Had this EXACT issue in February. Bank rejected my DD on Feb 9th, and I received my paper check on March 4th - so exactly 24 days. The most frustrating part was that my WMR status never updated from "Your refund has been sent to your bank" even after I physically received and deposited the check! Make sure you're checking your mail daily and sign up for Informed Delivery if you haven't already.

I went through this exact situation in 2023 and can share some practical advice. First, don't panic about the timing - the 2-3 week timeframe mentioned earlier is pretty accurate in my experience. I received my paper check exactly 19 days after the rejection. Regarding your mailing address concern: if you're only temporarily relocated, I'd recommend setting up a USPS mail hold or forward rather than changing your address with the IRS via Form 8822. The IRS will mail the check to whatever address is on your return, and changing that address mid-process could actually cause delays. A simple mail forward through USPS is much faster and won't interfere with their systems. Pro tip: Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery if you haven't already - it'll give you a heads up when the check is coming so you're not anxiously checking the mailbox every day. The check will come in a standard white Treasury envelope, not anything fancy. One last thing - keep documenting everything (rejection notice, dates, etc.) in case you need to follow up later. Good luck!

Just FYI - if these trees are between your house and the street, check with your city ordinances before removing them. Many municipalities have strict rules about removing mature trees, even on your own property. I learned this the hard way and got hit with a $5,000 fine for removing a tree without proper permits.

As a tax professional, I want to emphasize that everyone here is giving solid advice about getting proper documentation. The IRS is very specific about what constitutes a deductible casualty loss versus a personal expense. For your situation, focus on establishing one of these qualifying conditions: 1. Current structural damage (those foundation cracks you mentioned could be key) 2. Professional assessment documenting imminent hazard 3. Local building code violations requiring removal If you do have foundation damage from the roots, document everything with photos, get a structural engineer's report, and have an arborist confirm the trees are the cause. This creates a clear chain of evidence for necessary remediation rather than voluntary improvement. Also consider timing - if you can establish that damage is occurring now, you might be able to claim it as a casualty loss this tax year. But if it's purely preventative, you're likely looking at a personal expense that won't be deductible. The $13K threshold definitely warrants getting professional advice before proceeding, both for the tax implications and to ensure you're not missing any legitimate deduction opportunities.

Has anyone actually received a paper check after their direct deposit was rejected? I'm in week 12 of waiting and starting to think the IRS just keeps our money if the bank account is closed!!

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! My refund was sent to a closed Chase account in February and I didn't get my paper check until mid-May - so about 14 weeks total. The most frustrating part was that the IRS phone system kept telling me my refund had been "sent" without mentioning it was rejected. What finally helped was filing Form 3911 (Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund) after the 10-week mark. This form basically forces the IRS to do a trace on your refund and can help speed things up. You can download it from IRS.gov and either mail it in or fax it to them. Also, make absolutely sure your current address is on file with them. Even though you said it's correct on your return, double-check by looking at your IRS online account or calling them. Sometimes there are formatting issues or apartment numbers that get dropped that can cause delivery problems. Hang in there - the money isn't lost, it's just stuck in their incredibly slow bureaucratic process!

Don't forget that even though you had minimal activity, you still need to file Schedule K-1 for yourself as the sole shareholder. The $125 income (minus the $27 expense) will flow through to your personal return. Also check if your state requires a separate S-Corp filing - many do, even if you had minimal or no activity. Some states have minimum franchise taxes for S-Corps regardless of activity level, which can be a nasty surprise if you're not expecting it.

Great questions! I went through this exact same situation two years ago when I first elected S-Corp status for my single-member LLC. The minimal activity part is actually pretty common in the first year. A couple additional things to keep in mind beyond what others have mentioned: 1) Make sure you're comfortable with the ongoing compliance requirements. Even with minimal activity, you'll need to file Form 1120S every year by March 15th (with extensions available). There's also reasonable compensation requirements once you start having significant income. 2) For your $125 bank bonus, double-check if the bank issued you a 1099-MISC or 1099-INT. If they did, make sure the income amount on your return matches exactly what they reported to the IRS to avoid any automated matching notices. 3) Since you mentioned wanting to avoid giving out your SSN to clients - just remember that your S-Corp election doesn't change your LLC's legal structure. You're still an LLC for legal purposes, just taxed as an S-Corp. Some clients might still ask for your SSN if they're not familiar with this distinction. The learning curve is steep the first year, but it gets much easier once you understand the process. Good luck with your filing!

23 Just my two cents: make sure you check if your state taxes were also affected! We fixed our federal withholding after a similar situation but completely forgot about state taxes and got hit with another bill the following year. Now we have extra withholding for both federal AND state.

15 I was in almost the exact same situation last year - dual income household, both filed as married filing jointly, and got smacked with an $8,400 bill we weren't prepared for. Here's what we learned: **Payment decision:** We ended up doing a hybrid approach. We paid about 60% immediately to reduce the principal amount that would accrue interest, then set up a 24-month payment plan for the remainder. This kept our emergency fund mostly intact while minimizing the total interest we'd pay. **For next year:** The W-4 redesign in 2020 really helps with this! We used the IRS withholding estimator (it's actually pretty user-friendly) and discovered we needed to add about $180 per paycheck in additional withholding. We split this between both our W-4s - I put an extra $90 on mine, my spouse did the same. **Pro tip:** Run the withholding calculator again mid-year, especially if either of you gets a raise, bonus, or job change. Income changes throughout the year can throw off your projections. The peace of mind from getting this fixed is totally worth the effort. We're actually on track for a small refund this year instead of another surprise bill!