I went through this exact same thing last month! What finally worked for me was temporarily unfreezing all three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) for 24 hours, then trying the Credit Karma account creation again. The verification process needs to ping all of them and if even one is frozen it'll fail. Also double-check that your SSN, DOB, and address in TurboTax match exactly what's on your credit reports - no abbreviations or nicknames. Good luck!

Had this exact same problem last week! What ended up working for me was using a different device entirely - turns out TurboTax sometimes caches failed attempts and keeps blocking you even after you fix the underlying issue. I tried on my phone instead of my laptop and it went through immediately. Also make sure you're not using any VPN or ad blockers as those can interfere with the identity verification process. If you've already unfrozen your credit as others suggested, give it a try on a completely different device/browser.

Dumb question maybe, but why are you setting up an S-corp if you're just a single-member LLC? I've heard the tax savings aren't worth the headache until you're making well over $100k profit. Now you've got this whole retirement plan complication too.

Your analysis looks spot-on! You're absolutely correct about the SEP-IRA being your best option for 2023. Just to reinforce what others have said - with your $95,000 W-2 wages from the S-corp, you can contribute exactly $23,750 to a SEP-IRA (25% of compensation), and you have until March 15th to both establish and fund it. One thing I'd add: make sure you're documenting your "reasonable salary" justification well. The IRS scrutinizes S-corp salaries, especially when the salary seems low relative to distributions. Your $95k salary on $405k in sales might raise eyebrows, so having solid documentation about industry standards for engineering consultants will be important. For 2024, definitely go with the solo 401k - the flexibility is unmatched. You'll be able to contribute up to $69,000 total ($23,000 employee + up to $46,000 employer contribution based on your salary). Just remember to establish it by December 31, 2024, though you have until the tax deadline to actually fund it. Also worth noting: if your income continues to grow, consider bumping your salary a bit in 2024. Higher salary = higher retirement contribution limits, and it might help with IRS reasonableness tests.

Pro tip: Sign up for text alerts with SBTPG. At least youll know the second they get it

Just wanted to add that you can also check your IRS transcript on the IRS website to see exactly when your refund gets processed and released. It'll show a 846 code when the money actually gets sent out to SBTPG. Usually takes them 1-2 business days after that to deposit it in your account. The transcript is free and way more detailed than WMR!

Just wanted to add that if you're filing fewer than 10 1099-NECs, the IRS actually has a free online filing system called the FIRE system (Filing Information Returns Electronically). There's a bit of a learning curve, but once you're set up, it's pretty straightforward.

Just to clarify something important that might help others - you absolutely cannot use 2022 forms for 2023 tax year filing. The IRS requires current year forms for all information returns like 1099-NEC and 1096. However, there's good news! You don't need to buy expensive "official" forms anymore. You can download the current 2023 forms directly from the IRS website (irs.gov) and print them on regular white paper as long as they're printed at exactly 100% scale with no adjustments. The IRS scanners can read these just fine. For the 1099-NEC, make sure you're downloading the "Copy A" version for filing with the IRS. The forms are available as fillable PDFs, so you can type directly into them before printing, which makes everything much cleaner and easier to read. This way you can use up those leftover forms for scratch paper and get compliant 2023 forms without spending extra money!

22 Make sure you keep a copy of your W-2 even if you don't file! My daughter lost hers and then needed it later for financial aid applications. Also, don't forget to check if you need to file a state tax return - some states have much lower filing thresholds than the federal government.

Hey Grant! I was in almost the exact same situation when I got my first job at 16 - totally clueless about taxes and panicking about doing something wrong. Don't worry, you're definitely not messing anything up by asking questions! Since you only made $2,300, you're not required to file, but definitely check box 2 on your W-2 to see if any federal taxes were withheld. If there's money there, filing will get you a refund - it's basically free money that's already yours! Even if it's just $20-30, it's worth the experience of going through the process. The key thing to remember is that your parents claiming you as a dependent and you filing your own return are completely separate things. They can still claim you AND you can file to get your withholdings back. For someone with just one W-2 like you, the whole process should take less than an hour using any free tax software. Think of it as good practice for when you'll be required to file in future years. You've got this!