I'm in a similar situation with Chase! Filed my CA return on 2/10 and got the "authorized" notification yesterday. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like Chase is generally pretty quick with processing these deposits - most people seem to get theirs within 2-3 business days of the scheduled date. The 7 business day thing seems to be just the FTB covering themselves legally. I'd bet you'll see it by Friday or Monday at the latest. The waiting is definitely the worst part though! 🤞

I have Chase too and just went through this exact same process! My CA state refund was "scheduled" for deposit on 2/20 and it actually hit my account on 2/22 - so exactly 2 business days later. From what I've experienced and seen with other Chase customers, they tend to process these state refunds pretty efficiently. The FTB gives that 7 business day window to cover all possible scenarios, but in reality most people see their money within 2-4 business days. Since your scheduled date is 2/24 (Monday), I'd expect to see it in your account by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. The good news is that once it's "authorized" like yours is, it's basically guaranteed to come through - it's just a matter of the banking system doing its thing. Try not to stress too much about it!

Have you verified if you're affected by the PATH Act? This legislation requires the IRS to hold refunds involving EITC or ACTC until at least February 15th, causing significant delays for qualifying taxpayers. Did you claim either of these credits on your 2023 return?

I feel your frustration - filed mine on February 14th and still waiting too! The uncertainty is the worst part, especially when you're budgeting around that refund. One thing that helped ease my anxiety was setting up IRS account online and checking my transcript weekly instead of obsessing over WMR daily. The transcript often shows activity before WMR updates. Also found that calling the automated refund hotline (1-800-829-1954) sometimes gives slightly different info than the website. Hang in there - based on what others are sharing, it sounds like many February filers are still in the same boat!

Has anyone noticed that the instructions for Form 8889 are absurdly complicated? I swear the IRS intentionally makes this stuff confusing. I have a masters degree and still can't figure out if I'm doing my HSA right.

I think I see where your confusion is coming from! You're absolutely on the right track - if you contributed $3,100 against a limit of $3,850, you have no excess contributions at all. You're actually $750 UNDER the limit. The key thing to understand is that Form 8889 has two main parts that deal with completely different things: - Part I (lines 1-13): This is about CONTRIBUTIONS to your HSA - Part II (lines 14-21): This is about DISTRIBUTIONS from your HSA What you're seeing in Part II (lines 14a/14b both showing $500) means you withdrew $500 from your HSA and used all $500 for qualified medical expenses. That's actually perfect - no taxes owed! If you had actual excess contributions, they would show up in Part I of the form, specifically around lines 6-8, and would be subject to a 6% excise tax. But since you're under your contribution limit, this doesn't apply to you. Your form is filled out correctly. The $500 on line 14b represents qualified medical expenses, not excess contributions. No additional taxes are due on this amount.

Another option worth considering is using tax software to prepare your 1040x. I had to amend last year and used TurboTax to prepare my amendment. It was pretty straightforward - I just created a new return with the correct information, and the software generated the 1040x for me showing the differences. Most major tax software can handle amendments, though you'll still need to print and mail the forms rather than e-file. Might be cheaper than going back to H&R Block if you're comfortable doing it yourself with some guidance.

I went through something similar last year with a missed 1099-INT. One thing I learned is that you should gather all your documents first before deciding on your approach. Make sure you have your original tax return, the missed 1099-INT forms, and any other tax documents handy. If the total additional tax owed is under $100 (which it probably will be for those amounts), I'd honestly suggest doing it yourself rather than paying H&R Block's amendment fee. The 1040x form looks intimidating but it's basically just three columns - what you originally reported, what it should have been, and the difference. Download the form and instructions from IRS.gov, take your time, and double-check everything before mailing it in. For straightforward additions like interest income, it's really not as complicated as it seems. Save yourself the $100+ fee and use that money for something more enjoyable!

Quick tip for the OP - make sure you're also factoring in any fees you paid when exercising or selling. Those can be added to your basis as well. Every dollar counts when you're trying to reduce the taxable gain!

Just want to add another important consideration - timing of when you actually paid the AMT matters for your basis adjustment. If you exercised ISOs in December 2014 but didn't actually pay the AMT until you filed your return in April 2015, some tax professionals argue the basis adjustment shouldn't apply until the 2015 tax year. This mainly affects people who did cashless exercises or had complex timing situations. For most people who did cash exercises and paid AMT in the same calendar year, it's straightforward. But if there's any timing complexity in your situation, you might want to double-check this detail. Also, keep really good records of everything - copies of your Form 6251 from 2014, your stock option exercise confirmations, and all the supporting calculations. The IRS has been scrutinizing ISO transactions more closely in recent years, so having bulletproof documentation is crucial if you ever get selected for review.