That's weird, my 401k is through Vanguard and they literally just had me check a box saying I qualified under the CARES Act. No documentation required at all. I wonder if different companies have different policies?

Yes, each 401k administrator sets their own verification policies. Fidelity was being extra cautious with my company's plan, but Vanguard and others often just require the checkbox as you mentioned. It varies widely by both the administrator and sometimes even by the specific employer's plan. The actual IRS guidelines only require self-certification, but plan administrators can add their own layer of verification if they choose to. Always best to check directly with your specific plan before proceeding.

Wait seriously? I thought the CARES Act provisions were extended! This completely changes things for me. So there's no special COVID-related withdrawal option for 401ks anymore?

That's mostly correct, but there's a small caveat. While the general CARES Act withdrawal deadline was December 30, 2020, some COVID-related relief provisions were extended through other legislation. However, the specific 401k withdrawal provisions with penalty waivers and extended repayment options did indeed expire.

That's really helpful! I'm in Illinois - do you know if they're pretty good about this kind of thing? I've never filed any kind of complaint before.

Illinois actually has a pretty strong stance on worker misclassification! They have a specific task force called the Illinois Task Force on Misclassification that investigates these exact situations. You can file a complaint through the Illinois Department of Labor. The state takes these issues seriously because misclassification costs them tax revenue and deprives workers of benefits and protections. The complaint process is straightforward - you'll need to provide information about the company, your working arrangement, and copies of any documentation you have (pay stubs, text messages about scheduling, etc). Even without recorded conversations, your description of the working relationship can be enough for them to investigate.

This! When I was a house cleaner, I tracked my mileage between client houses (NOT from home to first job or last job to home, that's commuting), and all my supplies. Reduced my taxable income by almost 40%. Even if you didn't track it at the time, you can reconstruct reasonable estimates with calendar entries, texts arranging jobs, etc.

Thanks for the perspective! I did double-check my AGI from last year since I switched from paper filing to electronic. I actually had to dig out my old return to make sure I had the number right. Sounds like I just need to be patient for a couple more days.

Glad you verified that! Another tip is to create an account on the IRS website if you haven't already. Sometimes you can see the status of your return there before your tax software updates. The "Where's My Refund" tool won't help until your return is accepted, but having the account set up now will save you time later.

I've used both and noticed the same thing! I think TurboTax only updates their status a few times a day while some of the others check more frequently. The actual processing time at the IRS is probably the same.

6 How do I check what I put on my W-4? Do I need to ask HR for a copy? And if that's the problem, can I still fix my current tax return or is it too late?

9 You can ask your employer's HR or payroll department for a copy of your W-4 on file. They should be able to provide it or at least tell you what you selected. For your current tax return, if you've already filed it and the calculations are correct based on what was actually withheld, you can't change the outcome now. The tax bill is based on your actual income and withholding for the year. However, you can immediately submit a new W-4 to fix the problem for this year so you don't end up in the same situation next April.

2 The EITC is refundable too, so it could actually give you money back instead of just reducing what you owe! But I think there are age requirements if you don't have kids - you have to be at least 25 but under 65 to qualify without dependents.

I used H&R Block last year with about $200k in RSUs and they completely missed some important details. The preparer didn't understand that I needed to report the sales of vested RSUs as capital gains transactions with the correct cost basis. Ended up filing an amended return later with a different tax service. Would not recommend for anything beyond basic RSU situations.

That's not correct for RSUs. The 83(b) election applies to restricted stock awards (RSAs), not restricted stock units (RSUs). With standard RSUs, you can't make an 83(b) election because there's nothing to elect - you don't actually receive the shares until they vest, so there's no ownership to claim early. Some companies offer early-exercisable options or RSAs where an 83(b) makes sense, but for standard RSUs, this isn't applicable. Important distinction that could cause tax issues if misunderstood.