Just wondering - does having a SSN from your internships change anything about how you fill out the W8-BEN? I got a social when I worked in the US last summer.

Just to add one more perspective here - don't stress too much about the W8-BEN form. It's actually pretty straightforward once you understand what it's for. The key thing to remember is that this form is specifically about the interest income your bank account generates, not your employment income. Since you're Canadian, you'll definitely benefit from the tax treaty. The US-Canada treaty eliminates withholding on bank interest entirely (0% instead of 30%), so filling out this form will actually save you money on any interest you earn. One thing I'd suggest is to keep a copy of your completed W8-BEN for your records. When you do eventually become a US tax resident (which sounds like it'll happen soon with your full-time move), you'll need to notify your bank and switch to providing them with a W-9 form instead. Having documentation of when you made that transition can be helpful for tax purposes. The form itself is valid for 3 years, but your circumstances are changing, so you'll likely need to update it sooner than that. Good luck with your move!

Filed January 23rd, stuck in pending until February 6th (a full 14 days!), then magically accepted overnight. The IRS is moving slower than a sloth on vacation this year! 🐌 But seriously, I wouldn't worry yet. I meticulously track my tax timeline every year in a spreadsheet (yes, I'm that person 😂), and this is by far the longest pending-to-acceptance window I've seen. Just be cautious about making any major financial plans that depend on your refund arriving by a specific date - I'd add at least an extra 2-3 weeks to whatever timeline you're expecting based on previous years.

Filed on 1/26 and still pending here too! This is so frustrating - I've been a TurboTax user for 8 years and never experienced anything like this. Usually get accepted within hours like you mentioned. I called TurboTax support yesterday and they basically said "it's an IRS issue, not us" which wasn't helpful at all. The uncertainty is the worst part - at least if they told us "expect 3-4 weeks this year" we could plan accordingly. Instead we're all just checking obsessively every day wondering if something went wrong. Thanks for posting this - it's oddly comforting to know I'm not alone in this pending purgatory!

Just FYI - most tax preparers have "errors and omissions" insurance for this exact situation. If they made a mistake that costs you money in an audit, that insurance should cover it. The disengagement letter typically doesn't override their professional obligations for work already performed, it just clarifies that they're not your tax preparer going forward. You could ask them specifically if their letter is intended to waive their E&O insurance coverage for past returns. If they say yes, that would be unusual and concerning. If they say no, get that clarification in writing as an amendment to their letter.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! My old preparer also wanted me to sign a release letter when I switched to someone cheaper. I was really nervous about it at first because like you, I was worried they were trying to dodge responsibility for potential mistakes. What I ended up doing was asking them to modify the language slightly. Instead of signing their original letter that seemed too broad, I asked them to clarify that while our professional relationship was ending, they would still stand behind the accuracy of the work they had already completed for me. They were actually pretty reasonable about it and agreed to add that clarification. The key thing I learned is that you have some negotiating power here - they can't force you to sign anything, and most legitimate preparers understand the difference between ending a relationship and abandoning professional responsibility for past work. If they're being too aggressive about broad liability waivers, that might actually be a red flag about the quality of their past work. I'd suggest reading it carefully and if anything seems too broad, just ask for clarification or modifications before signing. You're totally within your rights to do that.

mine took 84 days last year... good luck fam

The 21-day timeframe is calendar days, not business days. Since you were accepted on 1/22, you're looking at around 2/12 for the 21-day mark. But honestly, don't stress too much about the exact date - refunds can come earlier or later depending on your specific situation. Keep an eye on your transcript through the IRS website, that's your best bet for real updates on processing status.

According to SBTPG's terms and conditions under section 4.3(b) of their Refund Advance Agreement, approval is "subject to underwriting criteria including but not limited to verification of tax refund claim and credit evaluation." I went through this process this January and can confirm they do evaluate both. My refund was projected at $12,400, and I was approved for a $5,000 advance with a credit score of 710. Would like someone to confirm if this is typical or if I should have qualified for more?

I've been through this process with SBTPG twice in the last few years, and I can confirm it's definitely both credit and refund amount based. Here's what I've learned from my experience: The $7k advance you mentioned typically requires: • Expected refund of at least $12k-14k (they won't advance more than ~50% of your expected refund) • Credit score probably in the 650+ range (though they don't publish exact requirements) • Clean tax history with no major issues Since you usually qualify for the $4k advance with TurboTax/H&R Block, you're likely in decent standing credit-wise. But the jump from $4k to $7k is significant and they're much more selective at that level. My advice: if your expected refund this year is substantially higher than previous years (like $12k+), it might be worth trying. But if you're expecting a similar refund to previous years, you'll probably get offered something in the $3k-5k range regardless of which service you use. The good news is that most of these applications are soft credit pulls, so shopping around won't hurt your score. Just be prepared that the "up to $7k" marketing might not reflect what you actually qualify for.