Just went through something similar and want to make sure you know that amended returns are MUCH slower to process. Mine took almost 16 weeks! The IRS says to allow up to 20 weeks for amended returns vs. the normal 21 days for regular returns. So if you're expecting additional refund money, don't count on seeing it anytime soon.

Don't beat yourself up too much about this - it's actually the tax preparer's responsibility to ensure all your documents are included. Since you mentioned you gave them all your paperwork, this is on Jackson Hewitt, not you. The silver lining is that with $2,200 in federal withholding on that missing W-2, you'll likely owe very little additional tax, if any. In fact, depending on your tax bracket, you might even get a bigger refund once you file the amendment! File Form 1040-X as soon as possible to get ahead of any IRS notices. And definitely contact Jackson Hewitt about covering any fees or penalties since this was their error. Most reputable tax prep companies will make it right when they mess up. Keep all your documentation showing you provided complete paperwork to them.

I completely understand your frustration - being financially responsible while your spouse underwitholds is incredibly unfair. Filing separately is definitely possible, but you'd likely lose significant money in the process. The biggest issue with MFS is that you'll both face higher tax brackets and lose access to many credits and deductions that joint filers get. For example, the Child Tax Credit phases out at much lower income levels for MFS ($75,000 vs $150,000 for joint), so you might not get the full $2,000 per child credit you're counting on. Here's what I'd suggest: calculate both scenarios (joint vs separate) using actual numbers to see the total tax impact. Often couples find they're paying $2,000-$5,000 more by filing separately. If filing jointly saves money overall, that savings could cover his tax debt and still leave you both better off. The real solution though is establishing clear financial boundaries. If you file jointly but he continues underwithholding, consider requiring him to adjust his W-4 or set aside money monthly to cover his portion of any tax liability. You shouldn't have to subsidize his poor tax planning, regardless of your filing status.

As someone who's dealt with similar tax withholding issues in my marriage, I want to emphasize that this is really about financial responsibility and communication, not just tax filing status. You're absolutely right to be frustrated - your husband is essentially getting an interest-free loan from the government while you're being responsible with your withholdings. Filing separately might seem like a solution, but you'd likely end up paying significantly more in taxes overall, potentially losing thousands in credits and facing higher tax brackets. Before you make any decisions, I'd strongly recommend sitting down together (maybe with a tax professional) to calculate the actual numbers for both filing scenarios. Show him in black and white how much extra you'd both pay by filing separately. Sometimes seeing the real dollar impact helps people understand why their approach isn't working. If you do decide to continue filing jointly, establish clear ground rules going forward. He needs to either adjust his withholdings to be more appropriate or set aside money throughout the year to cover his tax liability. You shouldn't be subsidizing his poor tax planning year after year. Consider having him automatically transfer a set amount monthly into a separate account earmarked for taxes - that way when tax time comes, the money is already there and it's not your problem to solve.

THERE IS NO NEED TO AMEND YOUR FEDERAL! I work at a tax prep office and see this confusion all the time. TurboTax and other software make it difficult because they're designed for the most common scenario (where both returns need amending). Just call your state tax department directly or go to their website. Most states have a simple amendment form you can fill out without involving your federal return at all. Don't let TurboTax make you do unnecessary work! TT is just trying to charge you for another service you don't need. They make filing more complicated than it needs to be so they can justify their fees.

I just went through this exact same situation two weeks ago and can confirm what others are saying - you absolutely do NOT need to amend your federal return if there are no changes to it. I called the IRS directly (took forever to get through) and they explicitly told me that if my federal return correctly reported all income, there's no reason to file Form 1040-X. They said filing an unnecessary amendment could actually slow down processing and cause confusion. For my state amendment, I ended up bypassing TurboTax entirely and going straight to my state's tax website. Most states have their own amendment forms that are much simpler than dealing with tax software that assumes you need both. The whole process took about 30 minutes once I stopped fighting with TurboTax's interface. Save yourself the headache and just file the state amendment directly through your state's system. Your federal return is fine as-is!

I work in banking operations and can shed some light on why tax refunds behave differently with early deposit features. The key difference is in ACH file timing and Federal Reserve processing schedules. Regular employers typically submit payroll ACH files 3-5 business days before the effective date, which allows banks like Credit Karma to see the incoming deposit and release funds early. However, the U.S. Treasury operates on a much tighter schedule for tax refunds. They usually initiate the ACH transfer only 1-2 business days before your DDD, sometimes even on the same day. For your March 3rd DDD, here's what likely happens behind the scenes: - March 1st: Treasury initiates ACH file to Federal Reserve - March 2nd: Fed processes and sends to Credit Karma - March 2nd-3rd: Credit Karma receives notification and releases funds So realistically, expect your refund on March 2nd at the earliest, more likely March 3rd as scheduled. The IRS is actually quite reliable with their deposit dates - it's one of the few government processes that consistently hits its timeline. Pro tip: If you absolutely need the funds on a specific date, always plan for the official DDD. Early deposit with tax refunds is more like a 24-48 hour advantage, not the full 5-day window you see with regular paychecks.

I've been through this same situation with Credit Karma and tax refunds for the past three years, so I can share some real data points. Here's what I've experienced: **2022 Tax Refund:** - DDD: March 9th - Actual deposit: March 8th (1 day early) **2023 Tax Refund:** - DDD: February 22nd - Actual deposit: February 21st (1 day early) **2024 Tax Refund:** - DDD: March 14th - Actual deposit: March 13th (1 day early) So consistently, I've gotten exactly one day early with Credit Karma for IRS refunds - never the full 5 days, but reliably one day ahead of schedule. Based on this pattern, I'd expect your March 3rd refund to hit on March 2nd. The reason seems to be what others have mentioned - the IRS doesn't send ACH files days in advance like employers do. They're more like "hey, we're sending this money tomorrow" rather than "we're scheduling this for next week." For your planning purposes, I'd budget for March 2nd as a realistic expectation, with March 3rd as your backup date. Don't count on anything earlier than March 1st though - I've never seen anyone get an IRS refund more than 2 days early through Credit Karma, despite their "up to 5 days" marketing.

I've been dealing with this exact same confusion for months! As someone who just formed an LLC last year and got hit with my first W-9 request, I totally understand the frustration. The IRS guidance really is counterintuitive when you've specifically gone through the trouble of getting an EIN. What really helped me was talking to other LLC owners in my local business group. Turns out this is one of the most common mistakes new LLC owners make. We all assume the EIN is what we should use because it feels more "business-like" and professional. I ended up using my SSN on recent W-9s after reading through all the IRS publications, but honestly, the peace of mind from getting direct confirmation from the IRS (like some folks mentioned using Claimyr) sounds really valuable. There's so much conflicting information online that it's hard to know what's actually correct. One thing I'm still wondering about - if I do eventually grow to the point where S-Corp election makes sense, is there any issue with having some 1099s tied to my SSN from the early years and then switching to EIN-based 1099s later? Does that create problems for the IRS matching system or is it pretty straightforward as long as everything is reported correctly?

I just went through this exact same situation with my marketing consultancy LLC! The confusion is totally understandable because it does seem backward to get an EIN and then not use it. Here's what I learned after spending way too much time researching this: Yes, for a single-member LLC that's taxed as a sole proprietorship (disregarded entity), you should use your SSN on W-9 forms, not the LLC's EIN. The IRS instructions are correct, even though it feels wrong. The way I think about it now is that the EIN and LLC serve different purposes than I originally thought. The LLC gives you legal protection and helps separate your business operations, while the EIN is useful for business banking, potential employees, and certain tax situations. But for income reporting purposes, since you're taxed as a sole proprietor, the IRS wants everything tied to your personal tax return via your SSN. I had already sent out a few W-9s with my EIN before I figured this out. My accountant said not to panic - just make sure I report all that income on my Schedule C and be prepared to explain the discrepancy if the IRS asks. For new clients, I now use my SSN on W-9s. If the privacy aspect really bothers you (and I get it - handing out your SSN feels risky), you could look into electing S-Corp tax status, which would let you legitimately use your EIN. But that comes with more complexity and costs, so it's worth running the numbers with a tax pro first.