maybe a dumb question, but why does every bank check the FATCA box if most people dont have foreign accounts? seems weird that they would check a box that doesn't apply to most people and then it confuses everyone.

I had the exact same confusion last year! The FATCA checkbox on your 1099-INT is completely normal and doesn't mean you need to do anything special. It's just your bank (Capital One) certifying that they've followed federal reporting requirements - think of it like a stamp that says "we did our paperwork correctly." When TurboTax asks about foreign accounts, just answer honestly that you don't have any. The software sees that FATCA box and runs through its standard questions to be thorough, but for a regular US savings account, you can safely click "No" to foreign account questions and continue with your filing. Your $215 in interest income just gets reported as regular interest income - nothing fancy required. The FATCA thing is between your bank and the government, not something you as the account holder need to worry about at all.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I wanted to give you an update on my situation. I finally received my CP12 refund yesterday - exactly 7 weeks from the April 22nd notice date, so a bit longer than the 4-6 weeks they promised but not too bad considering how backed up the IRS has been. I took several pieces of advice from this thread. I used the "Where's My Refund" tool that CosmicCaptain mentioned, which helped me track the progress. I also started implementing Ava's suggestions about documenting my farm business activities more thoroughly - created a separate business account and started keeping better records of my marketing efforts at farmers markets. One thing that really helped ease my anxiety was understanding that the loss carryover from 2022 doesn't count as a new loss year for the hobby farm rules. I was really worried about that, but now I feel more confident about my tax situation going forward. Miguel's warning about potential follow-up notices is something I'm keeping in mind - I'm not spending the extra refund money right away, just in case there are any additional adjustments. Better to be safe than sorry! This community has been incredibly helpful. It's nice to know there are people who understand these complex tax situations and are willing to share their experiences.

Glad to hear you got your refund! Seven weeks is actually pretty reasonable given the current IRS processing delays. Your proactive approach to documenting your farm business is smart - especially keeping that separate business account and tracking your farmers market activities. Just wanted to add one more tip for anyone else dealing with farm losses: make sure you're tracking the time you spend on farm activities separately from any personal enjoyment of the property. The IRS looks for evidence that you're putting in serious effort to make the operation profitable, not just maintaining a hobby farm. Keep a simple log of hours spent on business activities like planting, harvesting, marketing, bookkeeping, etc. Also, if you haven't already, consider joining your local farm bureau or agricultural extension programs. Membership and participation in these organizations shows the IRS that you're treating farming as a legitimate business and staying current with industry practices.

Quick tip for new S Corp owners: save 30-40% of ALL your profits in a separate account for taxes. Better to have too much saved than not enough! My first year with an S Corp I got KILLED with taxes because I didn't realize I needed to make estimated payments.

As someone who just went through this exact same confusion last year, here's what I wish someone had told me upfront: **For YOU personally:** Make quarterly estimated payments using Form 1040ES. You can pay online at irs.gov/payments. Set up an account and it's pretty straightforward once you find the "Make a Payment" section. **For the S Corp:** No quarterly income tax payments needed, but you DO need to handle payroll taxes if you're paying yourself a salary. Use EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) for employment tax deposits. **Estimating when you're new:** I used the "annualized income installment method" - basically, I calculated my tax liability based on actual income earned each quarter instead of trying to guess the whole year. Form 2210 has the worksheet for this. **Pro tip:** Open a separate business savings account and automatically transfer 35% of every deposit. This covers federal taxes, state taxes, and self-employment taxes on pass-through income. Adjust the percentage based on your tax bracket, but 35% kept me safe in my first year. The IRS has a pretty decent S Corp tax guide (Publication 589) that explains the pass-through taxation and salary requirements in plain English. Way better than trying to piece it together from random articles online!

For what it's worth, I skipped reporting a small loss on my 1099-B two years ago (about $75 loss). Got a notice from the IRS six months later asking why the form wasn't included. They didn't charge a penalty but I had to file an amended return which was way more hassle than just including it in the first place would have been.

As someone who's been through this exact scenario, I'd strongly recommend just reporting it. I made the mistake of not reporting a small loss a few years back thinking "who cares about $50?" - big mistake. The IRS automated systems flag these mismatches pretty quickly. Here's what I learned: even though your loss is small, it can actually be valuable down the road. Capital losses can offset future capital gains, and if you don't use them all in one year, they carry forward indefinitely. So that $43 loss today could save you money on taxes if you have gains next year. For the software issue, definitely look into the free alternatives others mentioned. I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA a couple years ago and haven't looked back. The interface is clean, it handles all investment forms without extra fees, and I've saved hundreds over the years. The only downside is you pay a small fee for state returns, but federal is always free regardless of complexity. Bottom line: report it, use free software, and keep that loss for future gains. The peace of mind is worth way more than the hassle of dealing with IRS notices later.

Just wanted to mention that if you're overwhelmed by the DIY approach, look into the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program or Tax-Aide through AARP. They sometimes help with back tax returns, not just current year filing. Also, the IRS has a formal program called "First Time Penalty Abatement" where they'll often waive penalties for the first time you've had filing/payment issues if you've otherwise been compliant in prior years. Definitely worth asking about if this is your first time having tax troubles.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of filing in the correct order - you'll want to file your oldest returns first and work your way forward to the most recent year. This is because each year's tax calculation can be affected by carryforwards from previous years (like capital losses, charitable contributions, or net operating losses). Also, if you had any estimated tax payments or extensions filed for any of those years, make sure to include that information on your returns. The IRS already has records of any payments you made, so you want to make sure you get credit for them. Another tip: when you do file all these back returns, send them via certified mail with return receipt requested. This gives you proof of when the IRS received them, which can be important for penalty calculations and establishing your "good faith" effort to come into compliance voluntarily. The process feels overwhelming now, but once you get started and have a system in place, it goes faster than you'd expect. You've got this!