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I went through this exact same situation last year! My wife and I both have W-2 jobs and we bought our first house in 2023. I called around to different H&R Block locations and got quotes ranging from $275-$350 for our return (married filing jointly with mortgage interest deduction). What really helped me was calling during their slower hours (mid-morning on weekdays) rather than evenings or weekends when they're swamped. I also asked specifically about any first-time homeowner discounts - one location offered $25 off. That said, after getting those quotes, I ended up using TurboTax Deluxe instead for about $100 total. The mortgage interest part was really straightforward - just had to enter the info from our 1098 form that the mortgage company sent us. Saved us almost $200 and I felt confident we did it correctly. If you're set on using H&R Block though, definitely call multiple locations in your area since pricing can vary between franchises.
This is really helpful! I didn't think about calling during slower hours - that's a great tip. Did you find that the different H&R Block locations had different levels of helpfulness when you called, or were they all pretty similar in terms of being able to give you actual pricing info? I'm wondering if it's worth calling a few different ones or if they'll all give me the same runaround about needing to come in for a consultation.
I'm in almost the exact same boat! My husband and I are both W-2 employees and we just bought our first home last year. I've been going in circles trying to get pricing from H&R Block too - their website is so confusing with all the different tiers and add-ons. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like we're looking at around $280-350 for in-person service at H&R Block, which honestly seems pretty steep for what should be a straightforward return. The mortgage interest deduction isn't rocket science from what I understand. I'm leaning toward trying one of the software options mentioned here instead. Has anyone used both H&R Block's online software AND their in-person service? I'm curious if there's really that much difference in terms of catching deductions or ensuring accuracy for our situation. The price difference is pretty significant!
Has anyone actually tried calling the IRS Practitioner Priority Line about this? I got conflicting advice from my colleagues and decided to go straight to the source. It took almost 2 hours to get through, but the agent confirmed Form 8949 should handle the exclusion portion and Form 4797 Part III should report ONLY the unrecaptured section 1250 gain. The tricky part with software is making sure you're not double-reporting the sale. The IRS agent suggested entering the sale on 8949 first, then going back and entering just the depreciation piece on 4797.
The Practitioner Priority Line is great when you can actually get through! It's amazing how different tax software handles this situation differently. Some create a phantom entry on Schedule D that offsets the 4797 entry, others require manual adjustments. Did the IRS agent mention any specific form line references to make sure everything ties together correctly?
I ran into this exact same issue with TaxSlayer Pro earlier this season! After reading through all these responses, I can confirm that the "Sale of Home" interview process is definitely the way to go rather than trying to manually enter everything in separate sections. What worked for me was starting in the Personal Income section under "Sale of Home" and making sure to answer "Yes" when it asks about business or rental use. The software then walks you through a series of questions about the conversion date, depreciation taken, and business use percentage. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you have the original purchase date, not just the conversion-to-rental date. TaxSlayer needs both to properly calculate the basis adjustments. The software will automatically generate both the Form 8949 entry (with the Section 121 exclusion applied to the residential portion) and the Form 4797 entry (for just the depreciation recapture). The final forms looked exactly like what the IRS agent described - Form 8949 showed the excluded gain, and Form 4797 Part III showed only the $10,900 recapture as ordinary income. No double reporting, no weird zero entries that might trigger audit flags.
This is incredibly helpful! I've been making this way too complicated by trying to enter everything manually in separate sections. I had no idea there was an integrated interview process that would handle both forms automatically. Quick question - when you say it asks for the "conversion date," does that mean the exact date you started renting it out, or just the tax year? I'm dealing with a similar situation where my client converted their home to rental property mid-year, and I want to make sure I'm being precise with the dates for the basis calculations. Also, did you notice any difference in how the software handled the depreciation recapture rate? I know it should be taxed at 25% rather than capital gains rates, and I want to make sure TaxSlayer is calculating that correctly when it auto-generates the 4797.
I've been through a similar situation and can shed some light on both your questions. For the cycle code change - this happened to me in 2023 after having the same code for 4 years. In my case, it was because I started claiming home office expenses for the first time, which triggered a different processing path. Even small changes like new deductions, different income sources, or filing status changes can cause this. For CTC and PATH determination: Check your Form 1040. If you have any amount on line 27 (Earned Income Tax Credit) or line 28 (Additional Child Tax Credit), you're subject to PATH Act delays. Regular Child Tax Credit (line 19) doesn't trigger PATH. The PATH Act prevents refunds on returns with EITC/ACTC from being issued before mid-February, regardless of when you file. The good news is that a cycle code change doesn't necessarily mean delays - it just means you'll get updates on a different day of the week. Keep monitoring your transcripts but don't panic if the processing day shifts from what you're used to.
This is exactly the kind of detailed explanation I was hoping for! Thank you for breaking down both the cycle code issue and the PATH Act requirements so clearly. I just checked my Form 1040 and I do have an amount on line 19 for the regular Child Tax Credit, but nothing on lines 27 or 28, so it sounds like I shouldn't be subject to PATH Act delays. That's a relief! Now I'm wondering if maybe I claimed something new this year that I didn't realize would trigger a different processing path. I'll have to compare my current return more carefully with last year's to see what might have changed.
I've been dealing with cycle code changes for the past few years and wanted to share what I've learned. The IRS has definitely been more aggressive about routing returns to different processing cycles based on risk assessment algorithms they've implemented since 2021. Even seemingly minor changes like switching from standard deduction to itemizing, or vice versa, can trigger a different cycle assignment. For your CTC/PATH questions - here's a quick way to check: Look at your Form 1040. If you see amounts on line 27 (EITC) or line 28 (Additional Child Tax Credit), you're subject to PATH Act holds until mid-February. Regular Child Tax Credit on line 19 does NOT trigger PATH delays. One thing that's helped me track processing patterns is keeping a spreadsheet of my cycle codes year over year along with what changed in my filing situation. This year my cycle code changed because I started contributing to an HSA for the first time. The IRS seems to flag any new deductions or credits for additional verification, even if they're completely legitimate.
Quick question - is ur aircraft a single engine or multi? I'm looking at buying a Piper Seminole to put on leaseback with a flight school and wondering what kind of depreciation schedule to expect. Also what state are u in? I heard some states have personal property tax on aircraft that can really add up!
Not OP, but I have a Seminole on leaseback in Florida. Multi-engine aircraft typically follow the same 5-year MACRS depreciation schedule, but your operating costs will be substantially higher than a single engine. The real question is whether you'll generate enough rental income to offset the higher costs of operating a twin. For a Seminole, you're looking at roughly $280-350/hr rental rate depending on your market, but your insurance will be significantly higher than a single engine aircraft. As for state taxes, Florida doesn't have personal property tax on aircraft, but many states do. I know California, Texas, and Georgia all have some form of property tax on aircraft that can run 1-2% of the value annually.
Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same situation last year with my Cessna 172 on leaseback. A few quick tips since you're down to the wire: 1. Definitely use business code 532400 as mentioned earlier - that's exactly what I used and it worked perfectly. 2. For your depreciation, since the aircraft was purchased last year, make sure you're claiming the right bonus depreciation rate. If it was placed in service in 2023, you can take 80% bonus depreciation which is a huge tax advantage. 3. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you're properly allocating expenses between your maintenance work for the club vs. your aircraft ownership. The IRS will want to see clear separation between these two income streams on your Schedule C. 4. Don't forget about Form 4562 for depreciation - it's required when you have assets like aircraft. Since you mentioned having good documentation of your 500+ business hours, that should help establish this as a legitimate business rather than a hobby. Just make sure you have receipts for all your deductible expenses ready in case of questions later. Good luck with the filing! Even if it's not perfect, getting something reasonable submitted and then amending later with a CPA is a solid plan.
This is really helpful advice! I'm new to aircraft ownership and considering a similar leaseback arrangement. Quick question - when you mention separating the maintenance work income from aircraft ownership income, do you file two separate Schedule C forms or just use different line items on the same form? Also, how do you handle situations where you're doing maintenance on your own aircraft that's generating rental income - does that create any weird circular accounting issues?
Jasmine Hernandez
Watch out! I've seen this situation go badly for several people: • They assume the money is coming in a second deposit • They wait weeks with nothing happening • When they finally contact IRS, they learn the deadline to redirect the credit has passed • The money stays applied to next year's taxes Don't wait if you need that money now. The 826 code specifically means they've moved $1,300 to your 2024 tax account as a prepayment. It will NOT automatically come to your bank.
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Alberto Souchard
I went through this exact same situation three months ago and can confirm what others are saying - code 826 means they transferred your $1,300 to cover 2024 tax obligations. The key thing to understand is this money is now sitting as a credit on your 2024 tax account, not coming as a separate deposit. Since you mentioned needing this for medical bills, you absolutely can request that credit be refunded to you instead of applied to next year's taxes. You'll need to call the IRS and specifically request a refund of the transferred credit. They can process this, but it typically takes 6-10 weeks once approved. Don't wait on this - there are time limits for redirecting these transfers. I'd recommend calling first thing Monday morning (they tend to have shorter wait times early in the week) and have your Social Security number and the exact amount ready when you call.
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ThunderBolt7
•This is really helpful - thank you for the detailed explanation! I'm curious about the time limits you mentioned. Do you know specifically how long someone has to request that the transferred credit be refunded instead of applied to next year's taxes? And when you called, did they ask for any specific forms or documentation, or was it just a verbal request over the phone?
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