Absolutely! You're making a smart decision using your PO box for tax filing. I've been doing this for years and it's one of the best moves I made for managing my tax documents securely. Since TurboTax is specifically asking for your "mailing address," your PO box is exactly what they want - the address where you reliably receive mail. The IRS doesn't care whether it's a residential address or PO box; they just need to know where to send correspondence if needed. A few quick tips from my experience: - Make sure your PO box will be active throughout the year (not just tax season) in case you get any follow-up notices - If you have any tax documents like W-2s that still show your residential address, don't worry - minor address differences usually don't cause issues, but try to be consistent going forward - Consider updating your address with the IRS after filing if you plan to use the PO box permanently Your instinct is spot-on - reliable mail delivery is crucial for tax matters, and using your PO box will give you peace of mind that you won't miss anything important from the IRS!

I've been in the exact same situation! Used my PO box for tax filing last year after having multiple issues with mail delivery at my apartment complex. TurboTax handled it perfectly - since they're asking for "mailing address" specifically, your PO box is exactly what they want. One thing I learned: if you do get any IRS notices later in the year, having that reliable PO box address makes such a difference. I actually got a small notice about a calculation correction last summer, and it was such a relief knowing it went straight to my secure PO box instead of potentially getting lost in my apartment's chaotic mail situation. Go with your instinct on this - using the address where you'll actually receive the mail is definitely the right call!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My family's catering business went through Chapter 7 in 2021, and we've been drowning in boxes of records ever since. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the three-pile system and the clarification about operational vs. legal documentation. One thing I want to add based on our experience: don't forget about insurance records related to the business. Our bankruptcy attorney specifically told us to keep any liability insurance policies and workers' comp documentation for at least 10 years, even though most other business records follow the 7-year rule. Apparently, injury claims can sometimes surface years later and you need proof of coverage during the business operation period. Also, if you had any business loans that were personally guaranteed (like SBA loans), keep those discharge documents forever. Even though the business debt was discharged, there can sometimes be confusion about personal guarantees, and having clear documentation of what was included in the bankruptcy discharge can save major headaches down the road. The emotional side of this is real too - it felt like we were "erasing" our family business by getting rid of all those records. But honestly, keeping two organized boxes instead of a garage full of chaos has been so much better for everyone's mental health. Your dad might actually feel relieved once you have a clear, professional system in place!

I'm going through something very similar right now with my family's bakery that closed after our Chapter 7 in 2022. The paperwork overwhelm is so real - we had 8 boxes taking up half our basement! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening. The three-category system that several people mentioned (permanent, 7-year, and safe-to-discard) is exactly what I needed to hear. Like your dad, I was terrified to throw away anything that seemed "official," but the explanations about routine operational documents becoming legally irrelevant after discharge really helped me understand the difference. One thing that's been helping me is starting small - I picked one box of clearly outdated utility bills and small receipts from 2019-2020 and had our CPA confirm they were safe to shred. Seeing that first box go through the shredder without any consequences gave me confidence to tackle the bigger sorting project. For what it's worth, I think the digital scanning approach is genius for dealing with paper-hoarder family members. My mom was much more comfortable with the purging process once we scanned key documents first. Even if we never look at those digital files again, having them made the physical shredding feel less final and scary. Good luck with your move and convincing your dad! From reading all these responses, it sounds like you'll be able to safely reduce those 10-15 boxes down to maybe 2-3 while still keeping everything legally necessary.

CK customer for 3 yrs. To answer your question: sometimes 2 days early, sometimes 1 day, sometimes right on the date. No rhyme or reason I can figure out. Last year was 1 day early if that helps.

I've been banking with Credit Karma for about 2 years now and can confirm they usually release refunds early! Last year I got mine exactly 2 days before my DDD, and the year before it was 1 day early. It really depends on when the IRS actually sends the funds vs your official date. The nice thing about CK is they don't hold onto your money like traditional banks do - as soon as they receive it, it's available to you. Good luck with your refund!

Did anyone address whether books and supplies count in the support calculation? I spent about $1,200 on textbooks last year and another $600 on a required laptop. Do these count toward my total "support" figure?

Just wanted to chime in with some clarification since I see there's been some confusion in the thread about the support test calculation. The key thing to remember is that for the refundable portion of AOTC, "support" means the TOTAL amount it cost to support you during the tax year, regardless of who actually paid for it. This includes: - Full tuition costs (even scholarship-covered portions) - Full room and board costs (even if paid by grants) - Books, supplies, and required equipment - Personal expenses like clothing, transportation, medical costs - Any other living expenses So in your example, Elijah, if your fall tuition was $32,000 but scholarships covered $29,000, you include the full $32,000 in your support calculation, not just the $3,000 you paid. The IRS looks at it this way: What was the total dollar amount needed to support you? Then, did you provide at least half of that support through your own earned income? Given your income of $27,500, your total support would need to be $55,000 or less for you to qualify. With university costs these days, that might be challenging, but you'll need to add up all your actual expenses to see where you stand. Hope this helps clarify things!

I went through something very similar last year and learned the hard way that this kind of communication gap is unfortunately more common than it should be. While automatic extension filing is standard practice at many CPA firms, the complete radio silence afterward is definitely not acceptable professional behavior. Here's what I'd suggest based on my experience: Send your CPA a written email (for documentation) asking three specific questions: 1) Are you preparing my 2019 return? 2) What's your timeline for completion? 3) What's your fee structure for this year's services? Give them 48-72 hours to respond. If they don't respond promptly or give vague answers, start interviewing new CPAs immediately. You have until October 15, which gives you plenty of time to find someone who actually communicates. When you do interview new preparers, ask them directly about their communication policies - how they notify clients about extensions, estimated payment deadlines, and filing status updates. The silver lining is that the extension does protect you from late filing penalties, so even though the communication was poor, they did technically do something beneficial for you. But you deserve much better client service than this.

I've been a CPA for over 15 years and can confirm that filing extensions without explicit client notification is unfortunately more common than it should be, but it's definitely not best practice. Good CPAs should always inform clients when filing extensions, even if it's mentioned in the engagement letter. The concerning part of your situation is the complete lack of communication since January. If there's no signed engagement letter for 2019 services and they filed an extension without your knowledge, you need clarity immediately. They may be assuming you're continuing services based on your 2018 engagement, but that's not how professional relationships should work. My recommendation: Send them a written request today asking if they're preparing your 2019 return, what their timeline is, and what fees they're charging. If they don't respond within 2-3 business days or give you unsatisfactory answers, start looking for a new CPA. The extension gives you until October 15, so you have plenty of time to make a switch if needed. A good CPA will welcome your questions and provide clear answers - that's basic client service.