22 Has anyone here used TurboTax for filing taxes in two states? I'm wondering if it handles this situation well or if I should use a different software.

One thing to keep in mind is that you may actually end up with a refund from Illinois since you overpaid them for those three months when you were living in Wisconsin. When you file your part-year resident returns, Illinois should refund you the excess withholding for the period you weren't a resident, and Wisconsin will calculate what you actually owe them for those months. The key is being precise about your move date - use the date you physically relocated and established domicile in Wisconsin, not when you updated your address with HR. Keep records of your lease signing, utility connections, voter registration changes, etc. as proof of your residency timeline in case either state questions it later.

lol welcome to PATH act hell... we're all just stuck here together watching our transcripts like hawks 🦅

Been through this multiple times and here's what I've learned: During the PATH Act hold, the IRS is basically running automated checks on your return against databases like Social Security Administration for dependent info and Department of Labor for income verification. Your transcript will show "Processing Date" but won't move much until after Feb 15th. Once the hold lifts, things usually move fast - typically see 846 refund date code within 24-48 hours if no issues found. The key is patience during this period since it's completely automated and there's literally nothing you can do to speed it up.

Has anyone used TurboTax for claiming education expenses that aren't on the 1098-T? Will it flag this as an issue or let me enter additional qualified expenses?

This is a really common situation that many graduate students face! You're absolutely right that computers can qualify as educational expenses when required for coursework, and the fact that your 1098-T shows $0 doesn't prevent you from claiming legitimate additional expenses. For your $850 laptop purchase, here's what I'd recommend for documentation: keep that bank withdrawal record, any text/email communications with the seller, and definitely get something from your school showing computer requirements for your online courses. A syllabus mentioning required software or a program tech requirements page would be perfect. The key is being able to demonstrate that the computer was necessary for your education. Since you were taking online courses requiring video conferencing and specialized software, that's a pretty clear educational need. The IRS understands that not all educational expenses flow through the school's billing system. One thing to keep in mind - make sure you're eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit based on your income limits and other factors. And if you end up getting audited (unlikely but possible), having that documentation ready will make the process much smoother. You're being smart to do this correctly rather than just skipping a legitimate deduction!

I went through this exact same situation a couple years ago! The confusion is totally understandable - it feels like such a betrayal when you think you're doing everything right with taxes being taken out, then suddenly you owe money. One thing that really helped me understand what was happening was looking at my effective tax rate versus my marginal tax rate. When you were working part-time in high school making less money, you were probably in a much lower tax bracket overall. But now at $58k, you're likely in the 22% federal bracket, plus state, plus that city tax which is the real killer. The city tax issue is huge and often overlooked. Many payroll systems are terrible at calculating local taxes correctly, especially if your employer uses a third-party payroll company. I'd bet money that's where most of your $1,250 city tax bill came from. Here's what I did that fixed it for me: I calculated exactly what I should owe in city taxes for the full year (annual salary × city tax rate), then divided that by my number of paychecks. The difference between that and what was actually being withheld became my "additional withholding" amount on my W-4. It sucked seeing smaller paychecks at first, but getting a refund the following year instead of owing money was such a relief. You're definitely not doing anything wrong - the system is just not great at handling local taxes automatically.

I totally feel your frustration - this exact same thing happened to me when I first started making "real" money! The jump from part-time to full-time income really changes the tax game, especially when city taxes get involved. One thing that might help explain the TurboTax confusion: the software calculates your federal taxes first (which might show a refund), but then when it adds in state and local taxes at the end, that refund can disappear or flip to owing money. It's super misleading and stressful to watch! The fact that you're losing about 1/3 of your paycheck to taxes but still owe money almost certainly points to a withholding issue, particularly with city taxes. Most employers' payroll systems are notorious for getting local tax withholding wrong - they either don't withhold enough or sometimes don't withhold any city taxes at all. My advice: grab your most recent pay stub and look at the breakdown of what's being withheld. You should see separate lines for federal, state, and city/local taxes. Compare the city tax percentage to your city's actual tax rate (you can usually find this on your city's website). I'm betting you'll find a big gap there. The good news is this is totally fixable with a new W-4 form requesting additional withholding. It'll sting a bit to see smaller paychecks, but it beats getting hit with surprise bills every April!

I've been through this exact scenario! My Bank of America account closed unexpectedly right after I filed, and I was absolutely panicking about my refund. Here's what actually happened: BoA rejected the deposit within 24 hours (they're super efficient with government deposits to closed accounts), and then exactly 21 days later I found a paper check from the U.S. Treasury in my mailbox. The IRS customer service rep I eventually got through to explained that once your bank rejects the deposit, their system automatically triggers a paper check to be mailed to your address on file - no action needed from you. The frustrating part is that the "Where's My Refund" tool never updated to show the status change, so I had no idea when to expect it. My advice: verify your mailing address is correct on your return, then just wait it out. Your substantial refund is safe - it's just taking the paper route instead of electronic! The investment plans can wait a few more weeks. 💰

I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation and reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful! My Bank of America account got closed unexpectedly last week, just days after I filed my return expecting direct deposit. Based on all the shared timelines here, it sounds like I can expect BoA to reject the deposit within 1-2 business days, then wait about 2-3 weeks for the IRS to mail a paper check. The consistent experiences across different banks really shows this is a well-established process. I'm definitely going to stop obsessing over the Where's My Refund tool since everyone mentions it's unreliable for these situations. It's such a relief to know this is so common and that my refund isn't just lost in the void somewhere! Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences and timelines - this community support is exactly what I needed during this stressful situation. Now I just need to practice patience and keep a close eye on my mailbox! 📬