Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation last year! I inherited $15,000 from my grandfather and was absolutely panicking about taxes. After doing a lot of research and even consulting with a tax professional, I can confirm what others have said - you do NOT need to pay federal income tax on that $13,500 inheritance, and you don't even need to report it on your tax return. The key thing to remember is that inheritance tax and income tax are completely different. Your grandmother's estate may have been responsible for estate taxes (though unlikely given the high federal exemption), but that's separate from your personal income tax situation. One piece of advice - keep good documentation of the inheritance (like the estate paperwork or bank transfer records) just in case you ever need to prove the source of those funds to the IRS in the future. But you can definitely stop worrying about owing taxes on the inheritance itself!

I went through something very similar when I inherited $16,000 from my aunt two years ago. The anxiety about potential tax obligations was overwhelming! After consulting with a CPA and doing extensive research, I can confirm what others have shared - you're in the clear federally. Here's what I learned that might help ease your mind: The $13,500 you inherited is not considered taxable income under federal law. You don't report it on your Form 1040, and you don't owe any federal income tax on it. The estate tax exemption is so high ($12.92 million for 2023) that your grandmother's estate almost certainly didn't owe any federal estate taxes either. The confusion you're experiencing is totally normal - the terminology around "estate tax," "inheritance tax," and "death tax" gets thrown around interchangeably online, but they're actually different things. What matters for you is that as a beneficiary receiving an inheritance, you have no federal tax liability on that money. My advice: Keep all the documentation from the estate (bank records, attorney letters, etc.) for your records, but you can stop worrying about setting aside money for taxes on this inheritance. Use that $13,500 however you planned - it's yours free and clear!

Your son might have filled out the W-4 incorrectly. I'm a summer camp counselor and the first year I worked, I didn't understand what "exemption from withholding" meant, so I accidentally checked that box. No federal taxes were taken all summer and I had to pay it all at tax time. Make sure your son didn't check any exemption boxes on his W-4!

Great advice from everyone here! Just to add another perspective - this exact situation happened with my nephew last year. The no federal withholding was correct initially, but what caught us off guard was when he picked up extra shifts during Christmas break. His earnings jumped significantly in December and suddenly he was going to owe federal taxes. What we learned is that it's worth having a conversation with your son about tracking his total earnings throughout the year. Maybe set up a simple spreadsheet or even just a note on his phone where he logs his paychecks. That way if he's approaching that $15,000 threshold, you can proactively have him submit a new W-4 to start withholding before he gets too far over the limit. Also, even if no federal taxes are being withheld, he should still file a tax return to get back any overpaid Social Security/Medicare taxes if his total earnings end up being very low. A lot of teenagers don't realize they might be owed a refund!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my 1040 about 12 days ago through H&R Block online, got the acceptance confirmation immediately, but have been stuck on "still being processed" ever since. My return is super straightforward too - just one W-2, standard deduction, no dependents or credits. Reading all these responses is honestly such a relief. I was starting to think something was wrong with my return, but it sounds like this is just the reality of tax season 2024. The 21-day timeline from acceptance seems to be the real benchmark to watch, not the "7-10 days" I was hoping for in my head. What's really helpful is learning that the "Where's My Refund" tool is basically useless this year. I've been checking it obsessively every morning, but based on everyone's experiences here, I should probably just be monitoring my bank account instead since refunds seem to show up randomly without any warning or status updates. @3889e6ce151f I hope your refund comes through soon, especially with the car repair situation adding pressure. At least we're all in this waiting game together and it's clearly a widespread issue rather than something specific to our individual returns!

I can definitely relate to this anxiety! I filed my 1040 about 16 days ago and have been in the exact same "still being processed" status with no updates. Like many others here, I have a straightforward return - just W-2 income from my job and standard deduction, nothing complicated that should trigger extra scrutiny. What's really helping me stay calm is reading everyone's experiences in this thread. It's clear that the 21-day processing window is much more realistic than what we might hope for, and the fact that so many people with simple returns are experiencing identical delays shows this is just how the system is working this season. The most valuable insight I'm taking away is to stop obsessively checking the "Where's My Refund" tool and instead monitor my bank account directly. Based on multiple stories here, it sounds like refunds are appearing randomly in people's accounts days before the IRS website even updates to reflect the status change. I know the waiting is especially stressful when you have specific plans for that money, but it seems like patience is really the only option right now. The IRS is clearly dealing with processing backlogs and system issues that are affecting pretty much everyone who filed in the past few weeks. Hang in there everyone - sounds like we're all in this together and the money will eventually show up, even if the timing is unpredictable!

Have you checked your bank account for deposits? If they paid you by direct deposit or you deposited checks, you should be able to see exactly how much you made there.

If they paid you cash and you're trying to reconstruct the exact amount, another approach is to look at your work schedule if you kept any record of it. Even something as simple as text messages to friends about your work shifts or calendar entries can help you calculate the total. Since you mentioned working "about three weekends" as a hostess, try to remember your hourly rate and approximate hours per shift. Most hostess positions pay minimum wage plus tips. If you can recall your hourly wage, multiply that by your estimated hours worked to get your base pay, then add any tips you remember receiving. The IRS cares more about you making a good faith effort to report all income accurately than having perfect documentation, especially in situations like this where the employer is no longer available to provide proper forms.

Has anyone run into limits on how much you can send through these services? I tried to send $12,000 through Remitly last year and got flagged for additional verification that took forever.

I've been using Wise for sending money to Italy for the past two years and can definitely recommend it over Remitly for your situation. For a $3,200 transfer, you're looking at around $25-35 in total fees with Wise, compared to what could be $80-120+ with your bank's wire transfer. The key advantage with Wise is transparency - they show you exactly what you'll pay upfront and use the real exchange rate. I've sent similar amounts to family in Naples and Rome, and the money typically arrives within 1-2 business days. Make sure your cousin has their IBAN ready, as Italian banks are pretty strict about having the correct details. One tip: if this is your first large transfer with Wise, they might ask for additional verification (source of funds, etc.), so factor in an extra day or two for that process. But once you're verified, future transfers are much smoother. Definitely beats PayPal's highway robbery rates!