Wait, nobody mentioned that discrimination settlements might qualify for special tax treatment under section 1681! In my experience, settlement payments for civil rights violations may be eligible for income averaging which could lower the tax hit.

Based on your situation, you'll want to set aside about 30-35% of that $15k to be safe. Here's the breakdown: Since your settlement was for emotional distress and lost wages (as you mentioned in your response to Isabella), the entire $15k is taxable as ordinary income. With your $67k base income plus the $15k settlement, you're still in the 22% federal bracket, but you also need to account for: - Federal income tax: ~22% ($3,300) - State income tax (Illinois): 4.95% (~$743) - Potential additional Medicare tax if you're close to thresholds - Any local taxes depending on your municipality The good news is that since the company paid your attorney fees directly (not deducted from your settlement), you don't need to worry about the complexity of deducting attorney fees on your return. I'd recommend setting aside $4,500-$5,250 to cover all tax obligations. It's better to have a little extra that you can use after filing than to come up short and owe penalties. Also, remember that if the settlement included any interest component (which you mentioned was $1,200), that gets reported separately as interest income. Consider making an estimated tax payment for Q1 2025 since this is additional income that wasn't subject to withholding.

Something else to consider - I'd recommend taking a close look at the conference agenda and breaking down expenses according to educational vs. entertainment components. Some conferences pad their schedules with social activities that aren't deductible. My accountant had me allocate my registration fee based on the percentage of time spent in actual educational sessions vs. networking events.

Don't forget about state tax implications too! I deducted a conference on my federal return correctly but didn't realize my state had different rules about business expense deductions. Ended up having to file an amended state return.

the dates on those letters dont mean anything!!!! my letter was dated april 10 but the postmark on the envelope was may 3. the irs be sending stuff out weeks after they claim. dont worry about it honestly.

Don't stress about this - it's totally normal! I went through the exact same thing last year. The IRS systems are notoriously slow to sync up with each other. When you verify your identity, that information doesn't instantly update across all their databases. The "no record of processed return" letter is basically an automated response that gets triggered when they can't find a COMPLETED return in their system at that moment. But your return is definitely there - it's just sitting in a processing queue waiting for all the verification checks to clear. I'd give it another week or two before calling. In my experience, once you see your transcript update with processing codes (look for TC 150 which means your return was accepted for processing), you'll know things are moving along. The whole process took about 3 weeks total for me after verification. Keep checking your transcript on Fridays since that's when they typically update. You've got this!

its so annoying that we have to pay federal taxes on this tbh. like were just trying to recover/take care of our babies 🤮

Congrats on the baby! 🎉 Just went through this myself last year. One thing to watch out for - if you received any benefits in late December 2023, those might show up on your 2024 1099-G even though you already reported them. Also, keep all your documentation because sometimes the EDD amounts don't match what you actually received due to overpayments or adjustments. Better to have everything organized now than scramble later!

Has anyone actually received their refund EXACTLY at the 120-day mark? I'm genuinely curious if these timeframes are just maximum legal limits or if they actually use the full time period. It seems like such an arbitrary number.

From what I've seen working with taxpayers, the 120-day timeline is more of a "worst case scenario" that the IRS uses to manage expectations. In reality, most reviews are completed much sooner - typically within 60-90 days. The key factors that influence timing include: • The complexity of your return and any credits claimed • Whether the IRS needs additional third-party verification (like employer W-2s) • Current processing volumes at the service center handling your case • Whether your case gets flagged for manual review vs. automated processing Given that your letter was dated February 14th, you're already about 3 weeks in. I'd recommend checking your online account transcript weekly for any code changes, as this often updates before you receive any official correspondence. If you have documented medical hardship, you can also call the IRS to request expedited processing - they do have provisions for genuine financial hardship situations. The waiting is frustrating, but most people in your situation see resolution well before the 120-day mark!