One thing to keep in mind - if your mom has any assets (not just income), that could affect her eligibility for certain programs regardless of whether you claim her as a dependent. SSI has an asset limit of $2,000 for individuals, and Medicaid has similar restrictions in many states.

I went through almost the exact same situation with my dad last year. One thing I learned that might help - you can actually run both scenarios with a tax professional before making your final decision for the year. What I did was calculate my potential tax savings from claiming him as a dependent (which was about $1,200 for me), then we researched what benefits he'd lose. In his case, he would have lost SSI eligibility worth about $9,500 annually, plus his Medicaid coverage. The math was clear - NOT claiming him saved our family thousands more than the tax deduction was worth. Plus, once he qualified for those programs, it gave him healthcare coverage and some financial independence, which honestly was worth more than just the dollar amount. One tip: if your mom does have that investment account you mentioned, make sure to track any capital gains carefully. Even small stock sales can push someone over the income limits for these programs. We had to be really strategic about when my dad sold any investments to stay under the thresholds. Also consider consulting with both a tax professional AND someone who specializes in government benefits to make sure you're seeing the full picture. The interaction between tax law and benefit eligibility can be pretty complex.

I feel for you - this is such a stressful situation! I went through something similar with my credit union last year. The frustrating thing is that once your transcript shows the 846 code (which means the IRS sent your refund), it becomes entirely a bank issue, not an IRS issue. From what everyone else is saying, it sounds like your money is most likely sitting in Chase's system but frozen while they do their "security review." The fact that they won't tell you if the deposit hit is typical - they're probably not allowed to discuss account details while it's under investigation. Definitely try going to a physical branch tomorrow with all your documentation (tax return, transcript, multiple IDs). In my experience, branch managers have way more authority to resolve these issues than phone reps do. Also keep checking your transcript over the next few days for code 841 - that would mean the deposit got returned to the IRS. If you don't see that code, then Chase definitely has your money and you just need to push them to release it. This situation sucks but it's not uncommon, especially with large refunds. Your $3,800 isn't gone - it's just temporarily stuck in banking bureaucracy. Stay persistent and don't let them brush you off!

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! I had a similar nightmare with Chase about 18 months ago when they froze my account right as my refund was supposed to hit. What worked for me was going straight to a physical branch with a folder full of documents - don't waste another second on phone calls. The branch manager was able to see that my refund deposit was actually sitting in their system, just locked up while they did their "fraud investigation." Bring everything: your driver's license, Social Security card, tax return, IRS transcript showing the 846 code, and any other ID you have. Ask specifically to speak with the branch manager, not just a teller. In my case, they lifted the freeze the same day once I proved the refund was legitimate. The most important thing to remember is that your money isn't lost - if your transcript shows code 846 and no 841 (return code), then Chase received your deposit and is just holding it. This is purely a bank issue now, not an IRS problem. Stay strong and be persistent at the branch tomorrow. Don't let them give you the runaround like the phone reps did. Your $3,800 is there waiting for you!

This entire thread has been incredibly comprehensive and helpful! As someone new to this community, I'm really impressed by the quality of guidance being shared here. I wanted to add one perspective that might be worth considering - since your cousin is only 16 and this process involves significant complexity with international tax law, it might be beneficial for her parents to document this entire journey. Not just for compliance purposes, but because this experience could actually become valuable content for her platform once everything is resolved properly. Many young creators and their families face these exact same challenges, and sharing the legitimate process of navigating international creator monetization (once she's successfully through it) could help others avoid the mistakes she initially made with the VPN usage. It could even become a unique niche for her content - helping other international creators understand proper compliance. The systematic approach everyone has outlined here really is the gold standard: ITIN application with full parental involvement, transparent communication with TikTok about the VPN issue and compliance efforts, professional tax guidance covering both US and home country implications, and proper record-keeping systems from day one. Your cousin is incredibly fortunate to have family support in doing this the right way rather than looking for shortcuts. The foundation being built through this proper compliance process will serve her well throughout her entire creator career, and the lessons learned could potentially help countless other young international creators facing similar challenges.

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone new to this community, I'm amazed by how thoroughly everyone has covered the legitimate path forward for your cousin's situation. I wanted to add one more practical consideration that might help during the waiting period - while the ITIN application is processing, your cousin could use this time to start building relationships with other international creators who've successfully monetized through proper compliance. Many creator communities have Discord servers or forums where people share their experiences with different platforms' verification processes. Also, something I learned recently is that some countries have specific tax advantages for creative income earned by minors that could significantly impact the overall tax picture. Having her parents research these potential benefits in their home country could influence how they structure everything once the US compliance is sorted out. The systematic approach everyone has outlined here - ITIN with parental involvement, transparent TikTok communication about the VPN issue, professional tax guidance for both jurisdictions, and proper record-keeping from day one - really should be the standard playbook for any international creator facing similar challenges. Your cousin is so fortunate to have family support in doing this properly rather than looking for shortcuts. This legitimate foundation will serve her incredibly well throughout her creator career!

I'm dealing with this exact authentication loop right now and this thread has been absolutely incredible! As a complete newcomer to this nightmare, I was starting to think I was doing something fundamentally wrong when ID.me shows "verified" but the IRS keeps asking me to verify over and over again. The technical explanations about OAuth handshakes and orphaned authentication tokens have been so enlightening - it finally explains why regular customer service keeps saying they "can't see any issues" when there's clearly a major problem. They literally don't have access to the backend authentication systems! I've already tried the browser clearing approach (cleared everything for both sites and switched from Chrome to Firefox) but still got stuck in the same loop. Based on all the success stories here, I'm definitely going to call the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778 first thing tomorrow morning and use the magic words: "authentication token synchronization error" and ask them to "reset the OAuth handshake." It's so reassuring to know this is a legitimate technical issue affecting tons of people rather than user error. This thread should honestly be the official troubleshooting guide! Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - you've turned what felt like an impossible situation into a clear action plan. I'll report back once I try the Taxpayer Advocate approach!

I'm currently trapped in this exact same authentication loop and finding this thread has been such a relief! I've been dealing with this nightmare for almost two weeks now - ID.me shows I'm fully verified, but every time I try to access my IRS account, it kicks me back to the verification screen. Like so many others here, I made the mistake of calling the regular IRS customer service line multiple times and got the classic runaround - each rep either couldn't see the issue or insisted it was ID.me's problem, while ID.me support just points right back to the IRS. It's the most frustrating bureaucratic ping-pong game ever! The technical explanations in this thread about OAuth handshakes and orphaned authentication tokens finally make this whole mess make sense. No wonder the regular customer service reps keep saying they can't help - they literally don't have access to the backend systems that are causing the problem. Based on all the success stories here, I'm skipping any more attempts with regular customer service and going straight to the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778. I'll use the exact terminology that multiple people have confirmed works: "authentication token synchronization error" and request them to "reset the OAuth handshake." This thread should honestly be featured prominently on the IRS website - it's become the most comprehensive resource for solving this widespread but poorly documented issue. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions! I'll definitely update once I try the Taxpayer Advocate approach.

I'm a little confused by some of the responses here. The $5,000 threshold is just about whether you get a 1099-K form, not whether you need to report the income. ALL income is taxable regardless of amount or whether you got a tax form. The only exception would be if you're selling personal items at a loss (like used clothes for less than you paid for them). That's not taxable because there's no profit. But if you're making and selling crafts on Etsy, that's income even if it's just $50. The honest answer to the question is "yes" you received payments through a third party network.

Is nobody going to mention the hobby loss rule? If this is truly a hobby (not a profit-seeking activity), you can report the income but you CANNOT deduct any expenses against it anymore. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated hobby expense deductions. If you're regularly trying to make money from your Etsy store, it might be better to treat it as a business so you can deduct your expenses. Otherwise you're paying tax on the full $875 with no deductions for your supplies.