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Has anyone had the experience where your late filed return showed a DIFFERENT refund amount than what your tax software calculated? I'm worried that the IRS will recalculate and I'll end up getting less. Paper filed my 2021 return in October 2023 and still waiting...
I had this happen! Filed my 2020 return late (in 2022) and the software said I'd get back $1,273 but the actual refund was $1,029. Called IRS and apparently they adjusted some credit I claimed incorrectly. They sent a letter explaining the change but it arrived AFTER the refund, which was confusing.
I'm in almost the exact same boat! Filed my 2022 return in February 2024 via mail and have been anxiously waiting. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like we're looking at a long wait unfortunately. One thing that's giving me some peace of mind is knowing there won't be penalties since we're getting refunds. I was really worried about that initially. And the interest payment is actually a nice bonus - 7% is better than most savings accounts right now! I've been checking the "Where's My Refund" tool obsessively but it still shows nothing after 2 months. Sounds like that's totally normal for paper returns though. Really wish I had just e-filed but I was being paranoid about security at the time. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it's helping me set realistic expectations. Sounds like I should probably plan on waiting until at least summer/fall to see that money.
Has anyone had success using the IRS online account to resolve these kinds of issues? I'm in a similar situation with duplicate notices but really don't want to call or mail anything if I can avoid it.
I tried using my IRS online account for a similar issue last year. It shows your notices but doesn't really have a way to resolve conflicts between them. Ended up having to call anyway.
Thanks for sharing your experience. That's disappointing but good to know before I waste time trying to fix it online. Looks like I'll have to bite the bullet and call them after all.
I've been through this exact same nightmare! Got stuck in the IRS notice loop for almost 6 months. Here's what finally worked for me: Don't ignore the duplicate notices - they can actually restart collection actions even if your case was previously closed. I made that mistake and ended up with a lien threat. Call the Practitioner Priority Service line at 866-860-4259 if you have a tax professional, or use the regular taxpayer line but ask to speak with someone in the "Correspondence Examination" department specifically. Tell them you have conflicting notices and need them to consolidate your case file. When you call, have these ready: - Your CP2005 closure notice - The most recent CP2501 - All your fax confirmation receipts - The weird form 202112 you mentioned Ask them to put a "case consolidation hold" on your account while they sort it out. This prevents any automated notices from going out while a human reviews your file. I also recommend requesting a "manual case review" - this forces an actual person to look at your timeline instead of letting the computer keep spitting out notices. The rep should be able to see all your submissions and confirm everything was properly processed. The whole thing took about 30 minutes on the phone once I got through to the right department. Haven't gotten a duplicate notice since!
This happened to me last year and the year before. In 2022, my federal came 9 days before state. In 2023, it was 16 days. This year my federal arrived February 18th and state didn't show up until March 12th. It's becoming the new normal with state systems being slower than federal. As long as your state shows "Processing" and not "Review" or "Verification Required," you should be fine.
I'm experiencing something similar this year! Filed on February 3rd and got my federal refund last week, but my state is still showing "Processing" after 34 days. In previous years, my state (Virginia) was always 5-7 days faster than federal. I called the Virginia Department of Taxation yesterday and they said they're running about 2-3 weeks behind their normal processing schedule due to system upgrades they implemented in January. The representative assured me that as long as it shows "Processing" rather than "Under Review," it's just in the queue and should be released soon. Maybe your state is dealing with similar backend changes this tax season?
I've been running a UAE LLC for trading US stocks for about 2 years now. Here's my practical experience: 1) Yes, Interactive Brokers accepts UAE LLCs with the right documentation. They required our company formation documents, trade license, passport copies of all shareholders, and bank reference letters. 2) Substance requirements are real. We maintain a small office in Dubai (about $1200/month), have a corporate bank account with ENBD, and I spend about 90 days per year there managing operations. 3) For moving money, we use a combination of salary and dividends. The company pays me a reasonable "director's salary" for my management activities, which I report in my home country. The rest stays in the company for reinvestment. 4) The annual compliance costs include company renewal fees (~$7000), accounting services (~$2500), and maintaining the office. Factor these into your calculations. It's definitely not a zero-effort solution, but the tax savings have been substantial enough to justify the setup costs and ongoing maintenance.
Do you find it's worth all the hassle? Like with all those costs and having to spend 3 months in Dubai every year, do the tax savings really work out that much better than just paying your home country's taxes?
For me, it's been absolutely worth it. I'm trading high volumes (multiple millions annually), so even the difference between a 9% UAE corporate tax rate versus my home country's 28% rate represents significant savings - we're talking six figures annually. The time in Dubai has actually become something I enjoy. I've developed business relationships there, and I now use it as a base for exploring the region. I usually do 3-4 trips of 3-4 weeks each throughout the year. The key is whether your trading volume justifies the fixed costs. If you're only trading a few hundred thousand, the setup costs might outweigh the benefits. But if you're doing serious volume, the math works out strongly in favor of the UAE structure.
Has anyone actually looked into how Argentina specifically treats foreign LLCs? I know some countries have rules where if you're the controlling member of a foreign entity, they look through the entity and tax you directly regardless of whether you take distributions.
Argentina has pretty strict CFC (Controlled Foreign Corporation) rules that were updated in 2018. If you own more than 50% of a foreign company and that company is in a "low-tax jurisdiction" (which UAE would likely qualify as), Argentina can attribute the income directly to you regardless of whether distributions are made.
Amara Okafor
I had exactly the same issue 27 days ago and was terrified I'd done something wrong! Called the IRS exactly 14 times before getting through. The agent told me it was flagged because I reported exactly $12,489 in business expenses on Schedule C which apparently triggered an automatic review. They verified everything within 16 days and my refund of $2,874 was deposited exactly 5 days later. Sometimes it really is just a random check like others have said!
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Jessica Nguyen
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! This is really helpful. I'm dealing with Tax Topic 151 for the first time and was panicking thinking I'd made some major error. Reading through all your stories makes me feel much better - sounds like it could just be routine verification. I did claim some home office expenses for my remote work setup this year, which I didn't have in previous years, so that might have triggered the review. Going to wait for the official notice before taking any action, but it's reassuring to know others have gone through this successfully. Will update the thread once I hear back from the IRS!
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