I feel your pain! Same thing happened to me last year - the H&R Block tracker was all over the place. What I learned is that their system tries to sync with IRS data but there's often a delay or glitch. The disappearing progress bar usually means the IRS is doing some kind of update on their end. My advice: check the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool directly instead of relying on H&R Block's version. It's not as pretty but at least it's straight from the source and more reliable!

The H&R Block tracker is notorious for being unreliable - you're definitely not alone in this frustration! The bars disappearing and reappearing is usually because they're trying to sync with IRS systems but there are delays or connection issues. I've seen people stress for weeks over these glitchy trackers when their refunds were processing normally. Your best bet is to go straight to the IRS Where's My Refund tool or pull your actual account transcript. The third-party trackers just add unnecessary anxiety to an already stressful process!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my voice to what seems to be a very consistent pattern here. I filed on March 14th and just received my review notice today with the same 60-120 day timeline everyone's been discussing. Reading through all these detailed experiences has been incredibly valuable - the consistency of actual resolution times (45-60 days) versus the quoted timeframe is remarkable and really helps set realistic expectations. What I find most helpful is how this community has essentially created a playbook for managing this process: weekly transcript monitoring, systematic record keeping, and understanding what the various codes actually mean. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about setting up IRS account access immediately and tracking everything in a simple format. It's reassuring to see that literally every experience shared here resolved well before that scary 120-day mark. For anyone else just starting this journey, it seems like the key is staying organized, being patient but proactive, and remembering that the initial timeline they give you is their absolute worst-case scenario, not the norm. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I just filed on March 15th and received the review notice this morning with the dreaded 60-120 day timeline. Like everyone else here, I initially felt that sinking feeling in my stomach thinking about waiting 4 months for my refund. But reading through all these detailed experiences has been incredibly reassuring - the pattern is so clear that actual resolution times are consistently in the 45-60 day range, not anywhere near that 120-day worst-case scenario they quote. I'm definitely going to implement the community playbook I've learned here: set up transcript monitoring immediately, check codes weekly (not obsessively), keep detailed records of any calls, and most importantly, remember that those initial 570/971 codes are normal parts of the process, not cause for panic. It's amazing how this community has transformed what could be months of anxiety into a manageable process with realistic milestones. The consistency across everyone's timelines really suggests we're looking at 6-8 weeks, not 16-20 weeks. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share such specific details - you've quite literally saved my sanity and given me a clear roadmap for the next couple months!

I work for a tax resolution firm and see this mistake multiple times every tax season - you're definitely not alone in this! The IRS actually has a pretty straightforward internal process for handling misdirected payments, and most agents are well-trained on how to transfer payments between tax years. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here: if you made the payment through a third-party service (like a bank's bill pay or a tax software payment portal), you might want to have that information handy too. Sometimes the IRS references payments differently when they come through intermediaries. Also, don't be surprised if they ask you to verify some information from your most recent tax return - it's just standard identity verification. The agent might ask for your adjusted gross income from last year or your filing status. The silver lining here is that since you caught this mistake relatively quickly, it'll be much easier to resolve than if you discovered it months later. Most people I've helped with similar issues get it sorted within one phone call, assuming they have all their documentation ready. You're going to be just fine!

I can totally relate to that sinking feeling when you realize you've made a mistake like this! I did something similar a couple years back where I accidentally selected the wrong tax year when making an estimated payment online. The dropdown menus can be so confusing when you're rushing to meet a deadline. The good news is that everyone here is absolutely right - this is way more common than you'd think, and the IRS has seen it all before. I ended up calling their main line (1-800-829-1040) on a Thursday morning around 7:15 AM and got through surprisingly quickly - maybe 25 minutes on hold. The agent was actually pretty friendly and said "Oh, we get these calls every day during tax season!" One small tip I'd add: when you call, mention right away that you need to "transfer a payment between tax years" - I found that using their terminology helped the agent understand exactly what I needed faster. They'll walk you through the whole process step by step. You're going to get this sorted out just fine - try not to stress too much about it! Sometimes these little mistakes end up teaching us to be more careful next time, but they're rarely as catastrophic as they feel in the moment. 😊

This is a great question that trips up a lot of people starting collectibles businesses! The distinction between dealer and collector status is crucial for tax reporting. Since you're planning to operate as a business (regularly buying and selling for profit), you'll likely be considered a dealer, which means Schedule C reporting. Your coins would be treated as inventory, and profits would be ordinary business income rather than capital gains. However, there's an important nuance: you can potentially have both dealer AND collector activities. If you clearly segregate certain coins as personal investments (not for resale), those specific items could qualify for Schedule D treatment when sold. The key is documentation - you need to establish your intent at the time of purchase and maintain clear records. For your eBay business setup, I'd recommend: 1. Keep detailed records of all purchases with dates, costs, and intent (business inventory vs personal investment) 2. Use separate storage/tracking for any coins you designate as investments 3. Consider consulting with a tax professional familiar with collectibles businesses before you start The IRS looks at factors like frequency of sales, time spent on the activity, expertise in the field, and profit motive to determine dealer vs collector status. Starting with proper documentation will save you headaches later!

Another important consideration is quarterly estimated tax payments if your business becomes profitable. Since you'll be self-employed with this coin business, you'll likely need to make quarterly payments to avoid underpayment penalties. The IRS generally expects you to pay at least 90% of your current year tax liability or 100% of last year's liability (110% if your prior year AGI was over $150K) through withholding and estimated payments. For a new business, I'd recommend setting aside about 25-30% of your net profits in a separate account for taxes - this covers federal income tax, self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare), and potentially state taxes. You can use Form 1040ES to calculate and make these payments quarterly. Also, don't forget you can deduct legitimate business expenses like eBay fees, PayPal fees, shipping supplies, storage costs, photography equipment for listing photos, and even a portion of your home if you use it exclusively for business storage or office space (home office deduction). Keeping detailed records of all these expenses will help reduce your tax burden significantly.

Called FTB yesterday they said theres huge backlog rn dealing with identity verification for online banks 🙄

Had the same issue last year with Chime and CA state refund. Ended up taking 6 weeks total because they flagged it for manual review. Pro tip: if you're still waiting after 4 weeks, definitely call FTB and ask about the status. Sometimes they need you to verify your identity through ID.me which can add another week or two to processing.