Has anyone used TurboTax for this situation? I'm having trouble figuring out where to enter my expected reimbursement information since I haven't received it yet but know it's coming.

I've been through this exact scenario with my MBA program! The key thing to remember is that you report education expenses and reimbursements in the year they actually occur, not when the courses were taken. For your 2024 return, you can claim education credits based on your actual out-of-pocket expenses: $5382.70 (tuition paid) minus $1250.00 (scholarships) = $4132.70 in qualified expenses. Don't worry about the reimbursement you haven't received yet. When you get that $2954.23 reimbursement in 2025, it will be tax-free employer educational assistance (under the $5250 limit) and gets reported on your 2025 return. The IRS doesn't require you to "claw back" education credits from previous years when you receive reimbursements later - you report each transaction in its proper tax year. Make sure to keep good records showing when you paid tuition vs. when you received reimbursement, just in case you ever need to explain the timing to the IRS. But this is actually a pretty common situation with employer tuition assistance programs that have semester limits like yours.

One more thing to consider - keep track of ALL your tutoring expenses! That includes: - Miles driven to tutoring sessions - Books or materials you buy - Portion of internet/phone used for tutoring - Any online subscriptions for teaching resources These all reduce your taxable income from tutoring. Even if you go over $600, good expense tracking might mean you pay very little tax on that income!

As someone who went through this exact situation when I first moved to the US, I completely understand the confusion! One thing that really helped me was realizing that the US tax system is actually pretty straightforward once you understand the basics. Since you're already earning $98K from your university job, your tutoring income will likely be taxed at your marginal rate (probably 22% federal plus state taxes if applicable) plus the 15.3% self-employment tax. So roughly 35-40% total depending on your state. But here's the key insight: don't let the tax tail wag the income dog! Even if you pay 40% in taxes on that extra $165 ($750 - $585), you'd still net about $100. That's $100 more than you'd have by turning down the work. The beauty of our progressive system is that earning more never results in you taking home less money overall. Each additional dollar is only taxed at the marginal rate, not your entire income. My advice: take those extra tutoring sessions, set aside about 35% for taxes, and don't stress about the $600 threshold. It's just a reporting requirement, not a tax cliff. Good luck with your first US tax season!

Quick tip - if you expect to owe more than $1000 in taxes for the year, you need to make estimated quarterly tax payments to avoid underpayment penalties. I learned this the hard way and got hit with penalties my first year contracting. Easiest way is to use the IRS Direct Pay system and select "estimated tax" as the reason. You'll need to calculate roughly what you'll owe each quarter based on your income. Quarters are due April 15, June 15, Sept 15, and Jan 15 of the following year (weird schedule, I know).

The confusion is totally understandable! Think of it this way - when you're a W-2 employee, you see 7.65% deducted from your paycheck for Social Security and Medicare, but your employer is secretly paying another 7.65% that you never see. So the total is actually 15.3%, you just don't realize it. As a 1099 contractor, there's no employer to pay that hidden half, so YOU have to pay the full 15.3% as self-employment tax. Your federal income tax is completely separate - it's based on your income bracket and has nothing to do with Social Security/Medicare. The bright side? You can deduct half of that self-employment tax (the "employer" portion you're paying) when calculating your federal income tax. Plus, all those business expenses you can write off as a contractor often make up for the extra tax burden. Just make sure you're tracking everything - home office, mileage, equipment, software subscriptions, etc. At $78k with mixed W-2 and 1099 income, 44% savings rate does seem high. You might want to run the numbers more precisely or consult with a tax professional to make sure you're not over-saving (though better safe than sorry after last year's surprise!).

I'm going through something very similar right now - my 2020 amended return was mailed certified on February 28th and it's been 12 weeks with absolutely nothing showing up in the "Where's My Amended Return" tool. I have the delivery confirmation that they received it on March 1st. What's really frustrating is that I called the main IRS number (1-800-829-1040) three times over the past month and each time I was told something different. First rep said "give it another few weeks," second one couldn't find any record of it at all, and the third one said paper returns are taking 4-6 months just to be entered into their system right now. The inconsistent information is almost worse than the delay itself. At least if they gave everyone the same realistic timeline, we'd know what to expect. But when their own website says 3 weeks and their phone reps are saying 4-6 months, it's impossible to know what's actually happening. I'm considering trying some of the services mentioned in this thread to get better information, because the uncertainty is really getting to me. Has anyone had luck getting consistent information from the IRS recently?

I feel your frustration completely - I went through something very similar with my 2018 amended return a couple years ago. The "3 weeks to show up in system" timeline on their website is honestly outdated and misleading at this point. Here's what I learned from my experience: The IRS processes paper amended returns in batches, and right now they're severely understaffed. Your return is almost certainly sitting in a physical pile somewhere waiting to be manually entered into their computer system. The fact that you have certified mail confirmation of delivery on April 11th is crucial - keep that documentation safe. At 8 weeks, you're definitely within your rights to call and inquire. Try calling early in the morning (8-9 AM) on Tuesday or Wednesday for the best chance of getting through quickly. When you call, have your SSN, filing status, exact dates, and that certified mail tracking number ready. One thing that helped me was asking the representative to put notes on my account about my inquiry. That way if you need to call again, there's a record of your previous calls and concerns. Also ask for a case reference number if they can provide one. The waiting is absolutely the worst part, but in my experience, these "lost" returns usually aren't actually lost - they're just buried in processing backlogs that are much longer than what their website suggests.

Pro tip: Write down all your previous addresses and employers for the past 3 years before you go. They love asking those surprise questions to trip people up lol

Been through this twice unfortunately. Besides what everyone mentioned, they might also ask about any changes in your banking info or direct deposit details from previous years. Also bring a recent pay stub if you're employed - they asked me about my current job even though it wasn't on my return yet. The whole thing took about 45 minutes but most of that was waiting. Good luck! 🤞