Unpopular opinion: maybe we should all just adjust our withholdings so we don't get big refunds? Then we wouldn't have to deal with this stress every year. Just a thought 🤔

I'm in the same boat - filed in early March and still waiting! One thing that helped me was setting up IRS account online at irs.gov. You can see more detailed info about your return status there than just the basic "Where's My Refund" tool. Also, if you have any dependents or claimed certain credits, those can add processing time. The IRS website says they're still working through a backlog, so unfortunately we just have to be patient. But definitely keep checking every few days - sometimes the status updates suddenly!

Scholarships reported on 1099-MISC are weird. I'm a tax preparer (not YOUR tax preparer obviously) and see this confusion all the time. The key thing most people miss is that your scholarship is added to your regular income and taxed at whatever tax bracket that total lands in. So its not just taxed at 15.3% (which is actually self employment tax for 1099-NEC, not MISC). Its added to your $72k, which means some or all of it gets taxed at your marginal rate, which could be 22% federal. This is why it seems "higher" than expected. Your regular job withholding was probably calibrated for just that job's income, not the additional scholarship amount.

This is a really frustrating situation, but you're not alone! I went through something similar when I received a research stipend a few years ago. The key thing that helped me understand it was realizing that the 1099-MISC income gets "stacked" on top of your regular W-2 income for tax purposes. So your $72k salary puts you in the 22% marginal tax bracket, and that $6,500 scholarship gets taxed at that same 22% rate (not the 15.3% you were thinking of). That's about $1,430 in additional federal tax on the scholarship alone, plus you didn't have any withholding from it throughout the year. The reason it feels like such a shock is because your W-2 withholding was calculated assuming that was your only income. When you add the scholarship on top, it pushes your total tax liability higher but you didn't have any withholding to cover that extra amount. For next year, if you expect similar scholarship income, definitely consider adjusting your W-4 to have extra withholding or make quarterly estimated payments. It's much easier to handle when spread throughout the year rather than getting hit with a big bill at tax time!

Pro tip: set up alerts in your banking app for deposits instead of constantly checking. That way you're not driving yourself crazy refreshing, and you'll know the moment it hits.

I've been in the same boat with SoFi! Filed in early April and just got my DDD for next week. From what I've experienced, SoFi is pretty good about releasing deposits early - I got my stimulus payments and state refund about a day before the official date. The key thing is that they seem to process ACH deposits as soon as they receive them rather than holding them until the official date like some traditional banks do. I'd say there's a decent chance you'll see it tomorrow, but definitely don't stress yourself out checking every hour. Set up those push notifications and try to stay busy! The waiting is absolutely the worst part of this whole process.

TurboTax filer here with some actual data points: • Feb 15 - Filed through TurboTax with direct deposit • Feb 16 - IRS accepted return • Feb 28 - WMR updated to approved • Mar 2 - Refund deposited For Oklahoma state: • Use OkTAP portal (https://oktap.tax.ok.gov) • Select "Look Up a Return" under Quick Links • State refunds typically process in 5-10 business days • Oklahoma has a separate processing center from federal • State refunds aren't tied to federal processing timelines Most TurboTax filers I know are seeing 14-21 day processing times this year unless they claimed certain credits.

I'm in a similar situation with TurboTax - filed February 20th and still just showing "accepted" status. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like this is pretty normal for TurboTax users this year. I'm going to check the IRS WMR tool directly instead of relying on the TurboTax app for updates. For Oklahoma state refunds, thanks for the phone number tip! I tried the OkTAP website but found it confusing to navigate. The automated phone system at 405-521-3160 sounds much easier. Did you need any specific information besides SSN, filing status, and refund amount when you called? It's reassuring to hear that state and federal process independently - I was worried something was wrong since I haven't heard anything on either front yet.

One thing to be super careful about - if you collect sales tax from customers but don't remit it to the state, that's considered MUCH worse than simply not collecting at all. It can potentially be treated as theft or conversion in some jurisdictions, which is where the criminal penalties might come into play.

As someone who's been through this maze with my own international e-commerce business, I can't stress enough how important it is to get compliant BEFORE you start selling. The complexity is real, but it's manageable with the right approach. A few key points from my experience: 1. Start by researching economic nexus thresholds for your target states - they vary significantly (some are $100k/200 transactions, others like CA are $500k) 2. Consider using a marketplace facilitator like Amazon FBA initially, as they handle sales tax collection in many states 3. If going direct-to-consumer, budget for tax compliance software from day one - it's way cheaper than penalties later 4. Keep detailed records of where you're selling and how much - you'll need this data for nexus determinations The voluntary disclosure programs mentioned by others are absolutely worth considering if you're already selling and haven't been collecting. Most states would rather work with you than chase you down later. Don't let the complexity scare you away from the US market - it's totally doable with proper planning and the right tools. Just don't wing it!