Does anyone know if you could get in trouble with the IRS for not filing if you were actually owed a refund? I'm in a similar situation - didn't file for 3 years but I think I had too much withheld from my paychecks.

Hey Sean, I totally understand the anxiety you're feeling - I went through something similar a few years back! The good news is that with income levels around $8k-$10k per year, you were likely below the filing threshold for some of those years anyway (the standard deduction would have covered most of your income). Here's what I'd recommend: First, don't ignore it any longer - it's better to be proactive. Contact the IRS to get wage transcripts for those years (Form 4506-T) so you can see exactly what was reported. You'll probably find that you had taxes withheld and are actually owed refunds! The IRS generally won't penalize you for late filing if you're owed a refund, but you do lose the right to claim refunds after 3 years from the original due date. So if you had refunds coming for 2021, you need to file by April 15, 2025 to claim them. Don't let this stress consume you - tackle it step by step and you'll get through it. The IRS deals with situations like this all the time, and they're generally reasonable when you're making an effort to get compliant.

If its any consolation. I'm in the same boat. 2/19 DDD and SBTPG still says awaiting. Tax preparer said it could take a few more days because of high volume this year. They're processing millions of returns at once. Try to be patient even tho I know it sucks when your waiting on ur money.

I'm dealing with the exact same frustration! Had a 2/19 DDD and SBTPG has been stuck on "awaiting transfer" for a week now. It's so stressful when you're counting on that money. I've been checking my bank account obsessively but nothing yet. Reading through these comments though, it sounds like their system is just really behind this year and the website doesn't update in real time. Definitely going to pay upfront next year to avoid this middleman nightmare. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not alone in this!

I'm an EA and see this scenario frequently with clients. Last month, I had a couple where the wife (secondary taxpayer) couldn't access their AGI verification through her account but the husband (primary) could. We verified that her SSN was correctly entered on Form 1040 Line 6b. The transcript appeared in her account 9 days after it appeared in his. This timing differential is due to the IRS's Central Authorization File (CAF) system, which processes primary taxpayer access first, then secondary taxpayer access in a separate batch process.

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm what others have said - both spouses will eventually have access to the joint return transcripts in their individual IRS accounts. However, there's definitely a timing difference. In my case, my husband (primary taxpayer) could see our 2022 MFJ transcripts about 3 weeks after e-filing, while I couldn't access them until almost 2 weeks later. The IRS customer service rep explained that their system processes primary taxpayer access first, then updates secondary taxpayer accounts in a separate cycle. Just be patient - you'll get access to the same information, it just takes a bit longer as the secondary filer.

Quick question about e-filing in this situation - has anyone successfully e-filed with no full-year state residency? When I tried last year, TurboTax kept giving me errors and forcing me to choose a "home state" even though I didn't have one.

This is actually a pretty common situation for people with mobile lifestyles! You're correct that you can be a non-resident or part-year resident in all states you lived in without being a full-year resident anywhere. One thing to double-check though - make sure you understand Colorado's rules about "domicile" vs "residency." Even if you weren't there 183+ days, if Colorado considers itself your domicile (basically your permanent home base where you intend to return), they might still try to claim you as a full-year resident for tax purposes. Since your mail goes to your friend's place there and you're returning there, you might want to clarify this with Colorado's tax department. Also, since you've been in South America since September, depending on how your income was structured and how long you stay abroad, you might qualify for some foreign income exclusions on your federal return. Worth looking into if you're doing any work while traveling. Keep all your documentation (lease agreements, employment contracts, travel records) - the IRS and state agencies love clear timelines when dealing with multi-state situations like yours.

Let me share a specific example from today: My brother and I both have Capital One accounts. We both had DDDs of 2/22. His refund ($1,850) hit his account at 11:42am today. Mine ($3,275) didn't deposit until 3:18pm. Same bank, same DDD, different processing times. It's like waiting for a train that runs on its own mysterious schedule - it'll get there when it gets there, but it's definitely coming.

Just wanted to update everyone - my Capital One deposit hit at 6:47am this morning! DDD was 2/24 so it came exactly one day early. For those still waiting, don't panic if yours doesn't show up today. Capital One definitely processes in waves and I've noticed they seem to prioritize accounts with longer banking history first. My account has been open for 4 years and I've had direct deposit set up the whole time. Also, make sure you're checking both your available balance AND pending transactions - mine showed as pending for about 2 hours before fully posting to my account.