Don't forget that your state's Department of Labor might be able to help too! When my employer went bankrupt in 2023, I contacted our state labor department and they had wage records they could provide. It didn't have all the tax withholding details but it confirmed my earnings which helped with filing Form 4852. Just another avenue to try if the other methods aren't working for you.

Another option worth mentioning is to check if your employer had any kind of COBRA administrator or benefits company handling their employee benefits. Even after bankruptcy, these third-party administrators sometimes maintain access to payroll records for a period of time to handle final benefit reconciliations. I had luck with this approach when my employer folded - the COBRA administrator (Ceridian in my case) was able to provide me with year-end wage statements that had all the information I needed for my W-2. You might find this information on old benefits enrollment materials, insurance cards, or HR communications. It's a long shot but could save you from having to estimate numbers on Form 4852.

mine was stuck on processing for 4 months then randomly showed up in my account one day lol just hang in there

Looking at your transcript, that negative balance of -$9,621 means you're getting a refund! The codes show: 150 means your return was filed, 766 is additional child tax credit ($4,129), and 768 is earned income credit ($8,830). That weird number 30221-423-74330-5 is just an internal IRS processing code. The April dates (04-16-2025) are when those credits will be released - that's your expected refund date. Your cycle code 20250505 means it's being processed in the 5th week of 2025. Everything looks normal, just gotta wait for that April date! 💰

Theyre not gonna call u back in 30 days lol. But the good news is that usually means theyre about to release it anyway

Had the exact same thing happen to me last month! My 810 got removed and they gave me the whole "higher ups will call in 30 days" speech. Didn't get a call but my refund hit my account on day 18. Just keep checking your transcript for movement - once that 810 is gone you're basically in the clear. Hang in there!

Have you received any mail from the IRS yet? The 971 code means they sent something, and knowing what that notice says would help figure out your next steps.

I went through something very similar last year! Had the 570 code on 3/18 and 971 code on 3/25, and my WMR changed from PATH to processing around the same time as yours. The waiting was terrible, especially when you're dealing with major life changes like divorce - I totally understand needing that refund ASAP. In my case, I received the notice about 5 days after the 971 date, and it was just a CP12 explaining they corrected a small math error on my return. My refund was deposited exactly 8 days after WMR changed to processing. The key thing that helped my anxiety was realizing that if it was anything serious (like an audit), there would be different codes on the transcript. These codes are actually pretty routine and usually just mean they're double-checking something before releasing your refund. Hang in there!

Has anyone used TurboTax to report their short-term rental income? I'm trying to figure out if the basic version will handle this or if I need to upgrade to the premium version.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of keeping a detailed calendar or log of your rental activity. Since you're using the basement personally when family visits, you'll want to document exactly which days were: 1. Rented to paying guests 2. Available for rent but vacant 3. Used personally by you or family 4. Unavailable due to maintenance/repairs The IRS can be pretty strict about this documentation if you get audited. I use a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, status (rented/available/personal/maintenance), and any notes about bookings or personal use. Also, since you mentioned you sometimes let family stay there when they visit - make sure you're not charging them rent, because if you are, those days would count as rental days for tax purposes. If it's truly free family use, then it counts as personal use and reduces your deductible percentage. One more tip: take photos of the space in its rental-ready condition and keep receipts for any improvements or furnishings you buy specifically for the rental. These can help establish your basis for depreciation calculations.