16 Just curious - has anyone successfully gotten their employer to issue a corrected W-2 for this situation instead of waiting to claim it on taxes? My payroll person suggested this might be possible but wasn't sure of the process.

This is such a frustrating situation that so many people face! I went through the exact same thing last year with my part-time consulting gig. One thing I discovered is that some employers are more willing to work with you if you can show them the specific IRS guidance. Publication 15 (Circular E) actually addresses this scenario and explains that while employers must withhold SS tax up to the wage base, they can stop if an employee provides sufficient documentation that the limit has been reached across all employers. The key is presenting it as helping THEM avoid potential administrative headaches rather than just asking for a favor. When I framed it that way - explaining that continuing to withhold would just create unnecessary paperwork when they eventually have to reconcile everything - my employer was much more receptive. Also worth noting that if you're planning to stay at both jobs into next year, this same issue will come up again in 2024 with the new wage base limit. Might be worth establishing the process now so it's easier to handle next year!

I've been filing taxes with dependents for 8 years now, and I've tried filing at different times each year. In 2020, I filed January 31st and got my refund March 2nd. In 2021, I filed February 20th (after PATH lifted) and still got my refund March 5th. In 2022, I filed February 1st and got my refund February 28th. Last year, I filed February 18th and got my refund March 10th. This year I filed January 29th and just got my refund yesterday (March 2nd). My conclusion? There's minimal advantage to waiting, and the processing time varies year to year regardless of when you file.

Thanks for starting this discussion, Chloe! As someone who's navigated the PATH Act maze for a few years now, I'd say the timing strategy is less important than most people think. The IRS will hold your refund until mid-February regardless of when you file if you're claiming CTC or EITC - that's just how the law works. What I've found more impactful is making sure your return is squeaky clean before submitting. Double-check that your child's SSN matches exactly what's on file with Social Security, ensure you're the only one claiming them as a dependent, and keep all your documentation organized. A clean return might not avoid the PATH delay, but it'll move through processing much faster once that hold lifts. I usually file in early February now - gives me time to gather everything properly without the January rush, but still gets me in the queue early. The key is managing expectations: PATH Act delays are inevitable with child credits, but proper preparation can prevent additional complications that extend your wait even longer.

One thing nobody's mentioned - with your income level, you might benefit from bunching deductions in certain years if you're close to being able to itemize. We're also W2 employees around $400k combined, and we've saved by planning charitable contributions strategically. Our CPA helped us set up a donor-advised fund that lets us bunch multiple years of charitable giving into a single tax year to exceed the standard deduction threshold, then take the standard deduction in off years.

Haven't seen anyone address the new baby situation specifically. With your income level, you won't qualify for the child tax credit (phases out for married couples filing jointly with income over $400k), but you might qualify for the dependent care credit if you pay for childcare. That's something software should catch, but a professional might help optimize. Also worth checking if your employers offer dependent care FSAs - with two W2s you could potentially each set aside $5k for a total of $10k pre-tax for childcare expenses.

Have you looked into Schedule E for reporting rental income and expenses? That's where you'd include any legitimate travel expenses related to your rental activity. You'll need to calculate the percentage of your home that's rented (sounds like 50% in your case) and then apply that to qualifying expenses. Remember to save all receipts and keep a mileage log if you're using a car for rental-related travel!

One thing I'd add that hasn't been fully addressed - make sure you're keeping contemporaneous records of your travel purposes. The IRS loves to see documentation created at the time of the expense, not reconstructed later during an audit. I keep a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, destination, purpose, mileage/cost, and rental percentage applied. For example: "3/15/24 - Home Depot - Purchase faucet for tenant bathroom - $12.50 gas - 100% deductible travel, 50% of supplies." Also, don't forget about the home office deduction if you use part of your personal space exclusively for managing your rental business (like a desk where you handle tenant communications, bookkeeping, etc.). This can provide additional deductions beyond just the rental portion expenses. The key is being able to demonstrate clear business purpose for each expense. Your regular commute to work definitely doesn't qualify, but any trip with a legitimate rental management purpose can be partially or fully deductible depending on the circumstances.

This is definitely a widespread TurboTax issue - I'm a volunteer tax preparer and we've seen dozens of cases like this in the past two weeks. Here's what works: 1. Download your return as a PDF first (save a copy) 2. Log out completely 3. Clear browser cache and cookies 4. Use a different browser if possible 5. Log back in and go directly to the state return section 6. Enter your direct deposit info VERY SLOWLY (literally type each number with a 1-second pause) 7. Wait 15 seconds before clicking continue This has worked for everyone I've helped so far. It's some kind of validation timing issue with their state return processing.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue for the past week! Just wanted to add that if you're still having problems after trying all the browser tricks, check if your state has any recent tax law changes that might be causing validation issues. I discovered that my state added a new tax credit form this year that TurboTax wasn't handling properly. I ended up having to temporarily remove that credit, submit the return, and then file an amendment later. Not ideal, but it got me past the freeze. Also, make sure you're not using any browser extensions or ad blockers - I found that my privacy extension was interfering with TurboTax's background validation processes. Good luck everyone!