Has anyone used TurboTax for reporting gambling winnings? Does it walk you through the process well or should I use a different tax software?

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - keep ALL your receipts from the casino, not just the W-2G forms. This includes ATM receipts, food/drink receipts, parking receipts, even hotel receipts if you stayed overnight. These help establish a timeline and can support your gambling activity documentation. Also, consider opening a separate bank account just for gambling if you plan to do this regularly. It makes tracking so much easier come tax time. You deposit your gambling bankroll, withdraw winnings, and everything is cleanly separated from your regular finances. And remember - gambling winnings are subject to both federal AND state taxes in most states, so don't forget to check your state's specific requirements. Some states have different thresholds for reporting than the federal government.

Did you check if your spouse's SSN was used instead of yours when making the payment? That's what happened to me with our joint return. The payment was showing up under my wife's account but not mine, even though I was the primary taxpayer. Such a stupid system that they can't link payments between spouses on joint returns!

Great news that you found the issue with using your spouse's SSN instead of yours! This is such a common mistake with joint returns. When you call the IRS tomorrow, make sure to have both your receipt from pay1040.com and your bank statement ready. Tell them specifically that the payment was made using your spouse's SSN but needs to be transferred to your account as the primary taxpayer. They should be able to locate the payment in their system and reapply it correctly to your return. Also mention the collection notice number from the letter you received - this will help them pull up your case quickly. Once they transfer the payment, ask them to send you a written confirmation and to remove any penalties that may have been assessed. You might also want to update your post with this resolution since it could help other people who run into the same issue. The SSN mix-up on joint returns seems to trip up a lot of folks!

Just throwing in my 2 cents as a CPA - a $33 refund is actually IDEAL. It means she's not loaning money to the government all year like you are with your $2,500 refund. If she has a straightforward tax situation (W-2 income, standard deduction), and she filled out her W-4 correctly, there's nothing wrong with a small refund. She's maximizing her take-home pay throughout the year instead of waiting for a lump sum. If you want to "check" if she's doing it right, look at line 24 of her Form 1040 - that's her total tax. Then compare it to typical tax brackets for her income level. If they align, she's doing fine.

As someone who's been through this exact situation with my partner, I totally get the confusion! But honestly, your girlfriend is probably doing everything right. A $33 refund means she's nailed her withholding - she's not giving the government an interest-free loan like most people do. I used to think bigger refunds meant you were "winning" at taxes until I learned that it actually means you're losing out on having that money in your pocket all year long. Your girlfriend, making $105K as a nursing director, likely has her W-4 set up perfectly to match her actual tax liability. The real question isn't whether she's filing wrong - it's whether you want to adjust YOUR withholding to keep more money throughout the year instead of waiting for that $2,500 refund. You could be earning interest on that money or using it for expenses rather than letting the IRS hold onto it! If you're still concerned, maybe suggest she run her numbers through a withholding calculator on the IRS website just for peace of mind, but I'd bet money she's doing it exactly right.

Has anyone actually gotten a return to change from "received" to "approved" after owing money? I'm curious if this status ever updates or if it just stays as "received" permanently for returns where you owed.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stressing about my 2021 and 2022 returns showing "received" status for so long. It's reassuring to hear from multiple people that this is normal for returns where you owe money rather than getting refunds. The key takeaway seems to be: if you filed your returns, paid what you owed, and haven't received any notices from the IRS requesting additional information or claiming issues with your returns, then you're in good standing regardless of what the online portal shows. The IRS prioritizes processing refunds and updating those statuses, while returns where taxpayers owe money often sit in "received" limbo indefinitely. I think I'll stop obsessively checking my account status now and just focus on staying current with my tax obligations going forward. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Filed my 2022 amended return in February 2024 and still nothing showing up in "Where's My Amended Return." Reading through these comments has been super helpful - sounds like 6-8 weeks before it even shows up in their system is normal. One thing I wanted to add based on what others have shared: if you're planning to file that 2020 amendment, definitely do it ASAP! Based on what @Olivia Evans shared about the IRS agent saying 2020 amendments are being prioritized due to the approaching deadline, it sounds like there might be some advantage to getting it in sooner rather than later. Also, thank you to everyone who shared info about the various services and tools. I've been hesitant to try calling the IRS directly because of the horror stories about wait times, but knowing there are options like Claimyr might give me some peace of mind if I don't see any movement in the next few weeks. The interest payment info from @Christopher Morgan is interesting too - at least there's some compensation for the ridiculous wait times, even if it doesn't make up for the stress of wondering if your paperwork disappeared into the void!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation last year. Filed my 2021 amended return in March 2023 and didn't see ANY movement in the "Where's My Amended Return" tool until almost 10 weeks later. The silence from the IRS system is absolutely nerve-wracking, but it's unfortunately very normal right now. A few things that helped me get through the process: 1. Keep meticulous records - scan everything before you mail it, including the envelope with the postmark if you can 2. If you didn't send it certified mail (like I didn't), don't panic yet. Most returns do eventually make it through, it just takes forever to show up in their system 3. The 6-8 week timeframe mentioned by @Lauren Johnson is pretty accurate in my experience Regarding your 2020 amendment question - definitely get that filed ASAP! The deadline pressure is real, and from what others have shared, it sounds like the IRS is actually prioritizing those right now which could work in your favor. One last tip: when you do eventually see movement on your 2022 amendment, don't expect it to move quickly through the stages. Mine took another 12 weeks after it first appeared in the system to actually get processed. The whole thing was about 5.5 months from filing to refund, but the refund did include interest which was a nice surprise. Hang in there - I know the waiting is brutal when you're not even sure they received your paperwork!