Has anyone actually calculated whether it's better to just sell RSUs immediately upon vesting rather than hold them? My financial advisor keeps telling me to diversify away from my company stock because it creates risk concentration.

I actually just went through this exact scenario a few months ago! One thing that wasn't mentioned yet is the timing consideration for year-end tax planning. If you're already facing a big tax bill this year like you mentioned, donating the RSUs before December 31st could help offset some of that income with the charitable deduction. But here's what caught me off guard - make sure your brokerage can actually transfer the shares to your chosen charity efficiently. Some brokerages make it really cumbersome and it can take weeks to process. I almost missed my year-end deadline because of transfer delays. Also, if you're planning to donate regularly, consider opening a donor-advised fund account. You can dump all your RSUs there at once, get the immediate tax deduction, then distribute to charities over time. This gives you more flexibility than direct donations to individual charities.

PSA: If your transcript is blank, make sure you're looking at 2023 and not 2024! I made that mistake lol 😅

I feel your pain! The "RETURN NOT PRESENT" message is terrifying but totally normal this early in tax season. I was in the exact same situation last month - completely blank transcript for almost 3 weeks after filing. The IRS is just super backed up right now. Your return is definitely in their system, it's just sitting in a queue waiting to be processed. I'd check WMR too but don't stress if that's also showing "still processing" - transcripts are usually more reliable once they do update. Hang in there! 💪

Don't some people create LLCs or S-Corps specifically to write off stuff though? I know a guy who has a "consulting business" but seems to write off his car, travel, meals, etc., and I'm pretty sure he only has like 2 clients a year. Is that legal?

The IRS has gotten much more sophisticated with data analytics in recent years. They use algorithms to identify patterns that suggest tax fraud, including businesses that consistently show losses while claiming large deductions against W-2 income. One thing people don't realize is that the IRS cross-references data from multiple sources. If you claim a "travel consulting business" and write off vacations, but they see no business income reported, no business bank account activity, no marketing expenses, no client communications, etc., it paints a clear picture. They also look at lifestyle vs. reported income. If someone making $50K W-2 income is writing off $20K in "business" expenses for luxury items but shows no corresponding business revenue or growth trajectory, that's an obvious audit trigger. The key is that legitimate businesses leave paper trails everywhere - bank statements, client contracts, invoices, marketing materials, business licenses, professional development, etc. Fake businesses created just for tax avoidance lack this ecosystem of supporting documentation. Beyond audits, the IRS can also impose accuracy-related penalties (20% of underpaid tax) or fraud penalties (75% of underpaid tax) plus interest. The risk-reward math just doesn't work out for these schemes.

For the 2025 filing season, if anyone wants to avoid these issues in the future, file as early as possible! I filed the first week returns were accepted and had my refund in 8 days without ever seeing any weird codes. The longer you wait, the more backlogged the IRS gets, and the more likely you are to see delays even without any problems on your return.

I went through this exact same panic last year! Tax Topic 152 is basically the IRS's way of saying "we're working on it" - it's not a red flag at all. Since you filed through TurboTax 3 weeks ago, you're still well within the normal processing window. The IRS has been pretty backed up this season, so even straightforward returns are taking closer to 3-4 weeks instead of the usual 21 days. I'd only start getting concerned if you hit the 6-week mark without any status updates. Keep checking "Where's My Refund" every few days, but try not to obsess over it (easier said than done, I know!). The good news is that Tax Topic 152 almost always means your refund is coming - it's just a matter of when, not if.

Just wanted to chime in that the IRS online account only shows the last few years - completely normal. Had a similar panic when I could only see back to 2020. For peace of mind until you can call, check if you have any old tax prep software files on your computer. Sometimes they save copies of previous returns. Also, check your email - if your ex e-filed, there might be confirmation emails from TurboTax or whatever software you used.

I went through almost the exact same situation after my divorce two years ago! The stress of not knowing what was actually filed is horrible, but you're taking the right steps. A few things that helped me piece together my tax history: 1. Check if you have any old copies of tax software on shared computers - I found TurboTax files going back years that my ex had saved locally 2. Look through old bank statements for IRS refund deposits or payments - this can confirm which years returns were actually filed 3. If you have old pay stubs, compare your year-end totals to what should have been reported - this helped me spot a year where income wasn't properly reported The most important thing is getting those transcripts from the IRS to see your official filing history. Don't stress too much about the online account only showing recent years - that's completely normal. For your 2022 return, you can still e-file without the prior year AGI by using the PIN option or indicating you didn't file the previous year. The IRS will process it and you can sort out any discrepancies later. You've got this! It's overwhelming now but once you have the facts from the IRS, you'll know exactly what needs to be fixed.