PSA: There's a specific code on your transcript (846) that shows when the refund was actually sent. You can verify if it actually went out on 2/26 by checking your transcript. If you don't see that code with the 2/26 date, the money hasn't actually been released yet regardless of what WMR says. You can access this on irs.gov through your online account.

I'm in the exact same boat with CashApp and the 2/26 DD date! Been checking my account obsessively for days now. Reading through all these comments is actually really helpful - sounds like CashApp just takes longer to process IRS refunds than traditional banks. I'm going to check my transcript tonight to see if I have that 846 code with the 2/26 date to confirm the IRS actually sent it. At least now I know it's normal for CashApp to take up to 5 business days. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - makes me feel way less anxious about this!

For future reference, there are better ways to track your refund than just WMR: • Create an IRS online account and check your transcript directly • Look specifically for Transaction Code 846 which indicates a refund has been issued • The transcript typically updates before WMR does • Pay attention to cycle codes (last two digits indicate which day of the week updates happen) • Many banks process deposits early, especially online banks I'm glad your money arrived! It's actually fairly common for funds to appear before WMR updates, especially during the peak processing weeks of March and early April. The IRS prioritizes getting payments out over updating their customer-facing tools.

This exact same thing happened to me just last week! Filed on 2/18, WMR stuck on "still processing" with Topic 152 for over a month, then boom - refund appeared in my account on 3/19 with zero warning. I was starting to think something was wrong with my return. What's funny is I actually called the IRS the day before my deposit hit because I was so worried. The agent told me my return was "in the final stages" but couldn't give me a timeline. Then literally the next morning, there was my refund! WMR didn't update until 2 days later. I think the lesson here is that WMR is more of a general status indicator than a real-time tracking tool. Once you hit that "still processing" stage, especially with credits involved, the actual deposit can happen anywhere from a few days to several weeks later. The important thing is that you got your money - that's the IRS's way of saying everything checked out fine with your return!

Has anyone had their energy efficiency credits audited? I'm worried about claiming the full credit with my rental situation.

I went through this exact situation last year with a new HVAC system and 14% rental use. You're absolutely right that you can claim the full credit since you're under the 20% threshold. The IRS does consider rental activity as "business use" even though it's passive income. A few practical tips from my experience: Keep detailed records of your square footage calculation (I drew up a simple floor plan with measurements), save all your heat pump documentation including the Energy Star certification, and make sure your contractor can provide proof that the system meets the efficiency requirements. The IRS wants to see that you can justify both the qualifying equipment and the business use percentage. Also, don't forget that you'll need to use Form 5695 when you file. The credit gets applied directly to reduce your tax liability, which is great since it's not dependent on your income level like some deductions are.

Just wanted to jump in as someone who went through this exact same confusion last year! The stress is totally understandable - I was convinced I had made a major error when I first noticed the discrepancy. What really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all my income sources. I listed my W-2 wages, then added any other income I had entered into TurboTax (even small amounts like bank interest or that $20 from a side gig). It all added up to match my 1040 total. Also, since you mentioned you're military, double-check if you had any PCS moves last year. Sometimes there are taxable reimbursements or benefits that get reported separately from your regular pay, and those would show up in your 1040 but not necessarily be obvious on your W-2. The key thing is that your W-2 is just ONE piece of your total tax picture. Your 1040 is the complete story of all your income for the year. Once I understood that concept, everything made sense!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation and was getting really anxious about it. I'm active duty Navy and noticed my W-2 from DFAS shows about $8,000 less than what's appearing on my 1040 in TurboTax. After reading through all these responses, I think I understand now - it's likely my TSP contributions and health/dental premiums that are causing the difference. I contribute about $500/month to traditional TSP, which would definitely account for a big chunk of that discrepancy. One question though - if I had some travel reimbursements that were over the per diem rates (so they became taxable), would those show up on my W-2 or get reported separately? I had a couple TDY trips where I went over the meal allowances and I'm wondering if that's contributing to the higher 1040 amount. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating these confusing tax situations!

Has anyone used TurboTax to handle switching methods mid-year? I'm confused about how to set this up correctly in the software.

Just went through this exact situation last year with a $7,200 transmission replacement! You're absolutely right that you can switch to actual expenses for 2023 to capture that repair deduction, then switch back to standard mileage for 2024. A few things I learned the hard way: 1. Start keeping meticulous records NOW - not just for the repair, but for ALL vehicle expenses (gas, oil changes, registration, insurance, etc.) since you'll need to claim actual expenses for the entire year, not just the repair 2. The business use percentage applies to ALL expenses, so make sure you're consistent with that 33% across everything 3. If you do increase your business percentage for the rest of the year, document WHY (like "purchased personal vehicle on X date, now using work vehicle exclusively for business") One gotcha I discovered: if you've been depreciating the vehicle under standard mileage, switching to actual expenses means you need to figure out the "adjusted basis" for depreciation purposes. It's not super complicated, but definitely something to get right. The silver lining is real though - I saved about $1,800 in taxes by making the switch for my repair year. Just make sure you have a solid bookkeeping system in place for tracking everything!