I'm in the exact same situation! Filed early February, got a 3/12 DDD, and still nothing in my account as of this morning (3/15). The tracker hasn't budged from "Refund Approved" either. Reading through these comments is actually really reassuring - sounds like this is pretty normal and the IRS systems are just terrible at updating in real time. I'm going to give it until Monday like others suggested before I start really panicking. It's so stressful when you're counting on that money though! Will definitely update here if/when mine hits.

Same exact situation here! Filed 2/8, accepted 2/9, got a 3/12 DDD and it's now 3/15 with nothing in my account and the tracker still stuck on "Refund Approved." This thread is honestly making me feel so much better - I was starting to think something went seriously wrong with my return. It's crazy how unreliable the IRS systems are. I called my bank this morning and they confirmed no pending deposits, but based on what everyone's saying here it sounds like we just need to be patient a few more days. The fact that others are reporting their refunds hitting even when the tracker never updated is reassuring. I'll definitely post an update when mine comes through. Thanks for sharing your experience OP - misery loves company! 😅

The photography business loss might raise some red flags since the expenses are much higher than the income. Make sure you can prove you're trying to make a profit. Take classes to improve skills, have a business plan showing projected path to profitability, advertise your services, maintain separate business accounts, etc. I've been running a photography business for years and had losses the first two years. As long as you treat it like a serious business and not a hobby, you should be fine claiming the losses.

Great question! Yes, you'll definitely need separate Schedule C forms for each business. The IRS considers these distinct activities - your jewelry business, delivery work, and photography are all different types of operations with different income streams and expense categories. For your photography business showing a loss, you can absolutely deduct those losses against your other income as long as you're operating it as a legitimate business (not a hobby). The key is demonstrating profit motive - keep records of your business plan, marketing efforts, time invested, and steps you're taking to improve profitability. One thing to watch out for: with $19k in equipment expenses against $6.8k income, make sure you're properly depreciating larger equipment purchases rather than deducting them all in one year. Camera gear, lighting equipment, etc. typically need to be depreciated over several years unless you elect Section 179 or bonus depreciation. Also consider whether some of those equipment purchases might qualify for the Section 179 deduction, which could let you deduct up to $1,160,000 in qualifying business equipment in the year you placed it in service (for 2024). This could be beneficial for your photography business if the equipment qualifies.

I'm dealing with reference number 1242 as well and wanted to share what finally worked for me after weeks of trying. Instead of calling the main number repeatedly, I used the automated callback feature which saved me hours of waiting on hold. You can request a callback through the IRS website or by staying on the line when you call - they'll call you back when an agent is available rather than making you wait. Also, I discovered that having your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from your prior year return ready is crucial - they use this to verify your identity before discussing reference number 1242. The whole process took about 3 callback attempts over 2 weeks, but each callback was successful in reaching an actual person. Hope this helps others who are struggling with the same issue!

I'm dealing with reference number 1242 too and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stuck in the same cycle of calling and getting hung up on. Reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like the automated callback feature is definitely the way to go instead of trying to wait on hold. I'm going to try requesting a callback first thing Monday morning with all my documents ready - my 2022 return, Social Security number, and prior year AGI from line 11. It's reassuring to hear from Leo and others that this is usually just routine verification and gets resolved once you can actually speak to someone knowledgeable. The persistence and specific tips shared here (like calling at 7 AM, having exact AGI ready, allowing unknown numbers for callbacks) are exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with this frustrating but ultimately resolvable issue!

Does anyone know if there's a good tax software that makes calculating these estimated payments easier? I've been using TurboTax but it doesn't seem to have a good way to project for the upcoming year or help me figure out these quarterly amounts.

I've been dealing with estimated taxes for years as a small business owner, and I think there's another important point that hasn't been mentioned yet. The IRS actually gives you some flexibility with the safe harbor rules that can make this whole process less stressful. If you pay either 90% of this year's tax liability OR 100% of last year's tax liability (110% if your AGI was over $150,000) through withholding and estimated payments, you won't face underpayment penalties - even if you end up owing more when you file. This means you can use last year's tax return as a baseline for your quarterly payments, which is especially helpful if your income varies significantly. For the uneven quarterly periods, I've found it easier to just set up automatic payments for the same amount each quarter based on last year's taxes. It's not perfectly optimized, but it keeps me safe from penalties and I can adjust when I file my return. Sometimes the peace of mind is worth paying a little extra during the year.

Has anyone successfully gotten this fixed going forward without getting HR involved? My company's HR is outsourced and practically impossible to reach.

I went through this exact same issue about 6 months ago! What worked for me was being very persistent with documentation. I created a folder with: 1. Screenshots of all my paystubs showing the incorrect local tax withholding 2. My lease agreement proving my home address 3. Photos of my home office setup with timestamps 4. A letter from my manager confirming I'm 100% remote The key was making it crystal clear that this wasn't just a temporary work-from-home situation - I was hired as a remote employee and have never worked from their office location. When I presented all this to HR, they couldn't really argue with the documentation. They fixed my withholding within two pay periods. For the back taxes, I had to file a non-resident return with the city that had been collecting my taxes incorrectly, but I got about $1,400 back within 8 weeks. Pro tip: If your HR pushes back, ask them to show you the specific tax law or company policy that requires withholding taxes for a location where you don't physically work. Most of the time they can't produce anything because there isn't a valid legal basis for it.