its def a browser issue. Firefox worked for me after chrome kept failing

Had the exact same problem last week! Turns out my issue was with the ID.me verification - even though I thought I was fully verified, there was an additional step I missed. Try going to ID.me directly and making sure your identity verification is 100% complete. Also, disable any ad blockers or browser extensions that might interfere with the IRS site. The transcript system is super finicky about that stuff.

This is why our tax code is so messed up. An EV battery providing power to a house is functionally identical to a Powerwall doing the same thing. But one gets a tax credit and one doesn't because of some arbitrary distinction about "primary purpose." Meanwhile the electrical grid gets the same benefit either way! Politicians talk about wanting to encourage clean energy adoption but then create these convoluted rules that just confuse everyone. Ugh.

Based on what I've seen from following similar cases, the IRS has been pretty consistent about denying these claims for EVs, even ones with impressive bi-directional capabilities. The "primary purpose" test isn't really about how you use it day-to-day, but about what the manufacturer designed and marketed it for. That said, I'd suggest documenting everything about your home integration setup - the equipment you purchased specifically for home connection, any monitoring systems showing energy flow patterns, utility company agreements if you're selling power back to the grid. Even if you can't claim the residential energy credit, this documentation might be useful for other incentives or if the rules change in the future. Also worth checking if your utility company offers any rebates or time-of-use rate programs for customers with bi-directional EV charging. Sometimes the utility incentives can be more valuable than the federal tax credits anyway, and they don't have the same "primary purpose" restrictions.

Has anyone noticed that sometimes the same deduction appears under different acronyms depending on the payroll system? At my old job SIT meant State Income Tax but at my new company they use STW (State Tax Withholding) for the exact same thing. Super confusing when trying to compare paychecks!

This is so relatable! I just went through this exact same thing when I started a new job. For $95 in deductions on a $1350 biweekly paycheck, that's actually around 7% which seems reasonable, but definitely verify what each one is. One thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track each deduction code with its meaning and amount. That way when the next paycheck came, I could quickly spot any changes. Also, don't feel embarrassed about asking HR - it's literally their job to explain this stuff to you, and most people don't understand payroll acronyms without help. If your company has a benefits portal or employee self-service website, sometimes there's a payroll glossary buried in there somewhere. Worth checking before having that potentially awkward conversation with HR!

I'm confused about one thing... when calculating the employer portion for a sole proprietor (Schedule C), is it actually 20% of net profit or is it 25% of (net profit - half SE tax)? I've seen both formulas used in different places and now I don't know which is correct.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation as a freelance writer making around $55k. One thing I learned the hard way is to also consider the timing of your contributions throughout the year. Since we don't have regular paychecks like W-2 employees, it's easy to wait until the end of the year to make a big lump sum contribution. But I found it's actually better to make quarterly estimated contributions to my solo 401(k) to smooth out cash flow and take advantage of dollar-cost averaging. Also, don't forget that you can make contributions up until the tax filing deadline (plus extensions) for the previous year. So you have until April 15th, 2025 to make 2024 contributions, which gives you some flexibility if you're still figuring out your exact numbers. One more tip - keep detailed records of all your contributions and the calculations you used. The IRS can ask for documentation years later, and having everything organized from the start will save you major headaches down the road.

Has anyone had the IRS actually correctly process Form 8960 for 2022 yet? I'm still waiting on my refund and have the same issue - filed with investment income tax but my transcript is showing they're not calculating it correctly.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! Filed my 2022 return in February with Form 8960, and my transcript is showing the same weird discrepancies - negative investment income on their end while I reported positive amounts, and their system calculating zero NIIT when I clearly owe it. What's frustrating is that I've filed Form 8960 successfully for the past three years without any issues. This definitely seems to be a systematic problem with how the IRS updated their 2022 processing rules. I also have the code 570 on my transcript dated March 15th. Based on what others are saying here, it sounds like we just need to wait for manual review to fix their computer errors. I'm keeping detailed screenshots of everything in case they send the wrong refund amount and try to collect it back later. Has anyone gotten any timeline estimates from IRS representatives about when these Form 8960 reviews might be completed?