My husband and I were in this situation last year. Found out the hard way that filing separately was a HUGE mistake. Lost out on: - Child tax credit ($2000 per kid!) - Student loan interest deduction - Education credits - Higher tax brackets kicked in sooner Just file jointly, trust me! We refiled an amended return and got back almost $4300 more!

Just to add another perspective - I'm a CPA and see this situation frequently. The math is pretty straightforward: filing jointly almost always wins when one spouse has zero income. The standard deduction alone ($29,200 for MFJ vs $14,600 for MFS in 2024) usually makes the decision for you. Plus, many credits like the Child and Dependent Care Credit and Earned Income Credit are only available when filing jointly. One small tip: if your wife was looking for work during any part of the year, keep track of job search expenses and any childcare costs incurred while she was interviewing. These can sometimes qualify for deductions or credits that people miss. The "claiming spouse as dependent" idea comes up a lot but it's never allowed - the tax code specifically prohibits it regardless of income levels.

Based on the timing, this could be the quarterly GST/HST credit payment. They go out in January, April, July, and October. The amount is based on your income from the previous tax year and your family situation. Having a second job wouldn't affect this year's payments since they're calculated from last year's return.

If you bank with TD, BMO or RBC, you can actually see more details about government deposits in your online banking. Look for something like "transaction details" when you click on the deposit. Sometimes it shows an additional reference number or description that can help identify which benefit it is.

Has anyone done this in California specifically? My wife and I have an LLC but have been filing partnership returns. Our accountant never mentioned we had this option and we've been paying extra for the partnership returns every year.

I went through this exact situation in Nevada last year! My husband and I had been filing partnership returns for our LLC for three years before discovering we could treat it as a disregarded entity under community property rules. The key insight everyone's touched on is correct - this ISN'T the QJV election (which is only for unincorporated businesses), but rather the community property state exception under Rev. Proc. 2002-69. In Arizona, like Nevada, you can absolutely treat your husband-wife LLC as disregarded and file Schedule C forms instead. Since you haven't filed taxes for the LLC yet, you're in a great position! You can start right off treating it as disregarded without any transition complications. Just make sure both of you file Schedule C (each reporting your 50% share of income/expenses) and pay self-employment taxes accordingly. One practical tip - keep detailed records showing how you split the business activities and income, even though community property law automatically makes it 50/50. The IRS likes to see documentation of who did what in case of any questions. Your $65,000 income level makes this even more attractive since you'll avoid the partnership return filing requirements and associated costs. Much simpler for a business your size!

Has anyone else noticed the Where's My Refund tool is completely useless for tracking physical checks? It told me "Your refund was sent to your bank" when I was getting a paper check. 😡 Nothing but problems this year!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone still waiting - I had a similar situation last month where my check took almost 4 weeks to arrive after the 846 date. The key thing I learned is that the 846 date is definitely when they mail it, but delivery times have been really unpredictable lately. What helped me was checking with my local post office to see if they were holding any mail for my address. Turns out my check had been sitting there for over a week because the mail carrier couldn't fit it in my small mailbox and didn't leave a notice! Might be worth calling your post office if you're getting close to that 4-week mark. Also, make sure your mailbox has your name clearly visible - I've heard of checks being returned because the carrier couldn't confirm the recipient at the address.

Double check that you didn't accidentally check a box on your Schedule C or other tax forms indicating you had employees or paid wages. I made that mistake once and started getting all kinds of employment tax forms.

I've dealt with this exact situation before! As a sole proprietor myself, I got a 941 reminder out of nowhere and panicked thinking I had done something wrong. Here's what likely happened: Someone else may have mistakenly used your SSN when applying for an EIN, or there could be a data entry error somewhere in the IRS system that's associating your SSN with employer responsibilities. The good news is this is fixable, but you absolutely need to address it promptly. When you call the IRS (and I'd recommend trying the services others mentioned to actually get through), have your SSN ready and be very clear that you are a sole proprietor who has never had employees, never applied for an EIN, and have never been required to file Form 941. They should be able to remove the employment tax filing requirement from your account. Just make sure to get a confirmation number or case number when they fix it, so you have proof if this happens again. Don't stress too much - this is more common than you'd think, and the IRS can usually resolve it quickly once you get someone on the phone!