Just another voice confirming 712110 for museum work. I've been a contract exhibition designer for 5 years and use this code. BTW if you do a lot of this work, make sure you're tracking all your deductions like mileage to/from the museum, any supplies you purchase, home office if you do planning there, etc. Those deductions add up fast on Schedule C!

Coming from someone who's been doing freelance archival work for museums for about 8 years now - definitely go with 712110 (Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions). That's exactly what I use for my collection management and archival processing contracts. The IRS description specifically mentions "establishments primarily engaged in the preservation and exhibition of objects of historical, cultural, and educational value" which perfectly describes what we do as collection registrars. Don't overthink it - this code covers all the museum operational work including cataloging, records management, and exhibition support. You're not performing or creating art, you're managing cultural collections, so 712110 is spot on!

This community has seen a lot of these cases since April 15th, 2024. The general wisdom is: 1) Always compare your W-2 copies against your return before filing, 2) Keep your final paystub from December showing year-to-date withholding, 3) If you need to amend, file electronically if possible as paper amendments are taking 20+ weeks to process. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - it helps those of us still working through similar issues!

This is incredibly helpful everyone! I just went through my W-2s line by line and found the issue - Box 2 (Federal income tax withheld) on one of my W-2s shows $0.00, but my final paystub from December clearly shows $1,847 in federal withholding for the year. My tax preparer must have used the paystub amount instead of what was actually reported on the W-2. I'm going to contact my employer's HR department first thing Monday morning to see if they can file a corrected W-2 (W-2c) before I consider amending my return. If the employer made the error, it seems like getting them to fix it would be the cleanest solution rather than me having to amend and potentially lose part of my refund. Thanks especially to @Tony Brooks and @Arjun Patel for the clear steps - this process is definitely more complex than what I'm used to back home, but at least now I understand what's happening!

bruh the IRS is so broken rn. took me 14 months to get my 2020 refund 🤮

I went through something similar last year! The key thing to understand is that transcript availability doesn't always mean the same thing across different transcript types. Your Account Transcript and Wage & Income Transcript being available but empty for 2021 actually suggests the IRS has your filing information but the return might still be in processing limbo. The "N/A" status on Return and Record of Account transcripts is definitely concerning though. I'd recommend calling the Practitioner Priority Service line (844-464-3481) early in the morning - they tend to have shorter wait times than the regular taxpayer line. Also, if you used tax software, check if they have delivery confirmation that your return was actually accepted by the IRS. Don't refile just yet - that could create more problems. Get confirmation first about whether they received your original return.

protip: write down your reference number when you call. theyll ask for it if you need to call back

Also check if you have any unpaid federal debts like back taxes, defaulted student loans, or unpaid child support - those are the most common reasons for offsets. The TOP line will tell you which agency requested the offset too so you know exactly what you're dealing with.

pro tip: call ur bank and ask if theres any pending deposits. sometimes they can see it b4 it posts

I'm waiting on my Indiana refund too! Filed last week and still showing "processing" - hopefully it switches to approved soon. The waiting game is always nerve-wracking, especially when you need that money 😅