Just a word of caution from someone who learned the hard way last year... 😅 I was counting on my NetSpend advance to pay rent, and it got delayed because I had a name mismatch between my tax return and my NetSpend account (married name vs. maiden name). By the time I figured it out, I was already late on rent! Double-check that your name, address, and SSN match EXACTLY between your tax return and NetSpend profile. One hyphen or middle initial difference can hold things up for days or weeks!

Hey Mateo! As someone who's been through the NetSpend tax advance process a few times, I can tell you that 1 week is still within the normal range, especially for first-time US filers. The system can be extra cautious with new filers. A couple things to check: 1) Log into your NetSpend account online and look for any pending deposits or notifications, 2) Make sure your direct deposit info on your tax return matches your NetSpend account exactly, and 3) If you haven't already, call NetSpend customer service - yes the hold times suck, but they can at least tell you if there are any issues on their end. The advance should show up soon, but definitely don't panic if it takes the full 5-7 business days. Good luck!

2 Has anyone here used TurboTax to report this kind of transaction? I'm trying to figure out if the software can handle reporting a direct charitable contribution from a non-qualified annuity correctly or if I need to hire a tax professional this year.

I'm a bit confused about the documentation requirements everyone is mentioning. When you do a direct charitable contribution from a non-qualified annuity, what specific documentation do you need to keep? I assume you need the 1099-R from the annuity company, but what about from the charity side? Do they need to send you a special acknowledgment letter since the money came directly from the annuity company rather than from you personally? And does this affect the $250+ written acknowledgment requirement for charitable deductions?

Has anyone else noticed how some very profitable corporations seem to pay almost no taxes despite this "flat" rate? I read that Amazon paid $0 in federal taxes in 2018 despite billions in profit. How does that work if there's supposedly a flat 21% rate?

The difference also comes down to fundamental tax policy goals. Individual progressive taxation is based on the principle of "ability to pay" - someone making $50k feels the burden of taxes much more than someone making $500k, so we tax higher earners at higher rates. Corporate taxation serves different purposes. It's meant to prevent corporations from being used as tax shelters (where individuals park money in companies to avoid personal taxes) and to capture some revenue from business profits before they're distributed to shareholders. The flat rate reflects that corporations are legal entities, not people with varying needs and abilities to pay. There's also the international competition factor. Countries compete to attract businesses by offering competitive corporate tax rates. A complex graduated system makes it harder for businesses to predict their tax burden and can drive companies to relocate to countries with simpler, more predictable systems. That said, as others mentioned, many small businesses don't even pay corporate taxes because they're structured as pass-through entities, so they get the benefit of graduated rates through the individual tax system anyway.

Which tax software handles this situation best? I tried using FreeTaxUSA last year and it got confused when I tried to explain the same income on two different forms.

I had this exact same problem last year with my music publishing royalties! What made it even more confusing was that the timing didn't match up perfectly - some payments showed up on my 1099-MISC in December but the corresponding 1099-K entry was dated in January when the payment actually cleared through PayPal. The key thing I learned is to track by the actual payment reference numbers or transaction IDs when possible, not just dates and amounts. Most payment processors include some kind of reference number that you can match back to the original royalty payment. Also, don't forget that if you're getting royalties through these platforms, you might be able to deduct the platform fees (like Venmo's processing fees) as business expenses. Just make sure to document everything clearly since the IRS is definitely paying more attention to 1099-K reporting now that the threshold is lower.

I've been tracking Chase direct deposits for tax refunds for several years now. A few things to consider about your situation: Have you checked if your refund includes any refundable credits like EITC or CTC? Those sometimes follow a different deposit timeline. What does your transcript show for transaction codes? Is there anything besides the 846 code that might indicate a partial offset or review? Did you file electronically or by paper? Electronic filers typically see deposits processed more predictably than paper filers.

I'm in the exact same situation! Filed 2/12, accepted same day, transcript shows 846 code with DDD 3/20, and Chase shows nothing pending. I called them twice today and both reps confirmed no ACH transfers in queue. What's frustrating is that my neighbor got her refund yesterday with a 3/19 DDD through Wells Fargo. I'm trying not to panic but it's hard when you're counting on that money for bills. Has anyone with Chase actually received their deposit early this year, or are they all coming exactly on the DDD? I've read mixed reports online about whether the Treasury changed their batch processing timing this season.