Has anyone tried the IRS Free File options? I heard they've improved, and they're actually free if your income is under a certain threshold.

I've been using TaxAct for the past few years and it's been a solid middle ground between free options and the expensive ones like TurboTax. Their federal filing starts around $25-30 depending on complexity, and state is usually another $37. What I appreciate about TaxAct is that they're upfront about their pricing - no surprise upgrades or constant pop-ups trying to sell you audit protection. They have all the forms you'd need for most situations including rental income, stock sales, and business expenses. The interface isn't as flashy as TurboTax but it's straightforward and gets the job done. They also offer good customer support if you get stuck, which has been helpful when I had questions about depreciation on my rental property. Much less frustrating than the TurboTax experience you described!

Just a tip about timeshares - download the actual deed and check exactly what you own. I learned the hard way that some timeshares have multiple tax bills. I had a Westin one where I had to pay: 1) Maintenance fees to the resort 2) Property taxes to the county directly 3) A special assessment fee to the local tourism district Could be that you've been paying the maintenance fees but not realizing there were separate property tax bills. Double check if your timeshare has a real deed or if it's a "right to use" contract, as the tax implications are different.

I'm so glad your timeshare didn't sell at auction! Your situation highlights a really important gap in how timeshare companies handle inherited properties. As a newcomer here, I've been reading through similar cases and it seems like this communication breakdown between resorts and county tax offices is unfortunately common. The fact that you were keeping up with maintenance fees shows you were acting in good faith. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given - when you contact the county tax assessor about penalty abatement, also ask if they can set up automatic email notifications for future tax bills. Many counties now offer this service, and it would prevent this situation from happening again. Also consider requesting that any future tax notices include both your current address AND a note that this is for inherited property. Some counties will add special flags to inherited properties to help prevent these kinds of mix-ups. Your story is actually really helpful for others in similar situations - the combination of inheriting property young, losing a parent, and dealing with address changes creates a perfect storm for these tax issues. Thanks for sharing the update too!

can u still see your transcripts? might give u more info than wmr

This happened to me too! The disappearing amount usually means they're doing some kind of review or adjustment. Could be something simple like verifying your income against what employers reported, or maybe they're double-checking a credit you claimed. The fact that the status bars are still there is actually a good sign - means they haven't rejected your return or anything. Just hang tight and keep checking every few days. Most people see it come back within 1-3 weeks, though sometimes the amount might be slightly different if they made corrections.

If I was in your shoes, I'd consider starting up the business again for real this time, maybe using some of the same equipment or concept. Wouldn't that give you a legit reason to claim some of those costs as part of the "new" startup phase?

Unfortunately, you're likely out of luck for claiming those 2017 startup costs against your current tax liability. The IRS has strict rules about when business expenses can be deducted, and there's generally a 3-year statute of limitations for amending returns to claim missed deductions. Since your wife's business never filed any Schedule C returns and has been inactive since 2018, the IRS would view this as an abandoned business venture rather than an ongoing concern. You can't carry forward unclaimed business expenses from a defunct business to offset current year W-2 income - business losses can only offset business income or be carried forward within the same continuing business entity. Your best bet at this point would be to look for legitimate current-year deductions you might have missed, or consider whether either of you could start a side business this year that would allow for legitimate business deductions going forward. But those old 2017 costs are unfortunately beyond the reach of current tax planning.

I tracked this exact scenario meticulously last year. TurboTax showed accepted on January 24th. Transcript showed absolutely nothing for exactly 26 days. Then suddenly my transcript updated with 16 different codes all at once. Refund deposited 8 days later. The systems are completely disconnected - I was shocked how the transcript went from empty to fully processed overnight with no intermediate steps!

This is totally normal and you're not alone! I went through the exact same panic last year. Think of it this way - TurboTax is like the post office confirming they received your package, but the IRS transcript is like the delivery tracking that doesn't update until it actually reaches the sorting facility. With PATH Act credits, your return is basically sitting in a special verification queue that doesn't show up on transcripts until they start processing it after mid-February. I filed January 31st last year, transcript showed nothing until February 22nd, then boom - everything appeared at once and I got my refund within a week. The waiting is torture but it doesn't mean anything is wrong! Just keep checking your transcript weekly rather than daily to save your sanity.