Varo is usually good. Mine came early. Check your account details. Make sure they're correct. IRS doesn't make mistakes often. But it happens. Give it until end of day tomorrow. Then worry. Most people get their money on time.

I'm in the exact same boat! DDD 3/18 with Varo and still nothing as of this morning. Last year my refund hit 2 days early around 6 AM, so I was expecting it yesterday or today. I've been checking the app obsessively too! 😅 From what I've read, Varo's early deposit timing can be inconsistent - sometimes it depends on when the IRS sends the ACH files to the banks. I'm trying not to panic yet since we still have until tomorrow, but the waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when you're counting on that money!

Dumb question maybe, but why does it matter what percentage is US Government Sourced Interest? Is this just for state tax purposes or does it affect federal taxes too?

Great question, Sean! You're absolutely correct about the BlackRock SGOV calculation - multiplying your total dividends by 96.45% is exactly the right approach. For SPDR BIL, I had the same issue last year. What worked for me was calling SPDR investor relations directly at 1-866-SPDR-ETF. They were able to email me the exact percentage within a few hours. For BIL in 2024, it was around 97.8% US Government Sourced Interest, but you'll want the current year's figure. One thing to watch out for - make sure you're looking at the right tax year's data. Some funds update their supplemental tax documents late in the year, so double-check the reporting period matches your tax year. Also, since this is your first time with government securities, remember to report this correctly on your state return if your state has income tax. The US Government Sourced portion should be exempt from state taxes in most states, which can save you a decent amount depending on your state's tax rate.

This is exactly why I avoid TurboTax completely now. They use what's called "dark patterns" - deliberately confusing interface design that tricks you into paying for services you didn't want. The "Refund Processing Service Fee" is particularly sneaky because they present it as if it's required when it's actually optional. A few things you can try: 1. Call TurboTax customer service and be very firm that you never authorized premium services. Ask them to specify exactly which premium features you supposedly used. 2. If they won't budge, dispute the charge with your credit card company - you have a strong case since you didn't knowingly agree to the upgrade. 3. File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov - they've taken action against TurboTax before for these practices. For next year, I'd recommend looking into alternatives like FreeTaxUSA, Cash App Taxes, or if you qualify for IRS Free File. These companies have gotten way too comfortable charging hundreds for what should be a simple process. Hope you get your money back!

This is infuriating but unfortunately super common with TurboTax. They've perfected the art of the bait-and-switch - you think you're getting basic filing but somehow end up with premium charges. A few things to try immediately: 1. **Document everything** - take screenshots of your TurboTax account showing the charges and any correspondence 2. **Call TurboTax customer service** (1-800-446-8848) and demand they show you exactly when/where you agreed to premium services. Be persistent and ask for supervisors if the first rep won't help 3. **Dispute with your credit card company** - explain you never authorized the premium upgrade and the charges were added deceptively 4. **File complaints** with both the FTC (consumer.ftc.gov) and your state's attorney general office The "Refund Processing Service Fee" is particularly scammy because it's literally charging you for them to take money out of your refund instead of paying upfront - something that should be free. I've seen people successfully get partial refunds by being persistent with customer service. Don't let them tell you that you "used premium features" without making them specify exactly what those were. Good luck getting your money back! This predatory pricing is exactly why so many people are switching to alternatives.

Has anyone tried writing off the mileage driving between client homes instead? I found that to be much more straightforward and actually worth more in deductions than trying to deal with all these meal expense complications. Last year I tracked over 8,000 miles just driving between pet sitting clients and that deduction was worth waaaaay more than my meal expenses would have been.

Great discussion everyone! As someone who's been dealing with similar tax questions for my small business, I wanted to add that documentation is absolutely key regardless of which deductions you pursue. For meals specifically, even if you do qualify for the travel deduction, the IRS requires you to keep records showing the business purpose, date, location, and amount of each expense. A simple spreadsheet noting which client you were serving and why the meal was necessary for business can make all the difference if you're ever questioned. I also second what others have said about mileage - it's often a bigger deduction and much clearer cut. Don't forget you can also deduct other business expenses like pet supplies, cleaning supplies for client homes, phone bills (business portion), and even professional liability insurance if you carry it. Sometimes focusing on these more straightforward deductions gives you better results than trying to navigate the gray areas around meal expenses.

Has anyone here used the Marcus app to see their interest breakdown by account? I found that if you go to Documents > Tax Documents in the app, it actually shows the interest earned for each account separately, which made it easier for me to verify the total matches what's on the 1099-INT before I entered it in my tax software.

Great question! I went through this exact same situation with my Marcus accounts last year. Yes, you should definitely add up all the Box 1 amounts from all five accounts - that's your total taxable interest income from Marcus that needs to be reported. A few additional tips from my experience: 1. Make sure to cross-reference the account numbers listed on your 1099-INT with your actual Marcus accounts to ensure nothing was missed 2. The interest from your 2026 CD is indeed taxable for 2024 if it was credited to your account during 2024, even though you can't access the principal without penalty 3. Keep a copy of your 1099-INT and consider creating a simple spreadsheet showing the breakdown by account - this can be helpful if the IRS ever has questions One thing to watch out for: if you opened or closed any accounts during 2024, make sure those partial-year interest amounts are included too. Marcus is pretty good about including everything on the 1099-INT, but it's worth double-checking against your monthly statements. The manual addition approach is definitely the right way to go when the import function doesn't capture everything correctly!