I actually had a somewhat similar situation in my family last year. My son, who's also military, forgot to include a W-2 from a brief civilian job he held during leave. We discovered it about three months after filing. The amendment process was relatively painless, all things considered. It probably took me about an hour to prepare the 1040-X, and while processing took nearly 4 months, there were no penalties since we voluntarily corrected the error before the IRS discovered it.

The community wisdom on this is pretty clear - amend now rather than wait. Here's why: 1. The IRS will eventually catch the missing W-2 through their matching program 2. Voluntary disclosure before they find it usually means no penalties 3. For the dependent, you're likely missing out on credits you deserve 4. Amended returns are taking 20+ weeks to process, so earlier is better 5. The peace of mind is worth the effort Just make sure to use certified mail with tracking when you send in your 1040-X!

FreeTaxUSA is totally fine, I've used it for years with no issues. The software doesn't affect how quickly your refund is processed or delivered. That's all on the IRS's end. If your transcript shows it was sent but you haven't received it, that's an IRS or banking issue, not a FreeTaxUSA problem.

What specific codes do you see on your transcript? If it shows a 846 code with the 4th date, that means it was sent. But sometimes there are other codes that can give more context about what's happening with your refund.

Listen, this happens more often than you'd think. I always triple-check my banking info when filing. For your situation, you need to understand exactly what's on your transcript. Those cycle codes and transaction dates tell you a lot more than just the DDD. I started using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) this year to analyze my transcript - it explains every code and tells you exactly what each entry means for your specific situation. It would tell you precisely when your check was processed for mailing based on your transcript data. Much better than guessing or getting conflicting info from random people online.

I had this exact problem earlier this tax season. My check finally showed up 9 days after the DDD on my transcript. Are you signed up for Informed Delivery through USPS? That way you'll at least know when it's coming that day. Did your tax preparer acknowledge their mistake? Did they offer any compensation for the delay since it was their error?

OMG I had the EXACT same prob last month. Couldn't get thru to save my life. Finally figured out a hack - call the IRS appointment line (844-545-5640) and just ask them to transfer you to the dept you need. Way less wait time! The appt line folks are super helpful and can usually get you to the right place w/o the crazy wait. Worked for me twice now. GL!

Be extremely careful when searching for IRS phone numbers online. I found what I thought was a legitimate number on a tax help website, called it, and it turned out to be a scam operation. They started asking for my SSN and payment info to "verify my identity." The ONLY safe place to get IRS contact info is directly from IRS.gov or the official IRS publication you received. Don't trust random Google search results like I did - lesson learned the expensive way.

Has anyone compared the actual deposit times between: • Paying TurboTax fees upfront • Having fees taken from refund • Using a different tax service altogether? I'm trying to decide what to do next year and would love to see some real data on this.

Direct deposit is fastest. Always. Refund advances are actually loans. They charge interest. Hidden in the fine print. The bank account method adds delays. Pay your fees upfront next time. You'll get your money faster. No middleman.

Here's what you need to do to track your refund through the entire process: Step 1: Check WMR for "Refund Issued" status Step 2: Log into your tax preparer's website where you filed Step 3: Look for a "Refund Status" or "Check SBTPG Status" link Step 4: Enter your info to see if SBTPG has received and processed your refund Step 5: Allow 1-2 business days after SBTPG processing for funds to appear in your account I've found this approach gives you the most accurate timeline instead of just wondering where your money is.

I tracked my refund exactly through this process last month. IRS issued my refund on March 3rd at 12:01am (according to my transcript). SBTPG received it on March 4th at 9:42am. They processed it and sent it to my bank by 4:15pm that same day. My bank posted the funds at 2:27am on March 6th. So exactly 3 days, 2 hours and 26 minutes from IRS issuance to money in my account. SBTPG took $39.95 for the refund transfer fee plus my preparation fees of $219. The rest came through without issues.

The IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service can also help if you filed on January 23rd and it's now April 11th - that's 78 days which exceeds their normal processing timeline. Call them at 877-777-4778 if you're facing financial hardship due to your delayed refund. Their office opens at 7:00 AM local time, and they typically have shorter wait times than the main IRS line.

I was in your exact situation. Filed Jan 25th. Called the Practitioner Priority Line at 866-860-4259 and told them I was calling on behalf of a client (me). Got through in 15 minutes. Agent explained my return was flagged for income verification. Got my deposit 8 days later. Sometimes you need to be creative.

The community wisdom here is that in-person verification actually speeds things up considerably. Most people who verify in person report getting their refunds within 2-3 weeks rather than the full 9 weeks the IRS quotes. The system is designed to be cautious with timelines, but the actual processing is usually much faster. I'd be concerned if you don't see transcript updates within 10 days though - that might indicate a secondary review is happening.

Think of your tax return like a plane waiting for clearance. Right now, you've been pulled aside for extra security screening, but you've completed that process. You're not at the back of the line again - you're just waiting for the final boarding call. Like a plane that's already loaded and just needs tower clearance, your return is prioritized once verification is complete. It's like being moved from the general security line to the pre-check line - still some waiting, but definitely faster than starting over.

Ever wonder why your transcript shows one thing but reality shows another? It's because IRS systems don't always sync properly during high volume periods. Have you actually looked at your full transcript to understand what's happening? Most people don't realize that transcripts contain specific codes that indicate exactly what's happening with your refund. I was completely confused by my transcript until I used taxr.ai to analyze it. It explained each code in plain English and predicted when my money would actually arrive - which was 8 days after my original DDD. Saved me hours of stress and confusion trying to decipher those codes myself. As a fellow independent contractor, I know how critical cash flow timing can be.

URGENT FOR ANYONE WITH DELAYED REFUNDS: The IRS just updated their operational status page (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations) yesterday noting a processing delay affecting direct deposits scheduled between 2/22-2/28! They're working through the backlog but not sending individual notifications. According to the TaxPro forum I follow, most affected refunds are being released this week in batches. Check the IRS2Go app for the most current status as the website updates less frequently. If you need to reach a human ASAP, call right when they open at 7am Eastern for shortest wait times.

If your issue is specifically about understanding your tax transcript or refund status, you might want to check out taxr.ai - it helped me decode all those confusing codes on my transcript and gave me a better idea of what was happening with my return. Saved me a phone call altogether.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service can sometimes help if you're experiencing financial hardship due to not receiving your refund. Their number is 1-877-777-4778, and they might be easier to reach than the main IRS line.