This is such a frustrating situation, but you're definitely not alone! I had a similar issue where my return kept getting rejected for a missing 1095-A even though I never enrolled in Marketplace coverage. One thing that helped me was using the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant tool on their website (irs.gov/help/ita). There's a specific section about health coverage reporting that walks you through exactly what to enter based on your situation. It helped me identify that I was incorrectly answering a question about "minimum essential coverage." Also, if you're still stuck after checking all the healthcare sections in your tax software, you might want to try switching to a different tax preparation program temporarily. Sometimes the way questions are worded varies between software, and what's confusing in one program might be clearer in another. The good news is that since the individual mandate penalty is $0 at the federal level, there's no financial penalty for having no coverage - you just need to make sure your return accurately reflects your actual situation.

I've been helping people with similar IRS rejection issues, and this is actually more common than you'd think. The rejection is almost certainly happening because there's a disconnect between what your tax return is claiming about your healthcare coverage and what the IRS system expects to see. Since the Marketplace has confirmed you never had coverage and there's no 1095-A form for you, the issue is definitely in your tax return preparation. Here's what I'd recommend checking: 1. Look for any question that asks about "advance premium tax credits" - this is often where people accidentally indicate they received credits when they didn't 2. Check sections about "reconciling premium tax credits" or Form 8962 - if anything is filled out here and you never had Marketplace coverage, that's your problem 3. Make sure you're not accidentally claiming any Marketplace-related tax credits The quickest fix is usually to go through your tax software's healthcare section screen by screen and make sure every answer accurately reflects that you never had Marketplace coverage. Look specifically for questions that might be worded confusingly - sometimes "Did you have qualifying coverage?" can be interpreted different ways. If you can't find the error after reviewing everything, consider starting fresh with just the healthcare portion of your return, or try a different tax software to see if the questions are clearer.

Just to add from my experience as a college student recently - if your daughter received any 1098-T forms from her school, those can help track qualified education expenses. Also, make sure you're considering the full cost of attendance, not just tuition. Room and board, books, required fees, etc. all count toward the support calculation. And don't forget things like medical expenses, car insurance, clothing, and personal items that you might pay for throughout the year. Those smaller expenses can add up and might push you over the 50% threshold!

Great thread everyone! I went through this exact situation two years ago with my son. One thing that really helped me was creating a detailed spreadsheet to track every expense category - it made the 50% support test much clearer. A few additional points that might help: 1. Don't overlook indirect support you provide - like when your daughter stays with you during breaks, the IRS has guidelines for calculating the value of lodging you provide. 2. If you're paying for her car insurance, registration, maintenance, or gas money, those all count toward your support calculation too. 3. Medical and dental expenses you pay (even copays or prescriptions) count as support from you. Based on your numbers ($8,500 child support + phone bills + health insurance premiums + any other direct payments), you might be closer to that 50% threshold than you think. The key is documenting everything thoroughly and being comprehensive about what constitutes "support." Good luck with your calculations! The peace of mind from getting this right is definitely worth the effort.

This is incredibly helpful information! I filed on February 20th and have been religiously checking WMR every morning with no updates beyond "return received." After reading this post, I immediately checked my bank account and sure enough - my refund was deposited yesterday! I would have completely missed it if not for this heads up. It's frustrating that the IRS can't keep their own tracking systems synchronized, but I'm grateful for community members like you who share these insights. For anyone else reading this - definitely check your bank accounts regularly during refund season, regardless of what WMR is showing. The money might already be there waiting for you!

I can confirm this is happening to many people this year! I filed on February 12th and WMR has been stuck on "return received" for over three weeks now. But just like you described, I checked my bank account this morning and found my refund deposited overnight with absolutely no warning from the IRS systems. What's particularly frustrating is that I called the IRS helpline twice last week worried something was wrong with my return, only to discover the money was already processed and sitting in my account. This disconnect between their processing and tracking systems is creating unnecessary stress for taxpayers. I've started telling all my friends and family to ignore WMR this year and just monitor their bank accounts directly. Thank you for posting this - it's exactly the kind of real-world information we need when the official systems aren't reliable!

Has anyone compared TurboTax Self-Employed vs. Keeper Tax for actually filing? I've been using TurboTax for years but wondering if I should switch.

For a single-member LLC with $67k in revenue and straightforward expenses like yours, I'd actually recommend starting simple and scaling up as needed. Here's my take: Start with a basic expense tracking system (even Excel works) for your first year to get familiar with what business expenses you actually have. The key deductions for your type of business are pretty standard - home office, equipment depreciation, software subscriptions, internet/phone (business portion), and professional development. Once you understand your expense patterns, then consider whether an automated solution like Keeper Tax is worth it. For many consultants, the time saved on categorization and the deductions they find do justify the cost, especially as your business grows. One thing I'd definitely suggest regardless of what tracking method you choose - set up a separate business bank account and credit card if you haven't already. It makes everything so much cleaner for tax purposes and gives you a clear paper trail. The IRS loves clean records, and it'll save you headaches if you ever get audited. Also, don't forget about quarterly estimated taxes! With $67k in profit, you'll likely owe more than $1,000 at tax time, which means you should be making quarterly payments to avoid penalties.

Don't feel bad, I've been a tax preparer for 10 years and still see this issue constantly! The 2020 revised W-4 form eliminated the allowances system, which actually makes this easier to fix now. On your new W-4s, check the box in Step 2(c) for multiple jobs. Or for more accuracy, use the worksheet in the instructions or the online IRS Withholding Estimator. With Head of Household status and 2 kids, also complete Step 3 for the Child Tax Credit ($4,000 total for two kids). Remember that how you fill out your W-4 doesn't affect how you file your taxes - it only affects withholding. You'll still file as Head of Household with two dependents regardless of what you put on your W-4.

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I completely understand your frustration! The multiple W-2 issue is really the culprit here. What helped me was realizing that I needed to be more proactive about withholding adjustments each time I started a new job. One thing that wasn't mentioned yet - consider making estimated quarterly tax payments if you continue to have multiple employers throughout the year. Even with proper W-4 adjustments, sometimes it's easier to make quarterly payments to cover any potential shortfall, especially if your income varies significantly between jobs. Also, keep detailed records of when you start and end each job, along with the income from each. This makes it much easier to use the IRS Withholding Estimator accurately and helps you spot patterns in your tax situation from year to year. I now update my withholding calculation every time I change jobs, and it's made a huge difference in avoiding surprises at tax time.