Hang in there! The community wisdom here is that March filers often DO see slightly faster processing than February filers because the IRS has cleared much of their backlog. I've been helping people track their refunds for years, and I've definitely noticed that pattern. But with EITC and CTC, you're still looking at that PATH Act verification process no matter when you file. Keep checking your transcript every morning - that's where you'll see updates first, not WMR. And don't hesitate to call if you hit day 21 with no updates. You deserve answers about your money!

I completely understand that anxiety! Filed 3/10 with EITC and CTC and I'm right there with you checking WMR obsessively. From what I've learned lurking in these forums, the March filers do seem to move a bit quicker once they get picked up for processing, but those credits definitely add time regardless. I've been tracking my transcript daily and finally saw some movement yesterday (got a 971 notice issued code). The waiting is brutal when you have plans for that money! Try to stay patient - based on what others are saying here, we should see updates soon. The IRS is definitely more caught up now than they were in February, so that's encouraging at least.

I went through this exact same frustrating experience last month! Here's what I learned after spending way too much time figuring it out: The AMT section in TurboTax is asking for your prior year information because it needs to calculate something called an "AMT credit carryforward." This can apply even if you didn't actually pay AMT last year - the software still needs those baseline numbers. Here's the quickest way to resolve this: 1. **If you used TurboTax last year**: Log into your old TurboTax account and download your previous return. Search for "Form 6251" in the PDF - this will show you exactly what numbers the current year's software is asking for. 2. **If you used different software**: Go to IRS.gov and request a tax transcript for last year. It's free and instant if you can verify your identity online. 3. **Quick fix if you're certain**: If your income was under $80k last year, you took the standard deduction, and had no complex investments or stock options, you can likely enter zeros safely. The software will calculate everything correctly for this year. The key thing to remember is that this isn't indicating you did anything wrong - it's just TurboTax being thorough about AMT calculations. Most people in this situation end up entering zeros anyway because they never actually paid AMT in the first place. Hope this helps you get unstuck!

I went through this exact same issue earlier this year and totally feel your frustration! The AMT screen in TurboTax can be really confusing because it's not clearly explained why it's asking for this information. Here's what I learned: TurboTax needs your prior year AMT data to calculate any potential AMT credit carryforward for the current year, even if you didn't actually owe AMT last year. It's basically doing calculations behind the scenes to make sure you get any credits you're entitled to. For your situation, since you mentioned you never received Form 6251 (which makes sense - it's generated as part of your return, not sent to you), you have a couple options: 1. **Quick solution**: If your income last year was under $75-80k and you took the standard deduction with no complex investments, you can probably safely enter zeros in those fields. This is what most people in your situation end up doing. 2. **More thorough approach**: Get your prior year tax transcript from the IRS website (irs.gov) - it's free and instant if you can verify your identity online. Look for any AMT-related entries. 3. **If you used TurboTax last year**: Log into your old account and check if Form 6251 was generated as part of your return, even if you didn't owe anything. Don't stress too much - this is super common and you're not missing anything important. The software is just being extra cautious with AMT calculations!

That's really frustrating about your 2020 return not showing up in your online account! I had a similar issue where older Free File returns weren't appearing in my TurboTax account. Since you've already tried the online account route, I'd definitely recommend going with the IRS tax transcript option that Amara mentioned earlier. You can get it instantly online at irs.gov/transcripts and it will have all your 2020 tax information including itemized deductions if you filed Schedule A. The format is a bit different from your original return but all the numbers and details are there. I've used tax transcripts for exactly this purpose - comparing previous year deductions when preparing current returns - and they work perfectly. Plus it's free and comes directly from the IRS so you know it's accurate. Much better than having to pay TurboTax just to see your own tax data!

I went through this exact same frustration last year! TurboTax's proprietary file format is such a pain when you just want to reference your own tax information. Here's what ended up working for me: I called the IRS directly and requested both my tax return transcript AND my wage and income transcript for 2020. The return transcript has all your deduction details, while the wage/income transcript shows your W-2s, 1099s, etc. Together they give you a complete picture of your 2020 filing. You can actually get these online instantly at irs.gov/transcripts if you can verify your identity through their system. If not, you can request them by mail (takes 5-10 business days) or call the transcript line at 1-800-908-9946. The format is different from your original return but honestly it's more comprehensive in some ways - shows every single line item and calculation. I actually prefer it now for year-to-year comparisons because everything is clearly labeled and easy to find. Don't give TurboTax another dime just to see your own data! The IRS transcript route is free and comes straight from the source.

Has anyone ever had a payment plan completely disappear? Like, you set it up through TurboTax but the IRS has no record of it? I'm worried this might happen to me too.

I went through this exact same panic last year! The key thing to remember is that TurboTax is just the messenger - once they submit your payment plan request to the IRS, it's completely out of their system. That's why you can't see it in your TurboTax account anymore. Here's what helped me feel better about the situation: I called the IRS automated phone line (1-800-829-1040) and used their automated system to check my account balance. Even before my payment plan showed up online, the automated system mentioned that I had "payment arrangements" on my account. It didn't give details, but at least confirmed something was there. Also, if you got a confirmation screen in TurboTax when you set it up, that's your proof that you submitted the request before the deadline. The IRS can't penalize you for late payment plan setup if you have that confirmation, even if there are processing delays on their end. Don't stress too much - in my experience, these TurboTax payment plans almost always go through correctly, it just takes a few weeks to show up properly in the IRS system!

I'm going through something very similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just wanted to add one more potential scenario that might apply: if either of you had any short gaps in employer coverage where you received unemployment benefits, some states automatically enroll people in Marketplace plans during those periods. This happened to my sister - she was unemployed for about 6 weeks between jobs and her state's unemployment office automatically signed her up for a temporary Marketplace plan that she didn't even know about. She only found out when she got the same rejection you're dealing with. Also, has anyone mentioned checking with your previous employers' HR departments? Sometimes there are coverage gaps between when you think your old insurance ended and when your new insurance actually started. Those gaps might have triggered automatic Marketplace enrollment. The step-by-step advice from the tax professionals above is spot-on though. I'm planning to follow the same process - call Healthcare.gov first thing Monday morning and ask for the complete coverage history. Really hoping this gets resolved quickly for both of us! Keep us updated on what you find out - I'll do the same. It's so reassuring to know this is a common issue that gets resolved regularly.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same rejection right now and was starting to panic about compliance issues. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like this is much more common than I realized, especially for people who got married recently. The timeline audit approach that Lucas mentioned really resonates with me. My husband and I both had some job transitions in 2023, and now I'm wondering if there might have been coverage gaps we didn't think about at the time. I definitely remember creating a Healthcare.gov account years ago but never thought it could still be relevant to our current situation. One question for those who've been through this: did anyone have issues with getting through to Healthcare.gov on the phone? I've heard their wait times can be pretty brutal. Also, for the people who found phantom enrollments or incomplete applications - did you have to pay any back premiums or fees to resolve those, or was it just a matter of getting the paperwork sorted? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences and solutions. This community is amazing for navigating these bureaucratic puzzles! I'm planning to start with the month-by-month coverage timeline tonight and call Healthcare.gov tomorrow morning.