next month, you might want to look into student loans or payment plans with your school. The IRS doesn't prioritize amended returns just because you have financial deadlines, unfortunately. One thing that might help is calling the IRS directly if you're past the 16-week mark - they can sometimes expedite processing in cases of financial hardship, though it's not guaranteed. Good luck!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now, though mine's only been 8 weeks so far. One thing I discovered that might help you is that if you create an account on IRS.gov, you can actually see your transcript online without having to wait for mail delivery. The Account Transcript shows all the activity on your account, including when they received your amended return and any processing codes. Also, regarding your tuition deadline - have you checked if your school offers emergency financial aid or short-term loans? Many colleges have hardship funds specifically for situations like this where expected money is delayed. It might be worth talking to your financial aid office about a bridge loan until your refund comes through. Some schools are surprisingly flexible when they understand it's an IRS processing delay rather than a student just not planning ahead. The waiting is definitely the worst part of this whole process. I check my transcript obsessively even though I know nothing's going to change day to day!