Did you check if HR Block guaranteed their work? Many tax prep companies offer some kind of guarantee or insurance, especially for cases where they made a clear error like this. If their tax professional advised you on the payment plan but then entered your banking info for direct debit anyway, that's definitely on them. Ask for a supervisor at HR Block and mention terms like "professional liability" and "error and omissions coverage." This kind of mistake should be covered, and they might even reimburse you for any overdraft fees you incurred.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! This is actually more common than it should be, and it's exactly why I always recommend double-checking with your tax preparer about payment methods when setting up installment plans. The good news is that the IRS does have procedures for handling duplicate payments and erroneous withdrawals. When you call them (and I know the wait times are brutal), make sure to have these key pieces of information ready: 1. Your payment plan confirmation number 2. The exact dates and amounts of all withdrawals 3. Your bank statements showing the transactions 4. Any correspondence from Jackson Hewitt about the payment plan Ask specifically for a "duplicate payment refund" and get a case number for your request. The IRS typically processes these refunds within 4-6 weeks once they verify the error. Also, definitely hold Jackson Hewitt accountable for this mistake. If their preparer walked you through setting up the payment plan but still included your banking info for direct withdrawal, that's a clear error on their part. They should help resolve this and potentially cover any overdraft fees you incurred. Keep detailed records of everything - dates, times, who you spoke with, case numbers, etc. This documentation will be crucial if you need to escalate the issue further. Hang in there - this will get resolved, it's just frustrating to deal with in the meantime!

The Tax Topic 152 message after verification is definitely a positive sign! I went through this exact situation last year - verified in person and then waited what felt like forever for transcripts to update. From my experience and what I've seen here, you're looking at roughly 2-4 weeks for transcript updates after getting that 152 message. The key thing is that your return is now in the normal processing queue, which is huge progress from being stuck in verification limbo. A few things that helped me stay sane during the wait: - Transcripts typically update overnight Thursday into Friday - Don't check more than once a week - it won't speed things up and just adds stress - When transcripts do update, they usually show everything at once including your DDD (Direct Deposit Date) The fact that WMR updated already is actually faster than some people experience. Try to be patient (easier said than done, I know!) - your refund is coming, the IRS just moves at their own glacial pace. Hang in there!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Verified in person on 3/12 and just got the Tax Topic 152 message yesterday. My transcripts are still completely blank too, which was making me panic that something went wrong with the verification process. Reading through all these responses is actually really reassuring - sounds like 2-4 weeks is pretty typical for transcripts to update after getting that delayed processing message. I was worried that the blank transcripts meant my verification didn't work, but it seems like that's just how slow their systems are. Going to try checking transcripts on Friday mornings like Sofia suggested rather than obsessively checking every day. The waiting is brutal when you're counting on that money, but at least we're past the verification hurdle now. Thanks for posting this - it's helping me feel less alone in this process!

I went through this exact situation and learned the hard way that insolvency at the time of forgiveness is super important! If your dad's liabilities exceeded his assets at the time the debt was forgiven, he might qualify to exclude some or all of the forgiven debt from income. Form 982 is what you'd use to claim this exclusion. This form has to be filed with the tax return, so even if your dad normally doesn't file, he might need to if he wants to claim insolvency.

This is a really complex situation, but you're asking the right questions! Since your dad is on permanent disability and typically doesn't file taxes, the key thing to understand is that any tax implications from the repossession would follow the legal ownership of the loan - which is in his name. One important point that hasn't been fully addressed: even if your dad receives a 1099-C, he may not need to file a return if his total income (including the forgiven debt) still falls below the filing threshold for his age and filing status. For 2023, if he's under 65 and his gross income is less than $13,850 (or $15,700 if 65 or older), he generally wouldn't need to file. However, if the forgiven debt amount is large enough to push him over the filing threshold, he would need to file - but that's where the insolvency exclusion on Form 982 could come into play if his debts exceeded his assets at the time of forgiveness. The fact that you used the car for commuting doesn't create any tax obligations for you, as others have correctly pointed out. Personal vehicles used for regular commuting aren't considered business assets, even if they're essential for getting to work. I'd recommend documenting your dad's financial situation as of the repossession date (assets vs. liabilities) just in case a 1099-C does arrive and you need to evaluate insolvency options.

One thing to watch out for - if you ever travel to the US and work while physically present there (even remotely on your Bolivian business), that income becomes US-taxable! I made this mistake during a 2-month trip to Miami where I continued serving clients. Ended up having to file a US non-resident return (1040NR) and pay US taxes on that portion of my income. Keep track of where you are physically located when performing services, as that can affect your tax situation regardless of where your clients or business are based.

Great thread everyone! As someone who's been running a digital consulting business from Bolivia for the past 3 years serving US clients, I can confirm most of what's been shared here is spot-on. One additional tip I'd add: make sure you understand Bolivia's "Régimen General" vs "Régimen Simplificado" thresholds. If your annual revenue exceeds around $87,000 USD equivalent, you'll need to register for the general regime which has different VAT and income tax requirements. The simplified regime is much easier to manage for smaller operations. Also, regarding invoicing - I've found it helpful to create a hybrid invoice format that satisfies both countries. I use the official SIN electronic invoicing system for the Bolivian factura, but I include English descriptions and additional details that my US clients need for their accounting. This way I only need to send one document that covers both requirements. For banking, I second the recommendation for Wise - their multi-currency accounts are perfect for this situation. You can receive USD payments and convert to bolivianos at better rates than traditional banks when needed. The key is staying organized with documentation from day one. Keep records of where you physically perform work, maintain proper invoicing for both countries, and don't be afraid to invest in professional help when needed. The tax compliance is manageable once you get the systems in place!

Don't forget to think about state taxes too! My boyfriend and I have a similar situation, and while the federal filing was pretty straightforward once we figured out who should claim our daughter, the state rules were different. Some states have their own versions of credits and different rules for unmarried parents.

Great question! I was in a very similar situation a few years ago. One thing that really helped us was creating a detailed spreadsheet of all our household expenses to figure out who was actually contributing more than half for the Head of Household determination. We tracked everything - rent, utilities, groceries, childcare, even things like our son's clothes and medical expenses. It turned out that even though my partner made less money, she was actually covering more of the day-to-day expenses while I was paying the bigger bills like rent. We also discovered that the Child and Dependent Care Credit could be pretty valuable - you can claim up to $3,000 in childcare expenses for one child, and the credit percentage depends on your income level. One mistake we made initially was not coordinating our W4 withholdings properly. Make sure whoever is claiming your son adjusts their W4 to account for the additional credits they'll receive, otherwise you might end up with a huge refund (which is essentially an interest-free loan to the government). The IRS withholding calculator on their website is actually pretty helpful for this once you know who's claiming what.