I actually work for a financial services company that processes government payments, and I can share some insight here. Money Network cards typically have transaction limits that vary based on the issuing agency. For IRS tax refund cards specifically, the standard maximum balance is $15,000, but there's usually no single transaction limit for government ACH deposits - meaning your entire refund should go through in one deposit as long as it doesn't exceed the card's balance capacity. However, deposits over $10,000 may trigger additional fraud prevention reviews that could delay access by 1-2 business days. I'd recommend calling the customer service number on your card to confirm your specific limits, especially since you mentioned this is an amended return with a larger amount. Better to know for certain than worry about it!

I had a similar situation last year with my amended return! I was expecting around $11,000 and was really nervous about potential issues. I called Money Network customer service directly (the number on the back of my card) and they were actually pretty helpful once I got through. They confirmed that my specific card could handle the full amount since it was under the maximum balance limit. The representative also mentioned that IRS deposits are treated differently than regular ACH transfers - they have priority processing and rarely get rejected due to amount limits. My refund came through perfectly fine about 2 weeks after the IRS said it was issued. The peace of mind from that phone call was totally worth the 45-minute wait time. I'd definitely recommend calling them directly with your card info to get confirmation for your specific situation!

OP - one more thing to consider - if this is your first year with self-employment income, don't forget you might need to make quarterly estimated tax payments this year! That was the thing that surprised me most when I first filed a Schedule C.

Just wanted to add - for your first time filing Schedule C, double-check that you've correctly calculated your self-employment tax using Schedule SE. That's separate from your regular income tax and catches a lot of new self-employed filers off guard. The SE tax is basically your Social Security and Medicare taxes since you don't have an employer paying half of it anymore. Also, since you mentioned using TurboTax, make sure you review the "Tax Summary" section before finalizing - it should show you exactly what forms are being filed and any signatures required. The software usually walks you through the signature process pretty clearly for both e-filing and paper filing options. Good luck with your first Schedule C filing! It gets much easier once you've done it a few times and understand the process.

A creative solution some companies use is providing experiences rather than physical gifts. Team outings, special lunches, or tickets to events are sometimes classified differently than direct gifts if they serve business purposes like team building or promoting company culture. I personally think the best approach is transparency - if you're going to give something taxable, just be upfront that it might impact their taxes slightly but is still meant as a genuine thank you. Most employees would rather have a taxable gift than no gift at all!

From my experience working in payroll, the $200-250 range your manager is considering will definitely be treated as taxable compensation. The IRS is pretty strict about this - any gift from employer to employee in a work context gets taxed, regardless of the genuine appreciation behind it. One thing to consider is asking your manager to "gross up" the gifts - essentially increase the amount to cover the tax burden so employees receive the intended net value. For example, if she wants each person to effectively receive $200, she might need to give around $270-280 to account for federal, state, and payroll taxes. Another approach is splitting the appreciation into multiple smaller components: maybe a $50 gift card (taxable but smaller impact) plus a nice company-branded item under $75 (potentially de minimis) plus a team celebration lunch (generally non-taxable when occasional). This way the total appreciation is still meaningful but the tax hit is reduced. The key is being transparent with your team about any tax implications upfront so there are no surprises come W-2 time!

Is anyone going to mention the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA)? Or does that not apply since it's a US citizen selling foreign property rather than a foreigner selling US property?

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of getting proper documentation of the property's fair market value as of the inheritance date in 2016. Since Greece may not have the same appraisal systems we're used to here, your mom should try to gather any official valuations, tax assessments, or comparable sales data from around that time to support the stepped-up basis calculation. Also, she should keep detailed records of any improvements or maintenance she's done to the property since inheriting it, as these costs can potentially be added to her basis and reduce the taxable gain. Even if she hasn't physically been there, any money spent on upkeep, repairs, or improvements through a property management company would count. The currency conversion aspect is tricky too - she'll need the EUR/USD exchange rates for both the 2016 inheritance date and the sale date. The IRS has historical exchange rate tables on their website that are considered official for tax purposes, so make sure to use those rather than just any online converter.

this is getting rediculous... its MY money and I need it NOW! 😤

I'm in the same situation - filed on 1/25 and still showing "processing" on FTB. Really appreciate the tax professional's insight about the 4-6 week timeline due to fraud prevention. At least now I know it's not just me and there's a legitimate reason for the delay. Hoping we all see some movement soon!