thats actually not bad that they took care of the old debt and ur still getting something back. i got completely wiped out by my offset 😭

Looks like you're actually in pretty good shape! The code 846 with date 04-19-2023 means your refund of $3,770.73 was definitely issued. If you haven't received it yet, you should check with your bank first to see if there were any deposit issues. You can also use the "Where's My Refund" tool on IRS.gov or call the refund hotline at 1-800-829-1954 to track it. The code 826 transfer to "1040 202012" means they applied $9,462.27 to cover a balance you owed from your 2020 tax return (that's what the 202012 refers to). So basically out of your total withholdings of $15,593, they used $2,360 for your 2022 taxes, $9,462.27 for the 2020 debt, and sent you the remaining $3,770.73 as a refund. Your transcript is actually showing everything processed correctly with a zero balance, which is good news!

Has anyone tried TaxSlayer? My brother-in-law recommended it but I'm curious about real experiences before switching from TurboTax.

I made the switch from TurboTax to H&R Block's online service last year and was pleasantly surprised. The pricing was much more transparent - around $55 for federal and state with my small business income, compared to the $120+ I was paying with TurboTax after all their add-ons. What I liked most was their "second look" review feature where a tax professional actually reviews your return before filing. It caught a deduction I had missed for my home office expenses. The interface was pretty intuitive too, though not quite as polished as TurboTax. They do have some upsells, but they're much less aggressive about it than TurboTax. You can easily decline the extras without feeling like you're missing something critical. The import features worked well for my bank statements and investment documents too.

I'm experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! Filed our first joint return on February 12th after getting married in November, and just received my second 60-day letter yesterday. Like everyone else here, I can access all our transcripts and everything appears completely normal - all W-2s, 1099s, and withholdings are showing up correctly. What's particularly annoying is that the second letter uses almost identical language to the first one about "waiting for tax information to be available in our system." If the information is already available (which it clearly is since we can all see it), why does it take them 4+ months to verify what should be a straightforward process? I'm starting to think there's a specific verification queue for newly married couples filing jointly, and they're just massively backlogged. The timing patterns everyone is describing are too consistent to be random - first letter around 3 weeks, second letter around 8-9 weeks later. Has anyone tried contacting their Congressional representative's office? I've heard they sometimes have dedicated liaisons who can expedite IRS issues, especially when taxpayers are experiencing unreasonable delays without clear explanations.

I'm in exactly the same boat as many of you here! Filed jointly for the first time after getting married in October, submitted our return on February 5th, and just got my second 60-day letter this week. The timing is almost spooky how similar it is to everyone else's experiences. What really caught my attention reading through all these comments is how we're ALL newly married couples filing jointly for the first time, and we're ALL getting the same vague "waiting for tax information" language despite being able to see everything perfectly fine on our transcripts. This can't be a coincidence. I think there's definitely a systematic issue with how the IRS processes first-time joint returns from previously separate filers. It's like their verification system flags the change in filing status and then gets stuck in some kind of bureaucratic loop. The Congressional representative suggestion from @Cedric Chung is really smart - I'm going to try that next week. At this point, we've all been patient enough with their internal processes. When multiple taxpayers are experiencing identical delays with identical explanations (or lack thereof), it starts to look like a systematic failure that needs external pressure to resolve. Has anyone tried reaching out to local tax preparation services to see if they're hearing similar complaints from other clients? It might help us understand just how widespread this issue really is.

Be careful with some of these approaches. I tried using the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) route last month during peak filing season, and they've implemented strict case acceptance criteria. Their Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) section 13.1.7.2 specifically prohibits TAS from accepting cases where the taxpayer is simply trying to circumvent normal IRS channels. If your issue doesn't meet their definition of 'significant hardship' under IRC section 7811, you'll be redirected back to the main IRS queue with wasted time.

Last year I had a similar business tax issue and discovered that the IRS Practitioner Priority Service line (866-860-4259) can sometimes be more effective. They typically serve tax professionals, but I've found that if you're prepared, knowledgeable about your issue, and have all your business documentation ready, they often will assist you directly. I was transferred three times but eventually reached someone who resolved my S-Corp filing issue in one call. The key difference from my previous attempts was calling mid-week around 2pm Eastern time.

Honestly, don't make such an important life decision like marriage just for tax purposes! My husband and I rushed our wedding for tax benefits with our new house and while the savings were nice, we both kinda regret not having the wedding we really wanted. The tax benefits weren't actually that huge in the end - like maybe $1200 for the year? Not worth rushing something as important as marriage imho. Plus the stress of closing on a house AND planning even a small wedding in the same month was insane!!

As someone who works in tax preparation, I'd recommend running the actual numbers before making any decisions! Here are some key considerations for your situation: **Potential Benefits of Marriage:** - At your income levels ($72k/$78k), you'll likely benefit from the higher married filing jointly standard deduction - Combined mortgage interest and property taxes might push you over the standard deduction threshold, making itemizing worthwhile - Student loan interest deduction phases out at higher income levels - marriage could help or hurt depending on your combined income **Things to Calculate:** - Your estimated mortgage interest for 2025 (ask your lender for projections) - Property taxes for the portion of the year you'll own the home - Whether your combined itemized deductions exceed the married standard deduction (~$30,000 for 2025) **My honest advice:** Don't rush marriage just for taxes. The savings might be smaller than you think, and there are administrative headaches with changing names, benefits, etc. right after closing on a house. If you're planning to marry anyway, a small courthouse ceremony isn't the worst idea, but make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. The tax code changes frequently, but marriage is (hopefully!) permanent. Have you considered consulting with a tax professional who can run scenarios with your actual numbers?