I'm in the exact same situation! Filed HOH in February and got that same frustrating call last week - "wait 180 days for a letter" with zero explanation. The rep couldn't tell me anything specific about what triggered the review. It's so stressful when you're depending on that money! But reading everyone's experiences here is really reassuring - sounds like HOH returns are getting hit hard with reviews this year but most people get resolved way before the full 180 days. Definitely going to check my transcript online tonight instead of relying on that useless "Where's My Refund" tool. Thanks for sharing your story - it helps so much to know we're not alone in this waiting game! 🙏

I'm going through the EXACT same thing right now! Filed Head of Household in January and called the IRS two weeks ago - got that same infuriating "wait 180 days and expect a letter" response with absolutely no explanation. The phone rep was completely useless and couldn't tell me why my return was flagged or what they're even reviewing. It's so stressful when you desperately need that refund money! But honestly, reading through all these comments is giving me so much hope and relief. I had no idea this was happening to so many HOH filers this year - sounds like the IRS is really cracking down on Head of Household verification. I've been obsessively checking that completely useless "Where's My Refund" tool every day, but everyone here is saying the online transcript shows way more detail. Definitely going to check that out tonight! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and timelines - knowing that most people actually get resolved way before the scary 180-day deadline is keeping me from completely panicking. This community has been such a lifesaver during this brutal waiting game! 🙏

I'm in almost exactly the same situation as you and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Filed my 2024 return in May, had to amend in August for some missed contractor payments I forgot to deduct, and just saw that 977 code appear on my transcript yesterday. I was absolutely convinced it meant my original refund was frozen or something terrible. Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a huge relief - it's clear that code 977 really is just their way of saying "we received your amendment" and nothing more dramatic than that. I had no idea about the cycle 03 Wednesday update schedule either, so I've been obsessively checking my transcript like 3-4 times every day for weeks! Since I'm also adding deductions (increasing my refund) like you with your business expenses, it's really reassuring to see so many people confirm that the original refund processes separately while the amendment crawls through their system. The consistency in everyone's timelines (original refund within 2-3 weeks of 977 appearing) gives me a lot of hope. Your tax preparer sounds like she knows what she's talking about. I'll definitely stop my daily checking obsession and switch to Wednesday evenings only, watching for that magical 846 code everyone keeps mentioning. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when you need that money for important expenses like your home repairs, but hearing all these success stories makes me feel so much better about the whole process. We've got this! 🤞

I'm in almost exactly the same situation! Filed my 2024 return in June, amended in August for some missed equipment deductions, and just saw code 977 appear on my transcript two days ago. I was absolutely panicking thinking it meant my original refund was stuck in limbo. This thread has been such a lifesaver - reading everyone's experiences confirms that 977 really is just acknowledgment they received the amendment, not some freeze code like I was imagining. I had no clue about the cycle 03 Wednesday update schedule either, so I've been obsessively checking my transcript every single day for weeks! Since I'm also adding deductions (increasing my refund) like you and most others here, it's really reassuring to see the consistent pattern where original refunds process separately while amendments take their sweet time. The 2-3 week timeline after 977 appears that several people mentioned gives me a lot of hope. Your tax preparer sounds spot on based on all these experiences. I'll definitely switch to checking only on Wednesday evenings for that 846 code everyone mentioned. The waiting is brutal when you need that money for important expenses, but knowing this is just normal processing and not some disaster scenario makes me feel so much better! We've got this! 🤞

Has anyone used TurboTax for filing S-Corp returns? I've used it for my personal taxes but not sure if it can handle the 1120-S and all the other forms for a single-member LLC with S-Corp election.

I went through this exact same situation last year as a Canadian who moved to the US and set up a single-member LLC with S-Corp election! The learning curve is definitely steep, but you're asking the right questions. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: make sure you're keeping detailed records of ALL business expenses from day one. With an S-Corp election, the IRS scrutinizes the separation between business and personal expenses much more carefully than with a regular LLC. This includes things like your home office, business meals, equipment, software subscriptions, etc. Also, since you mentioned you have a client in California, be aware that California has some unique rules for LLCs doing business in the state. You might need to register as a foreign LLC in California and pay their annual $800 LLC fee, depending on how much business activity you're conducting there. It's worth checking with the California Secretary of State or a tax professional about this. The good news is that with only $13,500 in revenue, your situation is relatively straightforward compared to higher-earning S-Corps. Just make sure you get everything filed correctly this first year to establish good habits going forward!

I'm currently dealing with a 570 code that appeared on March 8th, so I'm right in the thick of the waiting period with many of you! Filed on February 12th and was accepted the same day. What's been really helpful reading through this thread is seeing the actual timelines people are experiencing - it seems like most are resolving in that 3-6 week range even though it feels like forever when you're in it. I've been trying to resist the daily transcript checking but it's tough! One thing I noticed is that several people mentioned the combination of codes matters more than just the 570 alone. I have a 570 with a 971 dated the same day, which from what I'm reading here sounds like it's probably just a routine review rather than something more serious. Planning to wait until I hit the 21-day mark before calling, but it's reassuring to see so many success stories in this thread. The randomness of it all is definitely frustrating though - seems like there's no rhyme or reason to who gets flagged and who doesn't!

I'm currently on day 12 with my 570 code that appeared on March 25th. Filed on February 28th and was accepted the same day. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear that most of these resolve within that 3-6 week timeframe, even though it feels like an eternity when you're waiting! What I find most helpful is seeing the specific code combinations people are describing. I have a 570 with a 971 dated March 25th, and from what I'm gathering here, that seems to indicate a routine review rather than a serious issue. The randomness of who gets flagged is definitely frustrating - my sister filed a week after me with similar circumstances and already got her refund. But seeing all these success stories gives me hope that patience will pay off. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and outcomes - it really helps knowing I'm not alone in this waiting game!

Sorry to jump in with a slightly different perspective, but isn't renting a different car each week extremely inefficient tax-wise? The standard mileage rate for 2024 is around 67 cents per mile, which accounts for ALL vehicle costs including depreciation. If you're paying $15,600 annually for rentals, you'd need to be driving nearly 23,300 business miles annually to make that worthwhile compared to just using your own vehicle and taking the standard deduction. Have you calculated if this approach actually makes financial sense?

You might also want to consider whether your photography business would benefit from a dedicated business vehicle instead of weekly rentals. As a fellow creative professional, I understand wanting to protect your personal car from wear and tear, but there could be more tax-efficient approaches. For example, you could lease a vehicle exclusively for business use and deduct 100% of the lease payments, or purchase a used vehicle and depreciate it over time. This would eliminate the need to track personal vs. business use percentages entirely. That said, if the rental approach works best for your workflow (maybe you need different vehicle sizes for different shoots?), just make sure you're documenting everything meticulously. The IRS can be particularly scrutinous of Schedule C vehicle deductions, so having ironclad records is crucial. Consider setting up a simple system where you log business purpose, mileage, and take photos of receipts immediately after each rental period. Also, don't forget about other deductible expenses related to your vehicle use - things like GPS apps, car phone mounts, or other equipment you need for business travel can also be deducted as business expenses.