I used TurboTax's refund advance two years in a row and can share some insights that might help with your decision. With your situation - three kids and historically getting around $8500 back - you're in a strong position for approval. What worked in my favor was being upfront about my expected refund amount and making sure all my documentation was accurate. Since you've been with TurboTax for years, they have your filing pattern on record which definitely helps. I had a credit score around 580 and still got approved for $3200 out of the $4000 maximum. The timing aspect is crucial since you mentioned needing money ASAP. In my experience, TurboTax's approval was faster than expected - I applied on a Tuesday evening and had the funds via direct deposit by Thursday morning. H&R Block might be $500 less, but if you need every dollar for your family emergency, that difference matters. One thing I learned: they do verify your income information pretty thoroughly, so double-check that your W-2 amounts match exactly what you enter. Any discrepancies can trigger manual review which adds 24-48 hours to the process. Given your consistent filing history with TurboTax and the urgency of your situation, I'd stick with them for the higher advance amount. The extra $500 could make a real difference for your family right now. Best of luck getting through this tough time!

I've been following this discussion and wanted to add my perspective as someone who's used both services. Given your situation with three kids and needing the maximum advance possible, TurboTax is definitely your best option for the $4000 vs H&R Block's $3500. Your multi-year history with TurboTax is actually a huge advantage that people don't always realize. Their system flags returning customers favorably, and since your information is already in their database, there's less chance of data entry errors that could delay approval. I've seen people get denied or delayed simply because of typos when switching to a new service. With your expected refund of around $8500 (assuming similar circumstances to last year), you should easily qualify for their maximum advance. The key approval factors aren't really about credit scores - they're looking at your expected refund amount, filing consistency, and whether you've had any issues with offsets or identity verification in the past. One practical tip: when you apply, make sure you do it during business hours on a weekday if possible. While they say 24-hour approval, I've noticed faster processing during their peak hours. Also, having your direct deposit info ready speeds up the funding process significantly compared to waiting for their prepaid card. The $500 difference between TurboTax and H&R Block could be meaningful for your family emergency, and combined with your established relationship with TurboTax, it seems like the clear choice. Hope you get through this tough situation quickly!

Has anyone here successfully claimed the child tax credit using just an ITIN for their kid? I heard some tax credits are restricted if your dependent doesn't have an SSN.

I went through this exact situation last year with my spouse and child during their green card process. You can absolutely claim your child as a dependent using an ITIN - don't wait for the SSN! A few things that helped me: First, apply for the ITIN as early as possible since it takes 7-11 weeks. You can file Form W-7 with your tax return. Second, keep detailed records of all support you're providing (housing, food, medical, etc.) since you'll need to prove you provide over half their support. For your hypothetical overseas scenario - yes, you could still claim them as dependents even if they were living abroad, as long as they meet the dependency tests and have ITINs. The key is that as a US service member, your family members can qualify as residents for tax purposes even when physically overseas. One gotcha I learned the hard way: with just an ITIN, your child qualifies for the Credit for Other Dependents ($500) rather than the full Child Tax Credit. Once they get their SSN, you can claim the full amount. But definitely don't miss out on claiming them altogether while waiting for the immigration process!

If all else fails and you can't figure out the exact amount, make a good faith estimate based on how many hours you worked and what your hourly rate was. The IRS mainly cares that you're making an honest effort to report your income. Just document how you came up with your estimate (like "worked approx 20 hours per week for 25 weeks at $15/hr = $7,500") and keep that with your tax records.

I'd definitely recommend taking action sooner rather than later on this. From what you've described, it sounds like you were technically an employee (you asked to be put in the payroll system) rather than a contractor, so Form 8919 is probably your best bet like others mentioned. One thing to keep in mind - even if the business closed down, you might still be able to get some documentation. Try checking with your state's Secretary of State office or Department of Labor to see if they have any records of the business. Sometimes when businesses close, there are still ways to track down contact information for the former owner through business registration records. Also, start gathering any evidence you have now - old bank deposits, text messages about work schedules, anything that shows you worked there and roughly how much you earned. The IRS appreciates when taxpayers make a good faith effort to comply, especially when the situation wasn't their fault. Better to file with an estimate and be upfront about the situation than to not file at all.

I had this exact same question last year! An IRA distribution is literally ANY money coming out of an IRA account - doesn't matter where it goes after. So yes, when u move $ from TIRA to Roth, that's a distribution. The trick is the tax treatment: - Regular withdrawal to your bank account = distribution (taxable + maybe penalties) - TIRA to Roth = distribution + conversion (taxable but no penalties) - IRA to IRA rollover = distribution but not taxable if done properly Report the whole amount on line 4a, and the taxable part on 4b. For backdoor Roth, those are usually the same number unless u had non-deductible contributions.

Hey Sean! I totally get the confusion - I was in the same boat when I first started doing my own taxes. Here's the simple breakdown: Yes, your TIRA to Roth conversion IS considered an IRA distribution and goes on line 4a. Think of it this way - money left your Traditional IRA account, so that's a "distribution" regardless of where it went next. For a backdoor Roth conversion: - Line 4a = total amount that came out of your TIRA - Line 4b = taxable portion of that amount If you made deductible contributions to your TIRA, then 4a and 4b will be the same (fully taxable). If you made non-deductible contributions, you'll need Form 8606 to calculate what portion is taxable. The key thing to remember: an IRA distribution is ANY money leaving an IRA account - whether you pocket it, convert it, or roll it over. The tax treatment varies, but they're all technically distributions. Don't stress too much about triggering an audit - as long as you report the numbers from your 1099-R correctly, you should be fine. The IRA custodian already sent those same numbers to the IRS anyway!

Great question about this arrangement! I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share some insights from my research and experience with family property tax strategies. One thing that hasn't been fully explored here is the potential for Section 280A issues if you go the rental route. Since your mom is a family member and you're not charging actual rent, the IRS could potentially challenge the "rental" classification under the personal use rules. The key is demonstrating legitimate business purpose and maintaining arm's-length documentation, even within the family. Also worth considering - if your mom's $130k contribution is substantial relative to the total purchase price (which it is at about 37%), you might want to explore treating this as a partial ownership interest rather than a gift or loan. This could potentially allow her to claim her proportional share of property tax deductions on her own return, which might be more valuable than the rental deductions for you given the passive loss limitations at your income level. Have you looked into whether your state offers any property tax deferrals or reductions for seniors? Some states allow property taxes to be deferred until sale or transfer, which could provide ongoing cash flow benefits even if the initial tax strategies don't work out as planned. The Medicare Part B premium point raised earlier is crucial - definitely verify how any reported rental income might affect her IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) before implementing any strategy.

This is such a thoughtful way to support your mom! I went through something similar when my father needed to relocate for health reasons. One strategy that worked well for us was establishing a formal caregiving agreement alongside the housing arrangement. Since you mentioned your mom is in her early 80s, you might be able to document some of your time spent helping her with daily activities, medical appointments, etc. as caregiving services. This creates legitimate business expenses you can deduct if you treat the property as rental - things like mileage for driving her to appointments, costs for home modifications for accessibility, even a portion of your time at a reasonable hourly rate. The key is keeping detailed records of the care you provide and treating it like a real business arrangement. This adds substance to the rental classification and gives you additional deductions beyond just the property expenses. It also helps justify the below-market rent situation since you're providing valuable services in exchange. Just make sure any caregiving payments stay within reasonable bounds for your area - the IRS will scrutinize family arrangements, but if you can show legitimate value being provided, it strengthens the overall tax strategy considerably.