Has anyone used the "reasonable basis" approach for this? My CPA told me that we could just use a reasonable method to allocate dividends for the fiscal year and document our methodology, without needing to get special reports.

I'm currently dealing with a similar situation for my grandfather's estate that has a fiscal year ending in August. One thing that's been helpful is creating a detailed spreadsheet tracking each dividend payment by month, security, and estimated classification based on the prior year's 1099-DIV percentages. For mutual funds specifically, I found that many fund companies publish monthly or quarterly tax estimates on their websites that can help bridge the gap until you get the official 1099s. Vanguard, Fidelity, and others often have detailed tax information available in their fund profiles. Also worth noting - if the estate has significant dividend income, consider making estimated tax payments quarterly to avoid underpayment penalties. The IRS doesn't care that you're waiting for complete documentation; they still expect timely payments based on reasonable estimates.

As someone who moved to the US recently, I completely understand your anxiety about timing! I've been through this exact situation with my first few refunds. The good news is that April 15th is actually a pretty reliable date since it falls on a Tuesday this year - no weekend delays to worry about. From what I've learned, the IRS is generally very accurate with their DDD predictions, especially for straightforward returns like yours. Since you e-filed early (March 1st) and have a simple return with standard deduction, there's minimal chance of processing delays or manual review. One tip that helped me: check if your bank offers mobile notifications for deposits. Most will send you an alert the moment funds hit your account, which can be anywhere from midnight to early morning on your DDD. This way you'll know immediately when it arrives rather than constantly checking your balance. The mixed experiences you're seeing online are often from people with more complex returns (multiple forms, credits, amendments) or those who filed during peak season. Your situation sounds much more straightforward, so I'd plan on having access to those funds by April 15th at the latest, with a decent chance of seeing them a day or two earlier depending on your bank's policies.

Based on my experience as a tax preparer, the DDD shown in WMR is quite reliable for simple returns like yours. Since you filed on March 1st with a straightforward return (standard deduction, no credits), your refund should process smoothly through the system. A few key points for your April 15th DDD: - The IRS typically releases funds to banks 1-2 days before the official DDD - Your bank's processing time will determine when you actually see the money - Since April 15th falls on a Tuesday, there shouldn't be weekend delays - Simple returns rarely encounter processing holds or manual reviews For financial planning purposes, I'd recommend budgeting as if the funds will arrive on April 15th exactly, but don't be surprised if they show up a day earlier. Most major banks will post the deposit within 24 hours of receiving it from the IRS. The mixed experiences you're seeing online often involve more complex tax situations - amended returns, earned income credit, or filing during peak season in late March/early April. Your early filing date and simple return structure put you in the most predictable category for refund timing.

Has anyone actually done the math on whether it's worth filing MFS just for the EV credit? I did this calculation last year and was surprised.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation with my Rivian R1T! My spouse and I are also just over the joint filing income limit. After reading through all these responses, I'm leaning toward the IRA contribution strategy that Jessica mentioned rather than filing separately. One thing I discovered that might help - if your wife has access to a Health Savings Account (HSA) through work, that's another way to reduce AGI. The 2025 HSA contribution limit is $4,300 for individual coverage or $8,550 for family coverage, and those contributions reduce your AGI dollar-for-dollar just like traditional retirement contributions. Between maxing out the traditional IRA ($7,000) and potentially an HSA contribution, you might be able to get her AGI down enough to stay under $150k while still filing jointly and keeping all your other tax benefits intact. Just a thought!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! Filed in early February, got code 570 on my transcript dated March 20th, and still waiting. The anxiety is real when you're counting on that money. From everything I've read here and researched, the 570/971 combo seems pretty standard - they're just reviewing something and will send a notice explaining what they need (if anything). The frustrating part is how long it takes and the complete lack of communication. One thing that helped me was checking my transcript weekly instead of daily - saves some sanity. Also make sure your address is current with the IRS since some people mentioned notices going to old addresses. Hang in there - sounds like most people eventually get their refund, it just takes forever. The IRS really needs to modernize their systems and communication. Keep us posted on any updates!

I've been through this exact scenario twice in the past three years. The 570/971 combination on your transcript is frustrating but usually not as scary as it seems. In my experience, it typically means they're doing a routine review of something on your return - could be verifying income against what employers reported, checking education credits (which you mentioned claiming), or just random selection. The key things I learned: 1. The notice (971 code) can take 10-14 days to arrive by mail from the transcript date 2. Sometimes the issue resolves automatically without any action from you 3. If they do need something, respond quickly to avoid further delays For what it's worth, both times this happened to me, my refund was eventually released without me having to do anything - one took 5 weeks, the other took 8 weeks. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking when you need the money, but try not to panic just yet. Keep checking your transcript weekly for any 846 code (refund issued) or other updates. And definitely make sure your mailing address is current with the IRS in case that notice does come.

Random question but related - does anyone know if unemployment benefits count toward the income that's measured against the standard deduction? I got laid off for a few months last year and wondering how that affects all this.

Just want to add one more important point that might help you plan for next year - if you're going to be in a similar income situation, you might want to consider adjusting your withholdings so you don't have as much federal income tax taken out of each paycheck. Since you'll only owe federal income tax on about $50 of your income, you're probably having way more federal tax withheld than necessary. You could use Form W-4 to reduce your withholdings and get more money in each paycheck instead of waiting for a big refund. Just remember that SS and Medicare taxes (7.65% total) will always be taken out regardless. This way you'd have more cash flow throughout the year instead of essentially giving the government an interest-free loan. Just make sure to set aside a small amount for that ~$50 in federal tax you'll actually owe!