Just a random thought - does anyone remember which tax software handled the COVID questions the best back in 2021-2022? I used H&R Block online and felt like their COVID sections were super confusing and poorly explained. Wondering if I should switch to something else this year.

Just to add to what others have said - you're definitely not alone in being confused about the COVID tax credits! The situation was really complicated because there were so many different programs with different eligibility rules and deadlines. For your specific situation in 2021 when you missed work due to COVID, unfortunately as an employee who used vacation time, you wouldn't have qualified for the self-employed sick leave credits that some people are mentioning. Those were specifically for people who were self-employed or independent contractors. The main things you might have missed would be the stimulus payments (Economic Impact Payments) - there were three total: $1,200 in 2020, $600 in late 2020/early 2021, and $1,400 in 2021. If you only remember getting one in 2020, you might want to check your old bank statements or tax transcripts to see if you received the other two. You can request free tax transcripts from the IRS website to verify what payments they have on record for you. If you did miss any stimulus payments, you'd need to amend your 2021 or 2020 returns to claim them as Recovery Rebate Credits, but as others mentioned, you're running up against the 3-year deadline for amendments. For your current 2024 tax return, there shouldn't be any COVID-related credits to claim.

I experienced this last year. It took 2 weeks to get a letter asking me to verify my identity, then another 3 weeks for them to process it after I verified. The whole thing took about 5-6 weeks total from when I first saw that message until I got my refund. Super annoying but pretty routine these days.

I went through this exact same situation last month! The "Action Required" message is basically the IRS's way of saying they need to take a closer look at your return before releasing your refund. Since you filed Head of Household, they're probably going to verify that you actually qualify for that filing status - it's one of the most commonly reviewed areas. Here's what I learned from my experience: Don't just wait around doing nothing. Get your account transcript from irs.gov right now so you can see what specific codes they've put on your account. The transcript will show you exactly what type of review they're doing (identity verification, dependent verification, income matching, etc.). The letter will eventually come (took about 2.5 weeks for me), but knowing what's happening ahead of time will save you stress and help you prepare the right documents. When I got my letter, they wanted proof that my kids lived with me - school enrollment records, medical records showing my address, etc. My refund was released about 10 days after I sent in the requested documentation. The key is responding quickly and completely once you get their letter. Good luck!

Just a heads up based on my experience - if the stocks were held in a trust before your mom's death, but it was a irrevocable trust (not the typical revocable living trust), the step-up rules might be different. Most pour-over wills work with revocable living trusts, but it's worth confirming. We had a complicated situation where my grandma had created an irrevocable trust years before her death, and those assets didn't qualify for the same step-up in basis. Caused a lot of confusion when we were settling her estate.

I'm sorry for your loss and the confusion you're dealing with during an already difficult time. Based on what you've described, it sounds like there may have been a significant error in how the stock sales were handled. For a typical revocable living trust (which is what most pour-over wills work with), assets should receive a step-up in basis to fair market value as of the date of death. This means if your mom's stocks were worth $340,000 when she died, that becomes the new "cost basis" - so selling them shortly after for the same amount should result in little to no capital gains tax. The fact that they paid taxes on the entire $340,000 suggests they may have used your mom's original purchase price as the basis instead of the stepped-up value at death. This could be a very expensive mistake. I'd strongly recommend: 1. Get copies of all trust documents to confirm it's revocable 2. Obtain documentation of the stock values on the date of death 3. Have the trustee consult with an estate tax professional immediately 4. Consider filing amended returns if an error was made Given the amounts involved ($67,500 in taxes potentially overpaid), this is definitely worth pursuing professionally. Time may be limited for amendments, so act quickly.

Does anyone know if the 15% min tax applies to private companies too or just publicly traded ones? My family has ownership in a large private manufacturing business and I'm trying to figure out if this would impact us.

Thanks for all these insights! As someone who works in corporate finance, I wanted to add that companies are also looking at their international structures more carefully now. Since the minimum tax is based on consolidated financial statement income, multinational corporations can't just shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions to avoid it like they could with regular corporate tax. However, there are some nuances around foreign tax credits that create planning opportunities. Companies with significant foreign operations might restructure how they organize their international subsidiaries to optimize the interaction between the minimum tax and foreign tax credit limitations. Also worth noting - the IRS is still working on final regulations for implementation, so some of the finer details are still being hammered out. Companies are having to make strategic decisions based on proposed guidance that could still change.

What tax software are you guys using for multi-state returns? I tried doing mine with TurboTax last year when I worked in 3 states and it got really expensive really fast because they charge extra for each state.

Just wanted to add another perspective from someone who's been through this exact situation multiple times. I've been a digital nomad for 3 years now with W2 income and have had to navigate this mess annually. A few additional tips that might help: 1. Start keeping a detailed location log NOW for next year - even a simple note in your phone each day saves massive headaches later. I use a shared Google Sheet that automatically timestamps entries. 2. Some states have "safe harbor" provisions where if you work less than a certain number of days (often 14-30), you might not owe taxes there. Worth checking each state's specific rules. 3. Don't forget about local taxes too! Some cities (like NYC) have their own income taxes on top of state taxes if you work there. 4. Consider talking to your employer about updating your state withholding if you plan to work in tax states regularly. Many payroll systems can handle multi-state withholding if you give them a heads up. The workday calculation method mentioned earlier is definitely the standard approach. Keep all those receipts and booking confirmations - even if you don't think you'll need them, having a paper trail is invaluable if questions come up later.