Pro tip: if you're having trouble reaching the IRS, try calling your local Taxpayer Advocate Service. They can sometimes help push things along.

Just went through this same nightmare last month! Here's what I learned: the IRS processing times are absolutely brutal right now - like 11-12 weeks instead of the usual 7. But here's the kicker - they don't always send rejection letters promptly either. I'd recommend calling the ITIN hotline (1-800-908-9982) and asking for a status update. Yeah, you'll be on hold forever, but at least you'll know if it's still processing or if there's an issue. Also, make sure you kept copies of EVERYTHING you sent - birth certificate, passport, whatever docs you used. If it does get rejected, the most common reasons are: wrong form version, missing supporting docs, or unclear photocopies. Don't give up though - once you know what went wrong, the resubmission usually goes smoother! 💪

Has anyone else noticed that the PDF version of Form 8962 that you can download from the IRS website calculates things differently than the Free Fillable Forms version? I spent hours trying to figure out why my return was rejected before realizing the standalone PDF I was using to practice on had slightly different calculation fields than the integrated version in Free Fillable Forms.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar Form 8962 rejection issue with Free Fillable Forms. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like there are so many little details that can cause problems - birthdate typos, MAGI calculations not matching, Part IV allocation issues, and differences between the PDF and online versions. I'm going to go through my form systematically and check: 1) that my MAGI in Part I matches my 1040 calculation exactly, 2) that all my 1095-A amounts are entered correctly in Part III, 3) that my birthdate is consistent across all forms, and 4) that I'm not filling out Part IV unnecessarily since I'm the only person on my plan. If I'm still stuck after that, it looks like both the taxr.ai tool and Claimyr service have helped people in this thread get their issues resolved. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world troubleshooting help that the official IRS instructions don't provide!

My wife had this same issue last year. What worked for us was going to the loan servicer's website and downloading her account statement, which showed the forgiven amount. We then reported it as "Other Income" on our state return with a description like "Student Loan Forgiveness not reported on federal return." We didn't have a 1099-C either but never had any issues with our state return.

I went through this exact situation last year in Indiana! Here's what I learned from my tax preparer: even without a 1099-C, you're still required to report the forgiven amount as income on your state return. First, contact your loan servicer directly (or try their online portal) to get a written confirmation of the exact amount forgiven - they should be able to provide this even if they didn't issue a 1099-C. Some servicers weren't required to issue these forms for certain types of forgiveness programs. In TurboTax, when you get to the Indiana state section, look for "Additions to Income" or "Other Income" - there should be an option to manually add income that wasn't on your federal return. You'll enter it as cancellation of debt income with a note that it's student loan forgiveness. Keep all documentation (loan statements, forgiveness letters, etc.) in case the state ever asks for proof. The good news is Indiana's process for this is pretty straightforward once you know where to enter it. Don't stress too much - as long as you report the income in good faith with the best information available, you should be fine!

Quick tip: If your parents are concerned about the UTMA affecting benefits, they might want to look into a 529 college savings plan instead. In many states, 529 plans have less impact on benefit eligibility than UTMAs do. The 529 would still be for your education, but the account ownership structure is different in ways that matter for benefits programs. Also, congrats on thinking about this stuff at 15! I wish I'd been that financially aware at your age.

Great questions! I went through something similar when I was 16. Just to add to what others have said - make sure you understand the difference between "earned income" (from your job) and "unearned income" (from investments like the UTMA). Your job income has that $12,550 threshold everyone mentioned, but the UTMA investment income has those lower thresholds ($1,150 tax-free, next $1,150 at your rate, then parents' rate after $2,300). One thing that helped me was keeping track of both throughout the year so there were no surprises at tax time. Your employer should give you a W-2 for your job income, and the UTMA custodian (usually a bank or investment company) will send a 1099 if there's any investment income. Also, since you mentioned government assistance - definitely have your parents check with their caseworker BEFORE the UTMA is funded. Some programs have asset limits that could be affected even if the tax situation is manageable. Better to know upfront than find out later that it impacts your family's benefits!

protip: check early morning around 3-4am, thats when they update the system. might see movement then

Filed mine February 15th and still waiting too! Good to know about the 4-6 week delay from the processor above. The Oklahoma Tax Commission website really should be more transparent about these delays instead of just saying "processing" - would save everyone a lot of stress. Hang in there, sounds like we're all in the same boat this year!