Think of the IRS processing system like a crowded highway during rush hour. Your 2/23 return is like a car that entered the highway at a particularly busy on-ramp. Some cars (returns) filed earlier or later might move through faster because they hit less congestion at their particular entry point. I filed and was accepted on 2/24, just a day after you, and my transcript updated Saturday night with a DDD of 3/20. The seemingly random nature of processing is concerning because you never know if you're just in normal traffic or if there's an actual problem with your return that needs attention.

Filed and accepted 2/23 as well, and I'm seeing the same frustrating lack of updates. What's particularly annoying is that my friend filed on 2/25 (two days AFTER me) and got her DDD yesterday for 3/22. Meanwhile, I'm still checking WMR daily and getting the generic "your return is being processed" message. I've checked my transcript multiple times - no cycle codes, no TC codes, nothing. It's like my return disappeared into a black hole. The inconsistency in processing times this year is really concerning. Some people are getting their refunds in 10-14 days while others of us are stuck in limbo well past the 21-day mark with no explanation.

Wait until u see how long the federal refund takes 😂

Glad you got it sorted out! Virginia really needs to step up their notification game. I had a similar issue last year where they sent my verification letter to an old address even though I updated it with them. Had to wait weeks for them to resend it to the correct address. At least once you verify, they're pretty quick with processing the refund!

I used TT for years but switched to FreeTaxUSA after the guarantee fiasco and it's been so much better. Paid $15 total for what TurboTax wanted $129 for lol

I had the exact same experience with TurboTax's "satisfaction guarantee" last year! What really got me was how they plaster that guarantee all over their marketing but bury the exclusions in tiny print that you only see after you've already paid. I ended up having to escalate through multiple customer service reps before anyone would even acknowledge that their advertising was misleading. The worst part is they know exactly what they're doing - their customer service scripts are clearly designed to wear you down and make you give up. I finally got my refund after threatening to report them to my state's attorney general office, but it took weeks of back and forth. For anyone still dealing with this, document EVERYTHING. Screenshot every page that shows the guarantee without clear limitations, save all your chat transcripts, and don't let them transfer you around in circles. Ask to speak to a supervisor immediately and reference their own terms of service if they try to claim you don't qualify. It's ridiculous that we have to fight this hard just to get what they advertised, but unfortunately that seems to be TurboTax's business model now.

My biggest schedule C tip: track EVERYTHING throughout the year! I use a simple spreadsheet with categories that match Schedule C exactly. So much easier than trying to remember everything at tax time. Also make sure to save for quarterly estimated payments - I got hit with penalties my first year because I didn't realize I needed to make those.

I'm in a similar situation with my first year of self-employment! One thing that helped me was breaking down Schedule C into smaller chunks instead of trying to tackle it all at once. For equipment expenses, you can either deduct the full cost in the year you bought it (if under $2,500 per item) or depreciate it over several years. Most small photography businesses just deduct it all upfront since the amounts are usually manageable. Don't forget about some of the less obvious deductions like: - Professional development (photography courses, workshops) - Software subscriptions (Lightroom, Photoshop, etc.) - Insurance for your equipment - Business bank account fees - Professional memberships Also, keep receipts for everything! Even small purchases add up. I use a simple phone app to photograph receipts right when I make purchases so I don't lose them. One last tip - if FreeTaxUSA is overwhelming, their customer support is actually pretty helpful for walking through the Schedule C sections step by step. Much easier than trying to decode IRS publications on your own!

Just to add another perspective - I asked my tax accountant about a similar situation with tech stocks (selling Microsoft at a loss and buying Google), and she said it's completely fine. The key is that they're different companies with different business models, revenue streams, etc., even if they're in the same sector. She also mentioned that the IRS has never issued super clear guidance on what exactly "substantially identical" means beyond the obvious cases (like selling and buying back the same stock), so they generally interpret it narrowly.

This is a great question and you're smart to think about the wash sale implications before making the trade. Based on everything I've read and my own experience with tax-loss harvesting, you should be completely fine switching from Barrick Gold to Newmont. The IRS defines "substantially identical" very narrowly - it really only applies to the exact same security or something directly tied to it (like call options on the same stock). Two different companies, even in the same industry with similar business models, are considered distinct securities with their own unique risk profiles, management teams, asset bases, and financial structures. I've done similar sector switches myself - sold some underperforming bank stocks and bought different banks, energy companies for other energy companies, etc. Never had any issues with wash sale disallowances. The key is that GOLD and NEM are completely separate publicly traded companies with different ticker symbols, different management, different mining operations, and different financial performance. Just make sure you're making the investment decision based on your analysis of the companies' fundamentals rather than purely for tax reasons. If you genuinely believe Newmont is a better investment than Barrick going forward, then the tax loss harvesting is just a nice bonus on top of what should be a sound investment decision.