Whatever you do, avoid those "Tax Relief" places that advertise on the radio! I made that mistake and paid $3000 upfront only to discover they just filed basic paperwork I could have done myself. Total ripoff.

I went through this exact situation about 18 months ago - 5 years unfiled, similar amount owed. Here's what I learned: 1. Don't panic about the amount you think you owe. My "rough calculation" was way off because I hadn't accounted for legitimate business deductions and the standard deduction increases over those years. 2. Start with getting your IRS transcripts immediately - you can request them online at irs.gov. This will show you exactly what income the IRS has on file for each year. 3. Look for an Enrolled Agent rather than a CPA if possible. EAs specialize specifically in tax issues and IRS representation. The National Association of Enrolled Agents website has a "find an EA" tool. 4. When interviewing professionals, ask specifically about their experience with multiple years of unfiled returns and how they handle penalty abatement requests. A good professional should mention First Time Penalty Abatement and reasonable cause arguments. 5. Be prepared to pay the professional fees upfront - legitimate tax professionals don't work on contingency like those scammy relief companies. The whole process took about 4 months for me, but getting it behind me was such a relief. You're smart to handle this proactively rather than waiting for the IRS to come after you.

my sister in PA got hers in like 5 days im so jealous rn

This happens literally every year and we never learn lol. NY always slower than molasses in January smh

Great question! I've been wondering about this too. What really strikes me is how we went from having so many brackets in the past to basically flattening everything out. One thing I've noticed is that when people talk about "tax the rich," they often focus on income tax brackets, but as someone mentioned, the ultra-wealthy get most of their money through capital gains, which are taxed at much lower rates (0%, 15%, or 20% depending on income level, versus up to 37% for regular income). It seems like we could potentially add more income tax brackets AND reform capital gains taxation to make the system more progressive overall. The fact that someone making $50 million pays the same marginal rate as someone making $700k on their regular income does seem pretty arbitrary when you think about it. I'm curious if other countries have more granular bracket systems? Maybe we could learn from what works elsewhere instead of just debating the same old talking points.

This is such a fascinating discussion! As someone who's been trying to wrap my head around tax policy lately, I really appreciate all the different perspectives here. What strikes me most is how the debate seems to get stuck on the same old arguments when there are clearly more nuanced approaches we could consider. The point about capital gains taxation is huge - it seems like we're having half the conversation if we only focus on income tax brackets while ignoring how the ultra-wealthy actually accumulate and structure their wealth. I'm also intrigued by the international comparisons mentioned. Has anyone looked into whether countries with more progressive tax systems (more brackets + higher rates) actually see better economic outcomes for the middle class? It seems like that would be pretty relevant data for this debate. One thing I keep coming back to is the complexity argument against more brackets. Like, my tax software already handles all the calculations anyway - whether there are 7 brackets or 15 doesn't really affect me as a taxpayer. But it could potentially generate significant revenue for things like infrastructure, education, healthcare. Seems like a pretty good trade-off if the main downside is that wealthy people's accountants have to do slightly more complex math?

I'm a former banking operations specialist, and there may be some additional factors at play here. Chase, like most large banks, typically processes ACH transfers in batches, usually around 2-3 times per day. If the IRS transmission occurred after the final batch on 3/19, it would likely be processed the following business day. Additionally, there could possibly be a security hold if this is a new account, if the amount is significantly larger than previous deposits, or if there have been recent account changes. These holds are generally 2-3 business days but can extend to 5 business days in some circumstances.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My DDD was 3/19 with Chase and I'm still waiting too. After reading all these responses, I called Chase this morning using the advice from @Lucy Taylor about calling the direct deposit department specifically. The rep told me they can see a "processing deposit" from the Treasury that should post within 24-48 hours. She said it's been in their system since 3/20 but got flagged for their standard tax refund verification process. Apparently this is happening to a lot of Chase customers with DDDs from 3/19. Really frustrating that they don't show these as pending in online banking! I'll update once it hits my account.

I went through this exact situation two years ago and can confirm you'll definitely get your TDS refund! The late PAN-Aadhar linking doesn't make you ineligible for refunds - it just means higher TDS rates were applied temporarily. Here's what actually happens: When your PAN-Aadhar isn't linked, employers are required to deduct TDS at higher rates (usually 20% instead of 10%). But when you file your ITR, the system calculates your actual tax liability based on your income slab, not the TDS rate that was applied. In my case, I had about 75k deducted at the higher rate and got back around 45k when I filed. The refund came through within 6 weeks of filing, which was pretty standard timing. Just make sure to file your ITR before the deadline and verify that all your TDS entries in Form 26AS match what your employer deducted. The system will automatically calculate any excess TDS as refundable. Don't stress too much - you haven't lost that money permanently!

I've been through this exact scenario and want to reassure you - you'll definitely get your TDS refund! Late PAN-Aadhar linking doesn't disqualify you from claiming excess TDS back. Here's what happened in my case: I linked my PAN-Aadhar about 3 months late, and my company deducted TDS at 20% instead of 10% during that period. When I filed my ITR for that year, I got back approximately 38k out of the 52k excess that was deducted. The key things to remember: 1. Higher TDS rates are just a temporary penalty, not permanent loss 2. Your actual tax liability is calculated based on income slabs, not TDS rates applied 3. File your ITR before the deadline and ensure all TDS details in Form 26AS are accurate 4. The refund process is automated - if you've paid more tax than you owe, you'll get it back One practical tip: Download your Form 26AS a few days before filing your ITR and cross-check it against your salary slips/TDS certificates. Sometimes there can be reporting delays, especially when PAN-Aadhar linking happens mid-year. Don't let your colleagues' conflicting advice stress you out - the tax system is designed to refund excess payments regardless of when you completed the PAN-Aadhar linking!