From what I've seen in this community over the past few years, amended returns are consistently the slowest category of tax filings to process. Back in 2021, I waited 11 months for an amended return to process. In 2022, it took 6 months. Last year was better at about 4 months. This year seems to be running at about 3-4 months based on what others are posting. So you're still within the expected timeframe. The community wisdom is: don't count on amended return money until you actually see it in your account. I've seen too many people get into financial binds planning around refund money that was significantly delayed.

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Filed my original return on January 28th, then had to amend on February 15th because I completely spaced on my HSA contributions (facepalm). It's now been about 8 weeks and I'm seeing the same thing - amendment shows up on my transcript but no refund code yet. What's really helpful reading through everyone's responses here is understanding that 16-20 weeks is actually normal. I was getting worried at the 6-week mark thinking something was wrong. The fact that @Donna Cline just got her 846 code at exactly 12 weeks gives me hope that we're both probably in the home stretch. Thanks for posting this - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with the amendment waiting game this year! 🤞

11 Quick warning about the home office deduction - be careful with claiming this if you don't have a space that's EXCLUSIVELY used for business. The IRS is pretty strict about this. If you're just selling from your couch or bedroom that you also use for personal stuff, you probably can't claim it. Also, if you're making under $5k from this side hustle, consider if the home office deduction is worth it. Sometimes it can trigger more scrutiny than it's worth for a small business.

Great question! Yes, you can definitely claim business deductions for your reselling activities. Since you're making regular income ($300-400/month), the IRS would likely consider this a business rather than just casual selling of personal items. Key deductions you can claim include: - Home office space (must be used exclusively for business) - Business equipment (printer, phone, computer) - Shipping supplies and packaging materials - Mileage to/from post office or sourcing locations - Storage containers/organization supplies - Photography equipment for product photos - Portion of internet and phone bills used for business You'll report this on Schedule C with your tax return. Just make sure to keep detailed records of all expenses and sales throughout the year - don't wait until tax time! Also, separate your business activities from personal use as much as possible to support your deductions. Since you're making consistent income, it's definitely worth setting up proper bookkeeping now rather than trying to reconstruct everything later. The tax savings will likely make the extra organization worthwhile!

Another reason to file separately: if you suspect your spouse is doing something sketchy on their taxes! When you file jointly, you're both liable for the entire tax bill including penalties and interest. If you file separately, you're only responsible for your own taxes. My cousin found out her husband had been hiding income for years. She immediately started filing separately to protect herself. When the IRS eventually caught up with him, she wasn't on the hook for any of it. Not saying this applies to OP, but worth knowing that MFS can be a liability protection in some cases.

For your income level and situation, you're probably right that joint filing will be better, but definitely worth running the numbers both ways to be sure. With $340k combined income and $55k in mortgage interest, you'll likely benefit from itemizing, and the full mortgage interest deduction on a joint return should outweigh most potential benefits of filing separately. One thing to consider though - if you're planning for kids soon, definitely factor in how the child tax credit phases out. For 2025, it starts phasing out at $400k AGI for joint filers but only $200k for separate filers. So if your income grows or you have variable income from bonuses/investments, separate filing could potentially preserve some of that credit down the road. Also, don't forget about the state tax implications. Some states like California have different standard deductions or tax brackets for separate vs. joint filers that could swing the calculation. Your state's treatment of things like mortgage interest and retirement contributions might differ too. Given the complexity of your situation, it might be worth finding a CPA who will actually analyze both scenarios for you rather than just defaulting to joint. The potential tax savings could easily pay for the additional consultation fee.

Quick tip - be careful about state taxes too! The federal kiddie tax rules are one thing, but some states handle taxation of minor's investment income differently. I found this out the hard way last year when I handled everything correctly for federal but completely missed the state-specific forms.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my 16-year-old's custodial account. One thing I learned from my CPA is that you can also consider using I Bonds (Series I Savings Bonds) for part of your kids' investments. The interest on I Bonds isn't taxed until you cash them out, which means you can potentially defer all the tax consequences until after they turn 24 and are no longer subject to kiddie tax rules. The downside is that I Bonds are limited to $10,000 per person per year and have lower potential returns than stocks, but for the portion of their money that you want to be more conservative with anyway, it's a nice way to avoid the annual kiddie tax hassle entirely. Just another option to consider alongside the growth stock strategy that Amara mentioned!

I've been through this paper check waiting game three times now. Here's what I've learned: • Paper checks typically arrive 7-14 calendar days after the refund approval date • The IRS doesn't provide tracking numbers for refund checks • The Where's My Refund tool won't update once it shows "Your refund has been approved" • Checks are mailed from regional service centers, so your location matters • If it's been more than 4 weeks, you can request a payment trace Last year my check arrived exactly 9 days after approval. The year before that, 12 days. It's not an exact science, but the mail usually delivers within two weeks.

Based on my experience from last tax season, I received my paper check exactly 10 days after verification. I verified on a Wednesday and got the check the following Saturday. What really helped me was setting up USPS Informed Delivery like Paolo mentioned - you can actually see a preview image of your mail each morning, so you'll know the day your IRS check is coming. The envelope is pretty distinctive with the Treasury Department return address. One thing to keep in mind is that if there are any holidays or postal delays in your area, it might add a day or two. But generally, the 7-14 day window that others have mentioned seems pretty accurate. Since you verified on Friday, I'd expect your check sometime between this coming Friday and the following Tuesday, assuming normal processing times. Don't stress too much about it - the IRS is actually pretty reliable with mailing checks once they're approved, even if their phone system isn't great!