Code 846 is definitely a good sign! That March 9th date is when the IRS officially releases your refund for direct deposit. In my experience, most people get their money on that exact date or sometimes even a day early if their bank processes it quickly. Since March 9th is a Saturday this year, some banks might actually deposit it on Friday the 8th, while others could delay until Monday the 11th. I'd suggest checking with your bank about their weekend deposit policy just to be safe. The stress with kids and bills is totally understandable - once you see that 846 code though, you're basically in the clear! The IRS has approved everything and sent it to Treasury for payment.

Code 846 is great news! That means your refund has been approved and is scheduled to be released on March 9th. Since you mentioned you're planning everything down to the day with bills and daycare, just keep in mind that March 9th is a Saturday this year. Some banks will process it on Friday March 8th, while others might hold it until Monday March 11th depending on their weekend policies. I'd recommend calling your bank to ask about their government deposit processing on weekends - that way you can plan your bill payments accordingly. The stress with multiple kids and expenses piling up is so real, but seeing that 846 code means you're basically home free! The IRS has done their part and sent it to Treasury for payment.

I went through this exact same situation last year! FreeTaxUSA definitely allows 1099-NEC filing for free on federal returns - I had two 1099-NECs plus some other forms and didn't pay anything for federal filing. They only charge for state returns (around $15) which is still way cheaper than what other services charge just to include a 1099-NEC. For the AGI issue, I'd strongly recommend getting your actual AGI rather than entering $0 if you had any income last year. The IRS transcript service at IRS.gov is surprisingly fast - took me about 10 minutes to set up an account and get my transcript. Even if you made just a few hundred dollars last year, your AGI wouldn't be $0, and entering the wrong amount could delay your refund or cause your e-file to get rejected. FreeTaxUSA's interface is clean and straightforward compared to the flashier services. It walks you through everything step by step without trying to upsell you every few minutes. Much less stressful than dealing with constant upgrade prompts!

I can definitely confirm FreeTaxUSA handles 1099-NEC for free! I've been using them for three years now after getting fed up with TurboTax's constant fee increases. No charges for federal filing regardless of how many 1099s you have. For your AGI situation, the IRS transcript method really is your best bet. I had to do this last year when my old tax software company got acquired and I lost access to my returns. Go to IRS.gov and search for "Get Transcript Online" - you'll need to verify your identity with some personal info, but once that's done you can download your tax transcript immediately. It shows your AGI right on there along with all your other tax info from previous years. One word of caution though - if you enter $0 when your actual AGI was higher, your e-file will likely get rejected and you'll have to start over. The IRS uses prior year AGI as a security check, so accuracy matters here. Better to spend 15 minutes getting the transcript than dealing with rejection delays later! FreeTaxUSA's interface might look plain compared to the flashy competitors, but honestly that's a feature not a bug. No constant pop-ups trying to sell you "protection" or "premium" features you don't need.

Has anyone tried calling Intuit directly? Maybe they can help? This seems like a massive faillure on their end.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Got my settlement check for $34 last week and it's been rejected at three different places - my credit union, Chase, and even tried at a check cashing place. The check cashing place said something about the routing number not validating properly in their system. It's so frustrating because like you said, it's not a huge amount but it's still money we're owed. I'm starting to wonder if they made the checks hard to cash on purpose. Has anyone had any luck contacting the settlement administrator directly to complain about this?

Am I the only one whos been refreshing since 11pm? 🤡

Cycle 02 usually updates between 12am-3am EST on Friday mornings, but I've noticed it can sometimes be as late as 6am. I'd recommend checking around 2am and then again at 6am if nothing shows up. Also remember that even after your transcript updates, it might take a few more hours for WMR to reflect the changes. Hang in there! 🤞

This is actually a really important question that @Freya Andersen raised. When I had my returns done, they were definitely e-filed - I got the electronic confirmation and everything. But now that you mention it, I never really paid attention to what software they were using or how the process worked on their end. If the software requires a valid PTIN to e-file as a paid preparer, then either they somehow got around that requirement or they're filing under someone else's PTIN. Both scenarios are pretty concerning and suggest this might be more serious than just forgetting to renew their registration. I'm definitely going to ask them directly about this when I confront them about the PTIN issue. The fact that they've been able to e-file for years without a valid PTIN suggests there might be some deliberate deception going on rather than just an oversight.

As someone who's been through IRS issues before, I'd strongly recommend documenting everything before you confront your preparer. Make copies of all your past returns, any correspondence, receipts for payments to them, etc. The e-filing point that others raised is crucial - if they've been successfully e-filing without a valid PTIN, they're either using someone else's credentials (identity theft/fraud) or somehow gaming the system. Both are serious federal violations. I'd also suggest checking the IRS Preparer Directory online to see if your preparer appears there at all. You can search by name and location. If they're not listed anywhere, that's another red flag. Before confronting them directly, you might want to file Form 14157 first. That way if they become hostile or try to cover their tracks after you ask questions, you've already gotten your complaint on record with the IRS. The last thing you want is for them to disappear or destroy records once they know you're onto them.