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I feel your pain! Been there myself and the waiting is brutal. Just to confirm what others said - you definitely won't get your refund before the 846 code shows up. That code literally means "refund issued" so it has to appear first. 3 weeks isn't too bad yet though - the IRS says to allow 21 days for e-filed returns. If you hit the 21 day mark and still nothing, then you can start digging deeper into what might be causing the delay. Hang in there!
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Why not just get the two workers to chip in for gas? I know several carpooling arrangements at my workplace where passengers pay the driver a small amount to cover gas and wear on the vehicle. It's not a tax deduction, but it's a practical solution.
This is what we do at my warehouse! We have a few reliable employees who don't have transportation, so we created an informal carpool system. Drivers get $5-10 per person per day depending on distance. Not perfect but it helps offset costs without getting into tax complications.
I work in HR and have dealt with this exact situation before. One thing that might help is proposing a "qualified transportation fringe benefit" program to your employer. Under IRS Code Section 132, employers can provide up to $315 per month (2024 limit) in tax-free transportation benefits to employees. This could cover things like transit passes, parking, or even vanpooling arrangements. If your company set up a formal vanpool program where you're the designated driver, they could potentially reimburse your vehicle costs tax-free up to that monthly limit. The key is making it a formal company program rather than just you driving people around. Your employer would need to document it properly, but it could solve both the tax issue and get you reimbursed. Worth bringing up when you make your business case about retention costs!
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Did u verify ur identity on id.me? That's usually step 1 for these freezes
yea did that right away still nothing
Code 810 freezes are frustrating but usually resolve within 9-16 weeks from the freeze date. Since yours was placed March 2nd, you're getting close to that timeframe. The good news is your transcript shows no math errors or adjustments - just the freeze preventing release of your $10,712 refund. With self-employment income that high and such a large refund, they're likely doing income verification or checking for potential fraud patterns. The fact that you already completed ID.me verification is good, but sometimes they need additional documentation. I'd recommend calling the Taxpayer Advocate Service number mentioned above, but also try calling the regular IRS line early morning (7-8am) for better chances of getting through. Ask specifically about timeline for code 810 resolution and if they need any additional docs from you. Keep checking your transcript weekly - when it updates you'll see a code 846 (refund issued) with your direct deposit date. Hang in there, the money is definitely there waiting for you!
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Another option to consider is TaxAct - I used it last year for my 1042-S and it was much more straightforward than FreeTaxUSA. They have a specific section for "Income from foreign sources" where you can directly enter the 1042-S information. Just be aware that the federal withholding shown on your 1042-S is sometimes at a different rate than regular withholding, so double-check those amounts when you enter them. My university withheld at 14% rather than the standard rate because of how fellowships are classified.
Thanks for suggesting TaxAct! Does it handle joint filing well when one spouse has 1042-S income? And did you find it accommodated HSA contributions properly alongside the fellowship income?
TaxAct handles joint filing quite well when one spouse has 1042-S income. The system lets you clearly designate which spouse received the fellowship income, and it carried that designation throughout the return correctly. For HSA contributions, yes, it worked perfectly alongside the fellowship income. TaxAct has a dedicated HSA section that's separate from the income reporting, so there's no confusion between the two. The software correctly calculated my HSA deduction while properly reporting the 1042-S income as non-earned income (which is important since HSA eligibility depends on having a qualifying high-deductible health plan, not on the type of income you receive).
I'm an international student advisor and see this issue constantly. For tax residents who've been here 5+ years, here's what you need to know about reporting 1042-S fellowship income: 1) If you're using FreeTaxUSA, report Box 2 amounts under "Other Income" and write "Fellowship" in the description 2) If your fellowship was for research services you actually performed (not just studying), it might be reportable as earned income instead 3) Box 7 of your 1042-S shows the income type code which is crucial for correct reporting 4) Box 10 shows withholding - make sure this gets properly credited on your return Most commercial software struggles with 1042-S. While Glacier is focused on nonresidents, it actually works fine for residents with 1042-S forms too - you just need to indicate your status correctly at setup.
Sometimes my university splits my funding between regular payroll (W-2) and fellowship (1042-S). Is there a good way to explain this to the tax software so I don't end up double-reporting?
This is a common situation! When you have both W-2 and 1042-S income from the same institution, make sure you're reporting them in their respective sections - W-2 income goes in the regular "Wages" section, while 1042-S fellowship income goes under "Other Income" as mentioned. The key is to check that the total amounts don't overlap. Your university should have clearly separated what's considered employment compensation (W-2) versus fellowship/scholarship funding (1042-S). If you're unsure about the split, your student financial services office or payroll department should be able to provide a breakdown of how they classified your funding. Most tax software will automatically prevent double-counting as long as you enter each form in its correct section, but it's always good to do a sanity check that your total reported income makes sense compared to what you actually received.
William Schwarz
The simplest solution might be to just have your business pay you additional compensation (bonus, distribution, etc.) and then you pay for the remodel personally. This keeps everything clean - your business isn't directly paying for potentially personal expenses, and you can still claim the legitimate home office deduction on your personal taxes. Just make sure your business accountant helps you structure the compensation properly based on your business entity type (S-corp, LLC, etc.) since different rules apply. This approach also helps you avoid the "corporate veil" issues someone mentioned.
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Lauren Johnson
•This is what I did when I remodeled my condo last year. My S-corp paid me an extra distribution, I did the remodel, then I took the home office deduction on my Schedule C. Way cleaner than trying to run personal expenses through the business and potentially triggering an audit.
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Sophia Bennett
Great discussion here! As someone who went through a similar situation recently, I want to emphasize how important it is to get this right from the start. I made the mistake of mixing business and personal funds for a home renovation and it created a nightmare during tax season. What really helped me was documenting everything meticulously - I created a detailed spreadsheet showing square footage calculations, took photos of my dedicated office space, and kept all contractor invoices organized by business vs. personal portions. The IRS loves documentation, especially for home office deductions. One thing I learned the hard way: if you're planning to sell your home within the next few years, make sure you understand the depreciation recapture rules before claiming any home office deductions. I almost got blindsided by this when I was considering a move. Connor, given that you're in a high-tax area, the savings might be significant, but don't let that cloud your judgment on proper compliance. The cleanest approach really is separate payments for separate purposes, even if it means more paperwork upfront.
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