my sister used direct express last year took exactly 19 days hope this helps

I'm also waiting on my Direct Express refund! Filed on 1/6 and still showing "received" on WMR. The waiting game is brutal but from what I've read here and other forums, Direct Express follows the same timeline as regular DD. Just hang tight - you filed super early so you should be in one of the first waves. Keep checking your transcript too, sometimes it updates before WMR does.

I know this is slightly off topic from the exemption card, but has anyone else noticed that some online retailers don't charge sales tax even when they're supposed to? Not complaining obviously, but wondering if this is legal or if they're just breaking the rules?

Just to add some context to all the great information here - I work in state tax compliance and wanted to clarify a few things about sales tax exemptions. The diplomatic cards mentioned earlier are indeed real and legitimate, but they're very specific to foreign diplomatic personnel under international treaties. For regular citizens, the most common legitimate exemptions are actually medical-related. Many states offer sales tax exemptions on prescription medications, medical devices, and sometimes even over-the-counter items if you have certain qualifying conditions. Some states also have exemptions for clothing under a certain dollar amount or during specific tax-free weekends. If you're curious about what exemptions you might qualify for, your state's Department of Revenue website usually has a comprehensive list. It's much more limited than what diplomats get, but there are legitimate ways to reduce your tax burden without needing special cards!

Quick question about Schedule C and business startup - do I have to wait until I make my first sale to start deducting expenses? I'm spending money now on equipment and supplies but won't have any income for probably 2-3 months.

Great question! I went through this exact same confusion when I started my consulting business. The key thing to understand is that Schedule C business deductions and your personal standard deduction are completely independent of each other. Think of it this way: Schedule C calculates your business profit (income minus expenses), and that NET profit then becomes part of your personal income on Form 1040. Then separately, you decide whether to take the standard deduction or itemize your PERSONAL deductions (like mortgage interest, charitable donations, etc.). For your photography equipment - absolutely deductible on Schedule C if it's used for business! The $1,200 camera, editing software, props, backdrops, lighting equipment, memory cards, etc. are all legitimate business expenses. You can either expense smaller items immediately or depreciate larger equipment over several years. One thing to watch out for: make sure you can demonstrate this is a business and not just a hobby. The IRS has a "hobby loss rule" that can disallow deductions if they think you're not trying to make a profit. Keep good records, have a business plan, and try to show profit in at least 3 of 5 years. Also consider setting up a separate business bank account and credit card from day one - it makes tracking expenses so much easier come tax time!

I was in almost exactly your situation last year! 29 years old, hadn't filed since 2018, and felt completely overwhelmed. Here's what I wish someone had told me: First, don't panic about the 2019 deadline - while you might not be able to claim a refund for 2019 anymore (3-year rule), you should still file it if you owed taxes to avoid penalties piling up. For documents, start simple: create an IRS online account at irs.gov and request your wage transcripts. This will show you all the W-2 income that was reported to the IRS for each year, even if you don't have the physical forms. You can also request transcripts of any 1098-T education forms. The stimulus payments are HUGE - don't miss out on this! I got back over $3,000 in missed stimulus money when I finally filed my 2020 and 2021 returns. You claim them as the "Recovery Rebate Credit" on those tax returns. Since you were likely a dependent during college years, double-check if your parents claimed you. If so, you might not have been required to file for years when you made under ~$12,400, BUT you should still file if any taxes were withheld from your paychecks - that's money you can get back. For software, I personally used TaxAct for prior year returns (way cheaper than TurboTax for multiple years) and it walked me through everything including the stimulus credits. The whole process took me a weekend once I had my documents. You've got this! The hardest part is just starting.

I completely understand the overwhelm you're feeling - I was in almost the exact same situation two years ago! Here's my advice as someone who successfully navigated this mess: **Start with the IRS online account first** - create one at irs.gov and request wage and income transcripts for each year. This will show you exactly what income was reported to the IRS, even if you've lost your W-2s. The identity verification can be tricky online, but it's worth trying first before mailing forms. **Don't stress about the filing order** - you can file your returns in any order. I actually started with 2021 first because I knew I'd get the biggest refund (stimulus money + withholdings), which gave me motivation to continue. **You're likely owed significant money** - between missed stimulus payments (potentially $3,200 total) and any tax withholdings from your part-time jobs, you could be looking at a substantial refund rather than owing money. **For the Pell Grants** - these are generally not taxable income as long as you used them for qualified education expenses (tuition, required books/supplies). Room and board portions would be taxable, but many students don't realize this distinction. **Consider your dependency status carefully** - if your parents claimed you as a dependent during those college years, it affects your filing requirements and eligibility for certain credits. The hardest part really is just getting started. Once you request those transcripts and see what income was actually reported, the path forward becomes much clearer!

Does anyone know if you can split the expenses? Like could I put $3000 in the FSA and claim $3000 for the tax credit (with my $12000 total daycare cost)? Would that be better than maxing out the FSA first?

@Andre Moreau - I was in almost the exact same situation last year! With one child and $12k in daycare costs, here's what I learned: Since you have one child, the dependent care tax credit is limited to $3,000 in expenses. If you put the full $5,000 in your FSA, you've already exceeded that $3,000 limit, so you won't be able to claim any tax credit. Here's what might work better for you: Put $3,000 in the FSA and keep $3,000 available for the tax credit. Whether this is optimal depends on your income level. The FSA saves you money at your marginal tax rate plus FICA (about 29.65% if you're in the 22% bracket), while the dependent care credit ranges from 20-35% based on income. If you're at higher income levels, the FSA might give you better savings. If you're at lower income levels, the credit percentage could be higher than your tax savings from the FSA. Given that you mentioned your husband makes more than you and you've had IRS issues before, I'd definitely recommend running the numbers both ways or consulting with a tax professional to make sure you're maximizing your benefit without any complications!