Just went through this exact situation last month! One thing that really helped me was looking at the transaction descriptions on Form 8949 more carefully. Crypto transactions often have identifiers like "BTC-USD" or "ETH-USD" in the description field, while stocks will show actual company ticker symbols like "AAPL" or "TSLA". Also, check the dates - if your fiancé was actively trading crypto, those transactions often cluster around certain time periods when he was more active on crypto exchanges. Cross-reference the dates on Form 8949 with his crypto exchange account history to help identify which transactions belong to which category. Another tip: crypto transactions usually have much more decimal places in the quantities compared to stock transactions. Stocks are typically whole numbers or simple decimals, while crypto might show something like 0.00123456 BTC.

Another thing to check - if your fiancé used multiple exchanges or brokers, each one should have sent separate 1099-B forms. Sometimes people get confused because they're trying to match one 1099-B against a consolidated Form 8949 that includes transactions from multiple sources. Make sure you have all the 1099-Bs from every platform he used (Coinbase, Robinhood, Fidelity, etc.). Each broker/exchange reports only their own transactions. Then you can cross-reference each 1099-B against the corresponding transactions on Form 8949. Also, some crypto exchanges don't issue 1099-Bs at all if you didn't meet certain thresholds, so don't panic if you're missing one from a smaller exchange - you might just need to use their transaction history directly.

Has anyone else noticed that TurboTax seems to have more and more issues with each passing year? I had a similar problem with claiming education credits in 2018.

This is exactly the frustration I went through with TurboTax for my 2018 return! The software definitely wasn't updated properly for the hardship exemption changes. I ended up having to manually override several prompts to get it to work correctly. One thing that helped me was going directly to Form 8965 within TurboTax (you can search for it in the forms section) and entering the exemption code there instead of going through the interview process. This bypassed all the ECN prompts entirely. For your situation with unemployment and missing open enrollment, you'd likely use either Code G (affordability) or Code H (hardship), depending on your specific circumstances. The IRS website has a good chart showing which exemptions require ECNs and which can be claimed directly - definitely worth double-checking against what TurboTax is telling you. Don't let the software bully you into thinking you need documentation when the law says you don't!

bruh idk y everyone trippin about cycles when the whole system broken af. been waiting 18 months for my 2022 refund 🤮

Cycle 05 here too! Just want to add that even though we update on Thursdays, sometimes the IRS skips weeks during heavy processing periods. Don't panic if your transcript doesn't update one Thursday - it'll catch up the following week. The waiting game is brutal but at least we're all in it together 😭

Ugh this is so frustrating! I'm in the exact same situation - filed with EIC but no PATH message anywhere on WMR. Been refreshing that thing like crazy thinking maybe I missed something 😅 At least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this weirdness. Sounds like the IRS just isn't being consistent with showing the PATH messages this year which is super confusing for everyone

This is such a common issue this year! I went through the exact same thing - filed with EIC, kept checking WMR obsessively, and no PATH message showed up anywhere. Turns out the IRS is just being super inconsistent with displaying those messages in 2025. Even without the message, if you claimed EIC you're definitely still under PATH Act restrictions. I ended up using taxr.ai to get a clear breakdown of my transcript and it was honestly a lifesaver - showed me exactly what codes were on there and when I could realistically expect my refund. Way less stressful than constantly refreshing WMR and wondering what's going on!

Has anyone used QuickBooks Self-Employed for tracking expenses with multiple gig apps? I'm trying to decide if it's worth the monthly fee compared to just using a spreadsheet.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I've been doing gig work with multiple apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub) for about 3 years now. One thing that really helped me was opening a separate checking account just for my gig work income and expenses. I have all my 1099 payments deposited there, and I use that account's debit card for any business expenses like gas, car washes, phone accessories, etc. It makes record-keeping so much easier when tax time comes around, and if you ever get audited, having that clear separation between personal and business expenses is invaluable. Also, don't stress too much about the taxes owed - yes, you'll pay more than a W-2 employee because of self-employment tax, but with proper deductions (especially that mileage!), it's usually not as bad as people think. Just make sure to start setting aside money for next year's quarterly payments now that you know about them!