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Here's what worked for me after dealing with this for over a month: 1. Log out of your account completely 2. Clear your browser cache and cookies (as mentioned earlier) 3. Use a different browser or device to log back in 4. Before updating anything, go to your security settings and temporarily disable any two-factor authentication 5. Update your profile info 6. Immediately after updating, re-enable two-factor auth 7. Log out and log back in to verify changes stuck If that doesn't work, try accessing the site during off-peak hours (like super early morning). Sometimes the system gets overloaded and glitchy during busy times. Also, make sure you're using a secure, private internet connection. Public Wi-Fi can sometimes cause issues with sensitive info updates. If all else fails, you might need to request a manual review of your account. It's a pain, but sometimes it's the only way to get things sorted. Hope this helps! Let us know if you get it figured out.
This is gold! Mods should pin this comment or add it to the FAQ.
You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. π©π
lol welcome to government efficiency at its finest π€‘ good luck OP, you're gonna need it
have u tried prayin to the IRS gods? ππΈ I hear they accept sacrifices in the form of completed 1040 forms lmao
Unpopular opinion: maybe we should just be grateful we're getting a refund at all? I mean, it's our own money we overpaid, but still... some people owe thousands.
Lol nah, just trying to stay positive. Trust me, I'm as annoyed as everyone else about the wait.
Whatever you do, DON'T fall for any scams. There are a lot of people out there pretending to be the IRS. Remember, the real IRS will never call you out of the blue demanding money or threatening to arrest you.
This! My grandma almost fell for one of those scams. It's scary how convincing they can be.
Mateo Hernandez
All of these comments about withholding are spot on, but one more thing nobody mentioned: if you have any side income, investment income, or interest that isn't having taxes withheld, that would also contribute to owing at tax time. Even something as simple as a high-yield savings account or stock dividends can create tax liability that your W-4 withholding doesn't account for.
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Aisha Khan
β’This is really important! I had a similar situation where I was withholding correctly from my main job, but completely forgot about the $15k I made from a side gig. No withholding on that money meant I owed several thousand at tax time despite having "extra" withhheld from my primary paycheck.
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Matthew Anderson
Thanks for asking this, I'm glad I'm not the only one (after decades of knowing exactly how I needed to fill out my W-4) that got a sudden surprise of OWING taxes for the first time in forever! It happened a couple of years back, then I found out about the new W4 (maybe it's βimproved?β), then I noticed β2020β on the form β so, apparently, it's taken a few years to start catching up. Taxes are a pain in the keister, I wish they'd stop βfixingβ them! LOL
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Chloe Anderson
β’You're absolutely right about the W-4 changes being the likely culprit here! The 2020 redesign completely eliminated the familiar "allowances" system that many of us relied on for decades. The concept of "single with 0 allowances" doesn't even exist anymore, which is why so many people are getting surprised. The new form tries to be more accurate by asking for specific dollar amounts instead of the old allowances, but it's created this weird transition period where conventional wisdom about withholding doesn't apply anymore. What worked reliably for years suddenly doesn't! For both you and the OP, it might be worth submitting a new W-4 with some additional withholding specified in Step 4(c). For someone at the OP's income level, they might need an extra $200-400 per paycheck withheld to avoid a surprise next year. The IRS has a tax withholding estimator on their website that's pretty helpful for figuring out the right amount. But yeah, I feel your pain - nothing like thinking you've got your taxes figured out only to have the rules change underneath you!
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