Tax professional here: This is standard procedure for Louisiana's verification program. They randomly select returns to verify income reporting accuracy. Best practices: 1) Send copies not originals 2) Use certified mail 3) Keep proof of mailing 4) Include letter reference number on all docs 5) Make copies of everything you send. Average processing time after docs received is 30-45 days. Pro tip: Use taxr.ai to analyze your federal transcripts first - it can help identify any discrepancies that might trigger state reviews. Worth the $1 cost to avoid headaches later.

Same thing happened to me last year! I was freaking out at first but it really is just routine. Louisiana does these verification checks pretty regularly. I sent in copies of everything they requested and got my refund about 5 weeks later. Just make sure you respond within their deadline - I think they give you like 30 days to send the docs. Don't stress too much about it!

This is really encouraging to hear! I filed about 2.5 weeks ago and have been anxiously checking my transcript daily with no updates yet. Reading these success stories gives me hope that things are moving faster this year. Quick question - when you say your refund "just hit" your account, was it there when you woke up this morning or did you get a notification from your bank? I have alerts set up but I'm wondering if I should be checking more frequently. Also, did your transcript show any other codes before the 846 appeared, or did it go straight from processing to refund issued?

This is such great news to hear! I'm still waiting on mine - filed on February 15th and my transcript hasn't updated beyond the initial processing codes yet. It's really reassuring to see that people are getting their refunds faster this year. Quick question - did you notice any pattern with when your transcript updated? I've been checking mine every morning around 6 AM but wondering if there's a specific time when the IRS systems refresh overnight. Also, for anyone else still waiting, I found that creating an IRS online account to check transcripts directly has been way more informative than relying on the WMR tool, which seems to lag behind significantly. Fingers crossed mine updates soon!

Absolutely agree with @9c1cbad1d199 about the documentation being crucial here! I went through a similar situation last year and learned the hard way that the IRS really does focus on when you first started actively seeking customers, not when you "officially" launched. @d7b1bf01b6c9 Since you mentioned those Facebook ads were for "testing the waters," I'd recommend pulling the exact dates they ran and what the ad copy said. If the ads promoted your services or asked people to contact you for consultations, that's likely your business start date right there - even if you were just testing response rates. One thing that worked well for me was creating a simple spreadsheet with three columns: Date, Expense Description, and Classification (Pre-Business/Post-Business Start). This made it super easy when tax time came around to show my accountant exactly what happened when. The good news is that if your business started with those Facebook ads, most of your $7,500 in expenses probably occurred after that point, which means they'd be regular business expenses rather than startup costs requiring amortization. Your laptop, software subscriptions, and later advertising would all be immediately deductible (subject to having business income to offset them against). Just make sure to keep records showing you had genuine profit motive from the beginning - the fact that you were tracking expenses and testing marketing approaches actually demonstrates this really well!

This entire discussion has been super eye-opening! I had no idea that those Facebook ads I ran in September could actually be considered my business start date. Looking back at the ad copy, I was definitely promoting my digital marketing consultation services and asking people to message me for a free strategy session - so yeah, I was actively seeking customers even if I called it "testing." This actually works out better than I thought! If September is my business start date, then most of my $7,500 in expenses happened after that point, which means they'd be regular business expenses rather than startup costs. The laptop ($2,800), software subscriptions ($1,200), and additional advertising ($800) all came after those initial Facebook ads. I'm going to create that spreadsheet everyone mentioned and pull all my Facebook ad data with exact dates and copy. I actually did get a few inquiries from those ads that I followed up on, so I have email documentation showing I was genuinely pursuing business. Thanks everyone for helping me realize this! I was dreading having to amortize everything over 15 years, but it sounds like I might be able to deduct most expenses immediately. Definitely going to consult with a tax pro armed with all this documentation to make sure I get the classification right. You've all saved me a ton of money and stress - this community is amazing!

This is such a helpful thread! I had no idea about the wash sale rule requiring a 30-day wait period after December 31st - that explains so much. I've been getting annoyed with TD Ameritrade every year for the same reason as the OP. One thing I'm curious about though - do any brokerages offer preliminary forms for simple accounts while they work on the complex stuff? It seems like they could at least give us the straightforward dividend and interest income early, even if capital gains and wash sales take longer to calculate. Also, for those mentioning corrected forms - is there a way to tell which investments are more likely to generate corrections? I'm wondering if I should avoid certain types of funds if I want to file early without worrying about amendments later.

This thread has been incredibly educational! As someone who gets impatient waiting for tax forms every year, I finally understand why the delays are necessary. The wash sale rule requiring a 30-day wait after December 31st was a total revelation - I had no idea that was even a thing. I'm curious about one more aspect though - do these delays affect retirement accounts differently? I have both taxable investment accounts and a Roth IRA with the same brokerage. Should I expect the retirement account tax forms to come out on a different timeline, or do they all get processed together? I assume retirement accounts might be simpler since there are no wash sales or capital gains to worry about for tax purposes. Also, for anyone dealing with multiple brokerages like I am, is there any advantage to consolidating everything with one company to potentially speed up the tax document process, or does it not really make a difference?

This is incredibly helpful - thank you for the detailed breakdown! As someone with rental properties who's been procrastinating on leaving TurboTax, your comparison gives me the confidence to finally make the switch. The depreciation reporting difference you highlighted is huge. I've been burned before by incomplete records during an IRS inquiry, and having that comprehensive depreciation schedule is non-negotiable for me. The fact that FreeTaxUSA imports historical data while maintaining separate tracking for each property is exactly what I need. One thing I'm curious about - how did FreeTaxUSA handle any passive activity loss carryforwards? I've got some suspended losses from previous years that I need to track properly, and I'm worried about losing that information in the transition. Also really appreciate all the discussion about the additional tools like taxr.ai for organization and claimyr for IRS contact. The rental property tax situation can get complex fast, so having these resources in the toolkit could be invaluable. Definitely going with FreeTaxUSA this year - the $15 is a steal compared to what I've been paying TurboTax!

This comparison is incredibly timely for me! I've been dragging my feet on switching from TurboTax because I was worried about handling my rental property depreciation correctly. Your detailed breakdown of how FreeTaxUSA imports historical data while maintaining comprehensive depreciation schedules is exactly what I needed to hear. The fact that it pulled in your depreciable assets from TurboTax with only minor discrepancies gives me confidence that the transition won't be the nightmare I was imagining. I've got two rental properties with different purchase dates and improvement histories, so maintaining accurate basis tracking is crucial. Your point about CashApp's limited depreciation handling is a dealbreaker for me too. I learned the hard way that proper depreciation records are essential - got questioned by the IRS a few years ago and having detailed schedules saved me from a much bigger headache. Quick question: did you notice any differences in how FreeTaxUSA calculated depreciation compared to TurboTax? I'm using MACRS for most of my assets but have some bonus depreciation from prior years that I want to make sure transfers correctly. Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough review - definitely convinced me to make the switch this year!