Am I the only one who thinks its ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get our own money back? 🙄 The system is broken.

Just went through this same nightmare last month! Here's what worked for me: I called the IRS early morning (like 7:30 AM) when the lines first open - way better chance of getting through. They were able to stop the check from being mailed and reissue it to my new address. The whole process took about 3 weeks total. Also, definitely file that Form 8822 that Luca mentioned - it'll save you from this headache in the future. Hang in there, it'll work out! 🤞

Just FYI - this is EXACTLY why i never do the refund advances. They always seem to cause problems like this. Maybe you'll get lucky and have it workout quickly but you might be looking at a paper check in a few weeks.

This exact same thing happened to my sister last year! The TurboTax/Credit Karma integration creates these temporary routing accounts for processing advances, and sometimes the system gets confused about which account to send the actual refund to. What likely happened is your refund went to that temporary account that was used for your advance, but since that account is only meant for processing the advance (not receiving the full refund), it probably got rejected by the bank. When direct deposits get rejected, the IRS automatically switches to mailing a paper check. The good news is you will get your money - it just takes longer. Based on what others have shared here, you're probably looking at 3-4 weeks for the paper check to arrive. Keep checking your mailbox around early November. In the meantime, definitely try to get someone from the IRS on the phone to confirm what's happening. I know it's frustrating but your $4,278 isn't lost, just delayed in the system.

I was in the same boat as you last month - expired license and couldn't use ID.me. Calling that verification number was like trying to win the lottery, but I finally got through on my fifth attempt. The trick is to call right when they open at 7am. It's like trying to get concert tickets the moment they go on sale. I got my identity verified and my refund showed up 16 days later. Hang in there!

I went through this exact same nightmare in January! My license had expired right before I needed to verify, and ID.me was a complete dead end. Here's what worked for me: Call 800-830-5084 at exactly 7:00 AM your local time - I'm talking have your phone ready to dial the second the clock hits 7. I tried calling later in the day multiple times and gave up after 60+ minute waits, but the 7 AM call got me through in under 20 minutes. Have these ready: your SSN, filing status, exact AGI from your 2022 and 2023 returns, and your address from those returns. They also asked me about a previous address from like 5 years ago (super random but they have access to credit bureau info). The whole verification took about 25 minutes, and they gave me a confirmation number at the end - definitely write that down! My refund was released exactly 19 days after the call, even though they said it could take up to 9 weeks. Good luck with your apartment application - the timing stress is real!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand the first-year depreciation rules if you do choose the actual expenses method. With Section 179 and bonus depreciation, you might be able to deduct a huge chunk of your vehicle's cost in year one, but there are some important limitations for vehicles. The Section 179 deduction for vehicles used over 50% for business is capped at $12,200 for 2025 (plus potential bonus depreciation). So even though your car cost $18,000, you couldn't deduct the full amount immediately. Also, if your business income isn't high enough, you might not be able to use the full deduction anyway. Given your high mileage situation (18,000+ business miles annually), I'd definitely echo what others said about starting with the standard mileage rate. It's so much simpler and likely more beneficial. You can always crunch the numbers both ways next year to see if switching to actual expenses makes sense as your car depreciates further. Just make sure whatever method you choose, you're consistent and keep detailed records from day one!

As someone who went through this exact confusion when I started contracting, I'd strongly recommend keeping it simple with the standard mileage rate for your first year. With 350-400 miles weekly, you're looking at around $12,000-13,500 in deductions, which is likely going to be better than the actual expenses method anyway. Here's what saved me a ton of headaches: get a simple mileage tracking app or even just use a basic logbook. Record date, starting/ending odometer, destination, and business purpose for every trip. The IRS loves detailed records for vehicle deductions. One tip nobody mentioned - if you're doing delivery/courier work, make sure you understand what counts as "business miles." Generally, it's from your first business stop to your last business stop of the day. The commute from home to your first delivery and back home from your last delivery typically doesn't count unless your home is your official business location. Also, don't stress too much about Section 179 - it's way more complex than you need right now and the standard mileage rate will likely save you more money anyway. Focus on keeping good records and you'll be fine!

Just want to add another bit of info regarding the 100% safe harbor (or 110% if your AGI is over $150k) - it applies to your TOTAL tax liability from the previous year, not just what you paid through withholding last year. So if you owed $10k total last year (including any amount you had to pay with your return), then you need to have withholding+estimated payments totaling at least $10k this year to qualify for safe harbor. That trips up a lot of people who think it's just about matching last year's withholding.

One more thing to consider - if your income was significantly higher in 2023 than in 2022, you might want to verify if you need to meet the 110% threshold rather than just 100%. If your AGI was over $150,000 in 2022 (or $75,000 if married filing separately), you need to have paid in at least 110% of your prior year tax liability to qualify for that safe harbor.