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Amended Return Shows $0 Adjustment & CTC Payments Stopped - What's Happening?!

I'm SO frustrated right now! ๐Ÿ˜ค I amended my 2023 tax return on April 1st and it says it was adjusted August 23rd and then processed on 9/10. The IRS told me I would receive a notice by then but I've gotten NOTHING in the mail! They told me to call again after October 21st if I hadn't received anything, but now I can't even get through to anyone! I was supposed to get $2,400 back but when I looked at my transcript I see an adjusted amount of $0. How is that even possible?! I'm so confused! To make everything worse, I received one Child Tax Credit payment for $750 in September, then it suddenly stopped with status "pending review." I tried calling about that too but of course, no explanation whatsoever. Does anyone have ANY idea what could possibly be going on or what I can do? I'm at my wit's end and really need this money! ๐Ÿ˜ซ

I've seen this happen before, and sometimes the issue isn't with the IRS processing but with how the amendment was prepared. Back in 2022, I had a similar situation where my amended return showed $0 adjustment because I had made an error in how I calculated the change. Have you considered getting a second opinion on your amendment from a tax professional? It might be worth paying for an hour of a CPA's time to review what you submitted. In my case, I had to submit a second amended return to correct the first one, which was a headache but eventually resolved the issue. Sometimes the DIY approach with amendments can lead to technical errors that aren't obvious to non-professionals.

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This is actually a really good point about possibly needing to amend again. Did you prepare the amendment yourself or use a tax professional? Sometimes the forms can be tricky, especially if you're claiming additional credits or deductions that weren't on your original return.

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I'm going through something very similar right now! Filed my amended return in June and it's been showing that same frustrating $0 adjustment since September. What I've learned from talking to multiple IRS reps is that when your amendment involves claiming additional credits (especially CTC or EITC), it automatically triggers what they call an "identity verification review." The $0 is basically a placeholder while they verify you're eligible for the credits you're claiming. The really annoying part is that this review can take 16-20 weeks from the processing date, not the filing date. So even though yours was "processed" in September, the clock for the review period actually started then. As for the CTC payments stopping - that's standard procedure when there's any kind of review involving child-related credits. They pause all payments until the review is complete to avoid overpayments. I know it's incredibly frustrating, but from what I've seen in this community, most people eventually get their full refund once the review is complete. Hang in there!

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IRS Hold Due to Incorrect IP PIN - 8 Week Delay After Filing 2/22

I'm so frustrated right now. The IRS is saying my taxes are on hold because of an incorrect IP PIN number, and it could take up to 8 additional weeks before I get a deposit date or even a letter in the mail. I filed on February 22, so this is already taking much longer than my friends who filed later and already received their refunds. In my home country, tax refunds are processed within 10 days consistently, but here I'm waiting forever and now this PIN issue. I really need this money for my visa renewal next month. Has anyone dealt with this IP PIN problem before? I'm trying to be patient but it's really difficult when you're counting on that money.

Had this happen. 2021 filing season. Wrong IP PIN. Got letter after 5 weeks. Verified online. Refund came 12 days later. Total wait: 7 weeks. Not full 8 weeks. But close. Keep checking mail daily. Check IRS website for identity verification options. Don't wait for letter if possible. Online verification is faster.

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I'm dealing with something similar right now - filed 2/18 and got the dreaded "your return is being processed" message that hasn't changed in weeks. Haven't received any letters yet but based on everyone's experiences here, sounds like I should expect one soon. Quick question for those who've been through this - when you did the online identity verification, did you need any specific documents ready? I want to be prepared when my letter arrives so I can get this resolved as quickly as possible. Also, did anyone try updating their address with the IRS before doing the verification, or does that potentially slow things down even more? Really appreciate everyone sharing their timelines - helps manage expectations when the IRS website is so vague about what's actually happening.

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Can online social casino losses be itemized as tax deductions?

Hey fellow tax nerds - so I recently got into these online social casinos (the ones where you buy coins but can't cash out real money). I've spent probably around $2500 on them so far this year and was wondering if I can deduct these losses when I itemize on my taxes? I know with regular gambling you can deduct losses up to the amount of your winnings, but since these social casinos aren't technically gambling (since you can't win real money), I'm confused about how this works for tax purposes. Has anyone dealt with this before or know the answer? Thanks!

My understanding is that for something to count as a gambling loss, you need the chance to win actual money or something with monetary value in return. Since these social casinos don't let you cash out real money, they're considered entertainment expenses - just like buying a movie ticket or a video game. Now if you were playing on sites that do allow real money gambling (and are legal in your jurisdiction), those losses would be deductible up to the amount of your winnings, but only if you itemize deductions rather than taking the standard deduction.

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Does anyone know if this applies to those sweepstakes casinos too? The ones where you can win "sweepstakes coins" that can be redeemed for cash? They claim they're not gambling but seems like a gray area.

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For sweepstakes casinos where you can redeem prizes for actual cash or monetary value, that's different from pure social casinos. Those would likely qualify as gambling for tax purposes since there's a monetary prize involved. In those cases, your winnings would be taxable as gambling income, and your losses (purchases) would potentially be deductible up to the amount of your winnings if you itemize deductions on Schedule A. The key distinction is whether you can receive something of monetary value in return for your play.

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I'm a regular player on these social casinos and was disappointed to learn these aren't deductible! But it makes sense - I'm basically just buying entertainment. One thing to consider though - if you're a content creator or streamer who plays these games as part of your business, you might be able to deduct them as a business expense. That's what my accountant told me since I have a small YouTube channel where I review social casino games.

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That's actually a really good point! What documentation do you keep to prove it's a business expense? Do you track which games you play for content vs personal entertainment?

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For business expense documentation, I keep detailed records of which purchases are for content creation vs personal play. I maintain a spreadsheet tracking the date, amount spent, which game, and whether it was for a video/review or just personal entertainment. I also save screenshots of the content I create using those games and keep receipts of all purchases. My accountant said the key is being able to show a clear business purpose - like creating reviews, tutorials, or entertainment content that generates income. You need to be able to demonstrate it's an ordinary and necessary expense for your content creation business, not just personal entertainment you happen to film.

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Why does it say I have a W-2c coming? What does this corrected W-2 form mean for my taxes?

Title: Why does it say I have a W-2c coming? What does this corrected W-2 form mean for my taxes? 1 I just logged into my employee portal and there's a notification saying I have a W-2c coming soon. I've never gotten one of these before and I'm freaking out a little. Does this mean there was something wrong with my original W-2? Will this delay my refund or mess up my taxes that I already filed? I filed like the second week of February because I usually get money back. Now I'm worried I'll have to redo everything. Has anyone dealt with this before? Should I wait to file if I haven't already?

3 Just to add from my experience as a payroll specialist - most W-2c forms we issue are for small corrections that don't impact federal tax liability. Common ones include: - State tax withholding adjustments - Incorrect address or name spelling - Box 12 code corrections for benefits - Retirement plan checkbox errors Only about 30% of the W-2c forms we issue actually require the employee to amend their return. So don't panic until you see what specifically was corrected!

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8 If my W-2c shows they took out more taxes than on my original W-2, would I get more refund if I amend? Or is it not worth the hassle?

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3 Yes, if your W-2c shows more federal withholding than your original W-2, filing an amended return would likely result in an additional refund. The difference would be whatever additional amount was withheld. Whether it's "worth the hassle" depends on the amount. If it's just $20-30, some people might not bother. But if it's hundreds of dollars, most would find it worthwhile to file the 1040-X. Remember that you generally have three years to claim any additional refund, so you don't have to rush if you're not ready to deal with it immediately.

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14 I got a W-2c last year after my company realized they messed up reporting some health insurance premiums. The crazy thing was that even though the numbers changed a bit, my tax software said it didn't affect my refund at all! Apparently some changes just don't matter for tax calculations. Maybe wait to see what exactly changed before worrying too much?

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19 Which tax software did you use that told you whether the changes mattered? Mine just makes me start over with a new return and I have to figure out if anything's different myself.

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I used TurboTax, but honestly it wasn't super clear about WHY the changes didn't matter. It just showed me a side-by-side comparison and said my refund amount stayed the same. For a more detailed analysis of what actually changed and why it impacts (or doesn't impact) your taxes, you might want to try something like taxr.ai that several people mentioned above. It seems like it actually explains the reasoning behind whether changes are significant or not, which would be way more helpful than just getting a "no change" message.

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Tax advice needed for teenage Vinted reseller (ยฃ6000 income) - UTR questions

I've made around ยฃ6000 on Vinted since August selling mostly vintage clothes and accessories. I filled out some paperwork back in October and received a UTR number, but I'm super confused about what to do next. I'm only 16 and have no clue about taxes! I want to register as self-employed (sole trader) but don't have an official business name or anything formal set up. A few questions: - Does having a UTR number mean I'm already registered as self-employed? - How exactly do I report my earnings to HMRC? - What's the deadline for sorting all this out? - Any general advice would be really helpful since I'm completely lost This is my first time dealing with anything tax-related and my parents aren't familiar with self-employment stuff either. Thanks in advance!

Another teenage seller here! One thing to watch out for - if you're still in education and your parents claim Child Benefit for you, your self-employment income could affect that. If you earn over a certain amount, it might reduce what they get.

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That's not quite right. Child Benefit is affected by the PARENT'S income (if they earn over ยฃ50k), not the child's income. The teenager's own earnings won't affect Child Benefit payments at all.

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Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! At 17, I was making similar amounts selling vintage finds on multiple platforms and felt completely overwhelmed by the tax side. A few things that really helped me: 1. **Complete your sole trader registration ASAP** - You can do this online through HMRC's website. It's actually quite straightforward once you start, and you don't need a fancy business name (you can just use your own name). 2. **Set up a simple spreadsheet** - Track every sale, every expense, and keep photos of receipts on your phone. I wish I'd done this from day one instead of trying to reconstruct everything later! 3. **Put aside 20-30% of your profits** - Open a separate savings account and transfer a portion of each sale into it. This way you won't be hit with a massive tax bill you can't afford. 4. **Consider getting help with your first Self Assessment** - Whether that's through one of the tools others mentioned, or even just having an accountant review it before you submit. The peace of mind is worth it. The key thing is not to panic - HMRC actually has pretty good resources for young entrepreneurs, and making ยฃ6k from reselling at 16 is genuinely impressive! You're already being responsible by asking these questions early.

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