Does anybody know if FreeTaxUSA lets you enter two W-2s from the same employer? Maybe that's another way to handle this? I use TurboTax and it lets me enter multiple W-2s even from the same company.

I work in payroll and can confirm what Sofia mentioned - this is super common! The most frequent reason I see is when employees receive bonuses or supplemental pay. Our system automatically creates separate lines because bonuses are subject to different federal withholding rates (usually flat 22% for federal, but state handling varies). Even though they appear on separate lines, it's still one W-2 form from one employer. Your tax software needs the combined totals - add box 16 amounts together for total state wages, and box 17 amounts together for total state tax withheld. Pro tip: if the amounts seem way off when you add them, double-check that both lines are actually for the same state code. Sometimes people mistake similar-looking codes (like state abbreviations vs numeric codes).

Just wanted to suggest one more option we used. If you have good credit like you mentioned, look into a 0% intro APR credit card offer. Many cards offer 15-18 months no interest. You could potentially split the earnest money across 2-3 cards. I know it sounds a bit unconventional, but we did this for part of our downpayment and it worked great. Just be ABSOLUTELY sure you can pay it off when your house sells. Set calendar reminders for when the 0% period ends.

I'm facing a similar situation and have been researching this extensively. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the timing of when you sell your stocks. If you're close to crossing into a new tax year, you might want to consider splitting the stock sale across two years to potentially stay in lower capital gains brackets. Also, make sure to check if your state has additional capital gains taxes. Some states like California tax capital gains as ordinary income, which could significantly impact your decision between selling stocks vs. taking a loan. Have you calculated the actual after-tax cost of each option? For the stock sale, don't forget to factor in any state taxes plus the federal 15% long-term capital gains. For loans, remember that interest payments aren't tax-deductible unless it's a true mortgage (HELOC interest deductibility rules changed a few years ago and now depend on how you use the funds). The pledged asset line mentioned above is probably your best bet if your brokerage offers competitive rates. You keep your market exposure and avoid the tax hit entirely.

Has anyone actually calculated what the reduced per diem would be if certain meals were provided? Like is there an official breakdown for how much of the daily rate is allocated to breakfast vs lunch vs dinner?

This is exactly the situation I was in last year! I was a 1099 contractor on a 6-month assignment about 400 miles from home. The key thing to remember is that the IRS doesn't care about the total dollar amount - they care about whether your assignment meets the "temporary" criteria (under one year) and whether you're truly away from your tax home. I claimed the full per diem for the entire period and had no issues. The amount does seem high when you calculate it out, but that's just the reality of extended business travel. Make sure you keep detailed records of your assignment dates, the temporary nature of the work, and your tax home location. For the cafeteria situation, I had something similar - free lunch was provided but I had to pay for breakfast and dinner. I calculated partial per diem using the standard breakdown (breakfast 20%, lunch 30%, dinner 50%) and only claimed 70% of the daily rate. Keep good documentation showing which meals were provided versus which you paid for yourself. One tip: consider keeping receipts for a few meals even though you're using per diem. It can help demonstrate that you were actually incurring meal expenses during your assignment if questions ever come up.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed 2/15, accepted same day, and I've been stuck in processing limbo ever since. Called last week and got the same "error department" explanation with zero details about what the actual error could be. What's really frustrating is that I used the same tax software as last year, same situation (W-2 employee, standard deduction), and last year I had my refund in 10 days. This year it's like my return disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle. The agent I spoke with also mentioned the 10-week wait, but couldn't tell me if that was from filing date or acceptance date. Did they clarify that for you? And did they give you any sense of whether you'd get a letter explaining the issue, or if it might just resolve on its own? It's somewhat comforting to know I'm not alone in this, but man, the lack of transparency from the IRS is maddening!

This exact scenario happened to my sister last month! The "error department" explanation with no actual error details is unfortunately becoming the standard response this tax season. What helped in her case was calling back after about 3 weeks and asking specifically for the error code or freeze code on her account. The second agent she spoke with was able to see a Code 570 freeze (which matches what Ezra mentioned above) and explained it was just an automated system flag for income verification - nothing she did wrong. Her refund ended up processing in week 6, right in line with what others are reporting here. The frustrating part is that first agents often can't see these details or aren't authorized to share them. One tip: when you call back (if needed), ask specifically "what transaction code or freeze code is showing on my account?" That seemed to get better information than just asking about the "error" in general. The waiting game is brutal, but based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like your return will likely process well before that April 18th deadline! 🤞

Don't feel ashamed. I just filed my 2022 taxes last month lol. The tax prep person at Jackson Hewitt didn't even bat an eye when I told them. Just bring all your documents and they'll sort it out!

Hey, I totally get the anxiety you're feeling - I was in almost the exact same situation a couple years ago and thought my world was ending! The good news is you're absolutely NOT beyond help. You can file your 2023 taxes anytime, even now in December. Yes, you'll face penalties for filing late, but the key thing is to stop the bleeding by filing ASAP. The failure-to-file penalty stops accruing once you actually file your return. If you end up owing money, you can always set up a payment plan with the IRS. H&R Block won't judge you at all - they deal with late filers constantly, especially around this time of year when people are trying to clean up their tax situations before the new year. They've literally seen it all. One thing that might help ease your mind: if it turns out you're actually owed a refund, there are no penalties for filing late! You'd just be leaving money on the table if you don't file within 3 years of the due date. Take a deep breath and just get it done. You'll feel SO much better once those taxes are filed. The anticipation and anxiety are honestly worse than dealing with the actual situation. You've got this! 💪