Has anyone noticed that the IRS letters this year are super delayed? I just got my Letter 6475 last week even though they were supposed to mail them out in January!!!

I had the exact same confusion with Letter 6475 last year! The key thing to understand is that when you're married filing jointly, you DO need to add both amounts together. Each spouse gets their own letter showing their individual portion of the Economic Impact Payment, but since you're filing as one household, you report the total combined amount. So if both your letters show the same dollar amount, that means you each received that amount individually - add them together for your joint return. This is totally normal and the IRS expects married couples to combine these amounts when filing jointly. One tip: keep both letters with your tax records in case the IRS ever asks for documentation. And don't worry about triggering an audit over this - as long as you report the correct total amount you actually received, you'll be fine!

Everyone's talking about the app, but has anyone mentioned that international filers often get flagged for additional review? I've seen this happen repeatedly with my clients. The verification is just step one - after that, you might be in the standard processing queue or you might be in a separate international review queue. Did they specifically tell you which verification path you completed?

I went through ID verification about 3 weeks ago and my IRS2GO app just updated yesterday! Like others mentioned, checking the transcript was definitely the way to go - it showed movement about 5 days before the app caught up. One thing I noticed is that the verification confirmation email I got was pretty generic and didn't give me much confidence it actually worked. But I kept checking my account transcript every few days and saw the codes change before anything showed up in the mobile app. For what it's worth, I completed the online ID.me process on a Tuesday morning and my transcript first showed processing updates the following Monday. The app took until this past Wednesday to reflect the same information. So roughly 2 weeks total from verification to seeing real movement in the app.

As someone who's been through this process multiple times as an international filer, I can confirm that the "funded" status with trace number is excellent news! You're basically at the finish line. The trace number is your golden ticket - it's proof that the IRS has successfully transferred your refund to SBTPG and they've initiated the final transfer to your bank account. For international accounts, I've found the timeline is typically 2-4 business days from funded status to seeing the money in your account. The extra day or two compared to domestic transfers is usually due to additional verification steps that international banks perform on incoming government transfers. Pro tip: Save a screenshot of that funded status page with the trace number. If your bank asks about the source of funds (which they sometimes do for international government transfers), that trace number will help them verify it instantly. Also, don't panic if it takes the full 4 business days - international ACH transfers just take a bit longer to clear all the banking checkpoints. You're almost there! 🎉

Congratulations on reaching the funded status! As someone who's dealt with international tax situations, I can add a few practical points to what others have shared: The SBTPG funded status with trace number essentially means your refund has cleared the IRS approval process and is now in the final banking pipeline. Since you're filing from abroad, here's what I'd recommend: • Contact your bank proactively to let them know you're expecting a US government transfer - this can prevent any holds or delays • The trace number format should be 15 digits - if it's different, double-check you're looking at the right field • International banks sometimes require additional documentation for large government transfers, so having your tax return summary ready can help • Consider setting up account alerts so you're notified immediately when the deposit hits From my experience, once SBTPG shows funded, the failure rate is essentially zero. Your money is in the system and will arrive. The trace number is your insurance policy - it proves the transaction exists if there are any banking hiccups along the way. Since you mentioned being extra cautious about the process going smoothly, you might also want to confirm with your bank what their cut-off times are for processing incoming international transfers. Some banks only process these during specific windows, which could affect timing. You're in the home stretch now! 🌟

I'm going through something similar but with adoption. We paid fees this year but won't finalize until next year. My tax guy said to keep ALL receipts because some expenses like this can be rolled into the following year's taxes when the child is actually your dependent. Not sure if it's the same for birth, but worth asking a professional.

I'm dealing with a similar situation and found it helpful to think about this in terms of timing and what the IRS actually considers "care." The key issue is that the Child and Dependent Care Credit requires three things: 1) you have a qualifying dependent, 2) care was actually provided, and 3) you paid for that care. Even though you're paying now, no actual care is being provided until your baby arrives. The deposit is essentially reserving future care, not purchasing current care. It's frustrating because you're out the money now, but the IRS timing rules are pretty strict. One thing that might help - ask your daycare how they'll handle that deposit once your baby starts. If they apply it directly to your first month's payment rather than keeping it as a separate "holding fee," it'll be cleaner to claim on your 2025 taxes. Some daycares are flexible about restructuring these payments if you explain the tax situation. Also worth noting that if your baby arrives before December 31st (even on New Year's Eve!), you can claim them as a dependent for the full 2024 tax year, which opens up other credits like the Child Tax Credit, just not the childcare credit for pre-birth expenses.

Just wanted to share some good news - my NJ refund with the DDD of 3/4 hit my Chime account yesterday (3/2)! Two days early, just like my federal usually does. The state tax gods must be feeling generous this year, lol. Might be worth checking your Chime account throughout the day even before your DDD.

I can share my experience with NJ state refunds and Chime over the past few years. Generally, I've found that state refunds are less predictable than federal ones with early deposits. My NJ refunds have arrived anywhere from on the exact DDD to 2 days early, but it's not as consistent as federal refunds which almost always come 2 days early for me. For investment opportunities, I'd honestly recommend having a backup plan since the timing can vary. I've learned the hard way not to count on early deposits for time-sensitive financial decisions. That said, with a DDD of 3/11, there's a decent chance you might see it by 3/9 or 3/10 based on the patterns others have shared here. Just keep checking your account starting a couple days before your DDD!