One thing to watch out for - make sure you're using the correct tax forms for each year! The 2020 forms are different from current ones because of the special Covid provisions. I made this mistake and had to refile because I downloaded the wrong year's forms.

Hey there! I totally understand that anxiety about getting behind on taxes - life happens and sometimes important stuff falls through the cracks, especially after major life changes like divorce. The good news is you're not in as bad a spot as you might think! Since you're making around $38k annually, you're likely eligible for several credits that could actually result in refunds rather than owing money. The Earned Income Credit alone could be worth $1,500+ depending on your filing status and any dependents. A few quick points to ease your mind: - You have until May 2024 to file 2020 and still claim any refund (including those Covid credits) - If you're due refunds, there are no late filing penalties - you just don't get your money until you file - The IRS has been pretty understanding about Covid-related delays Don't let the fear keep you from filing - in many cases, people in your income range end up getting money back even when filing late. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll know exactly where you stand and can move forward with peace of mind.

Anyone know if this differs for retirement accounts like an early withdrawal from a CD inside an IRA? I had to take money out early from my IRA CD and got hit with penalties from both the bank and the IRS 10% early withdrawal thing. Super confused about how to handle both on my taxes.

I went through this exact same situation last year with a 12-month CD that I had to break early for emergency expenses. The bank was similarly unhelpful about issuing corrected forms. What worked for me was keeping detailed records of everything - the original CD terms, the penalty calculation, and all correspondence with the bank. I took screenshots of my online banking showing the penalty transaction and printed out the CD agreement that showed how penalties were calculated. On my tax return, I reported the full penalty amount on Schedule 1, Line 18 as others mentioned, and attached a brief statement explaining the situation. I included the penalty amount, the dates involved, and noted that the bank declined to issue a corrected 1099-INT despite the penalty including interest from the prior tax year. The IRS accepted it without any questions. The key is having good documentation to back up your deduction if they ever ask. Don't let the bank's unwillingness to cooperate prevent you from claiming a legitimate deduction!

Anyone know if there's a difference in refund amounts typically between filing 1040 vs 1040NR for students? I filed 1040 last year cuz that's what turbotax recommended but now wondering if I should have done 1040NR instead. My country (india) has a tax treaty with US so maybe i missed out on some benefits?

As someone who went through this exact same confusion with my F-1 status, I can confirm what others have said - the 5-year exempt individual rule is key here! Your roommate should definitely file 1040NR for his first 5 calendar years in the US, regardless of being here over 183 days. The W-2 from his on-campus job doesn't change which form to use - nonresidents can still receive W-2s and file 1040NR. For the South Korea tax treaty, there are specific benefits for students that he can only claim on the 1040NR form. Article 20 of the US-Korea treaty typically covers student income exemptions. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure he checks if his university incorrectly withheld FICA taxes (Social Security/Medicare) from his paychecks. F-1 students are generally exempt from FICA for their first 5 years, so if they withheld these taxes, he can get a refund by filing Form 843 with his university payroll office. The tax software like TurboTax often gets this wrong for international students, so definitely stick with 1040NR for now. Good luck!

I feel your pain on this! The confusion between transcript dates and notice dates is so frustrating. From what I've seen, when you get a CP-21B notice like that, they usually default to sending a paper check even if you have direct deposit on file - something about the "corrected" refunds needing extra verification. The 2-3 week timeframe they mention is usually pretty accurate from the notice date (so mid to late January for you). I know it sucks when rent is coming up, but at least the CP-21B is good news - it means they found you're owed MORE money than you originally claimed. Hang in there! 💪

I'm dealing with something similar! Got my CP-21B notice last week and was also confused about the check vs direct deposit situation. From what I've been able to piece together from calling the IRS (took forever to get through), when they make corrections to your return like with the Recovery Rebate Credit, they often switch to paper checks for security reasons even if you have DD set up. The timeline from the notice date has been pretty accurate in my experience - I got my check exactly 15 days after the notice date. Since your notice was dated 1/6, you should hopefully see it by around 1/20-1/27. I know waiting sucks when bills are due, but the silver lining is that CP-21B means they found you're owed MORE money than you originally claimed! Stay strong! 💪

Quick tip: Always save PDF copies of your returns from any software you use. That way you can do a line-by-line comparison to catch exactly where the discrepancy happened. I found a $520 error last year by comparing forms this way - one software miscalculated my self-employment tax completely.

This is exactly why I always recommend double-checking your return with a second software before filing! The $653 difference you found is significant and unfortunately more common than people realize. Since you've already identified that TurboTax missed your student loan interest deduction, you're definitely on the right track with filing an amended return. Just make sure you have all your documentation ready - the IRS will want to see your Form 1098-E (student loan interest statement) to verify the $2,100 deduction you're claiming. One thing to keep in mind: the student loan interest deduction phases out at higher income levels, so double-check that your modified adjusted gross income qualifies you for the full deduction. But if FreeTaxUSA properly calculated it and you're under the income limits, you should be good to go. Filing that 1040-X might take several months to process, but getting back $650+ is definitely worth the wait. In the future, maybe run your taxes through two different programs before filing - could save you this headache next year!