Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in the comments - Republic Bank is a tax refund processor that many tax preparation companies use. They aren't actually your bank. They receive the funds from the IRS, take out any preparation fees you owed (if you opted for fees to be taken from your refund), and then forward the remainder to your actual bank (Navy Federal). This process typically takes exactly 24-48 hours. I've tracked this for the past 3 tax seasons, and the average time between Republic notification and Navy Federal deposit was 37.5 hours.

Navy Federal member here! Just went through this exact scenario last month. Got my Republic notification on a Tuesday, transcript showed DDD for Friday, and I was checking my account obsessively every few hours like you probably are right now 😅 Here's what happened: Navy Federal posted my refund Thursday at 3:47 AM (yes, I checked my phone at some ungodly hour and it was there). Never showed as pending - just appeared as a completed deposit. The joint filing thing shouldn't cause any delays in the banking side of things. That verification happens at the IRS level before they even send it to Republic. Since you already got the Republic notification, you're in the clear. My advice? Stop checking your account every 30 minutes (easier said than done, I know). Set a phone alert to check Friday morning. If it's not there by end of business Friday, then you can start worrying. But honestly, based on my experience and what I've seen in this community, you'll probably wake up Friday morning to a nice surprise in your account balance.

Anyone else notice FreeTaxUSA has gotten way more complicated this year? I used it last year and don't remember all these extra questions about healthcare and cryptocurrency and foreign accounts. Now I'm paranoid I did something wrong on last year's taxes.

Just to add another perspective for first-time filers - don't stress too much about navigating all these sections! The software is designed to ask about everything possible, but most won't apply to you. For the health insurance question specifically, since you're on your parents' employer plan, you can confidently select "No" for Marketplace coverage. The key thing is making sure you indicate you had coverage all year (which you did through your parents' plan). One thing that helped me when I was starting out was keeping a simple checklist: W-2 from employer ✓, had health insurance all year ✓, not a Marketplace plan ✓, check with parents about dependent status ✓. Once you get through your first return, next year will feel much easier! You're being smart by asking questions rather than just guessing. Good luck with your first solo tax filing!

Has anyone here had their company offer them the choice between taking their bonus as a lump sum vs spreading it across multiple paychecks? I'm trying to figure out which is better tax-wise.

Congratulations on the bonus! Based on what you've described, you're probably in good shape. The $8,500 they withheld from your $25,000 bonus (about 34%) includes federal income tax at 22%, plus FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare), and possibly state taxes depending on where you live. Since you mentioned you always withhold the maximum from your regular paychecks and typically get refunds, you're likely over-withholding throughout the year. This extra withholding from your regular pay often covers any small shortfall from bonus withholding. To be completely sure, you could run a quick calculation: take your expected total annual income (including the bonus) and see what tax bracket that puts you in. If you're still in the 22% bracket or lower, you're definitely fine. If you're in the 24% bracket, you might owe a small amount (2% of the $25,000 = $500), but your regular over-withholding probably covers this. Given your conservative approach to taxes, I'd say you can feel comfortable using most of this money without worrying about a big tax bill next year.

Has anyone here actually filled out Form 720? I'm curious about how complicated it is if it turns out I do need to file it for my specialty transportation business.

Welcome to the small business tax maze! I went through almost the exact same situation when I started my consulting business. Got that EIN letter and immediately panicked about all the forms mentioned that I'd never heard of. Here's what I learned: the IRS includes information about various tax forms in EIN letters as a "just in case" measure, not because they necessarily apply to your specific business. For your drone photography/inspection services, Form 720 is very unlikely to be required. That said, since you're just starting out, I'd recommend keeping good records of exactly what services you're providing. If you ever expand into areas like transporting goods via drone or selling drone fuel/parts, then you might need to revisit the excise tax question. But for standard aerial photography and inspection services? You should be in the clear. The fact that you're being proactive about understanding your tax obligations from day one puts you way ahead of many new business owners. Keep that mindset and you'll do great!

Think of your tax return like a recipe - if you forget an ingredient, the cake doesn't taste right. Similarly, your return is incomplete without that 1099-INT. I had a savings bond situation in 2022 - it was like finding a $20 bill in an old jacket, except this money came with tax obligations! I filed an amended return within 30 days of discovering the oversight. The process was straightforward: complete Form 1040-X, attach a copy of the 1099-INT, include payment for any additional tax, and mail it in. The IRS processed it without issue in about 16 weeks.

I'd definitely recommend amending sooner rather than later. The IRS has automated systems that match 1099 forms against filed returns, and they're pretty efficient at catching these discrepancies. Even if the bond interest is a relatively small amount, it's still reportable income that should be included in the tax year it was received. Filing Form 1040-X now gives you control over the situation - you can calculate exactly what you owe and pay it without penalties or interest accumulating. If you wait and the IRS catches it through their matching program (which typically happens within 12-18 months), you'll likely receive a CP2000 notice and end up paying interest on the additional tax owed from the original due date of your return. The amendment process isn't too complicated, and it shows good faith effort to correct the error voluntarily.