I'm a newcomer here but this thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I had no idea how widespread this dealership issue was with EV tax credits. Reading everyone's success stories gives me so much hope for resolving similar situations. What really stands out to me is how the magic formula seems to be: use specific technical language ("Energy Credits Online Portal," "used clean vehicle credit"), escalate to the finance director (not just any finance person), mention the IRS waived the 3-day deadline, and come prepared with all documentation. The consistency across everyone's successful approaches is remarkable. Brandon, I hope you're still following this amazing discussion that grew from your original question! The fact that people are succeeding with purchases 8+ months old should give you total confidence that your July timeline is absolutely fine. The "too late" excuse has been thoroughly debunked by multiple success stories here. For anyone else dealing with uncooperative dealerships - you now have a complete playbook from people who've fought this exact battle and won. Don't give up on thousands of dollars you're legally entitled to! The IRS specifically made the process more flexible to help consumers in these situations.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by this thread! I just bought a used EV last week and had no idea about the ECO Portal requirements until I stumbled across this discussion. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both educational and slightly terrifying - it sounds like dealership confusion about these requirements is incredibly common. What's really encouraging is seeing the clear pattern of success once people know how to approach this properly. The combination of using specific technical language ("Energy Credits Online Portal," "used clean vehicle credit"), asking for the finance director by name, and having all documentation ready seems to be the winning formula. Brandon, I hope you're still following this incredible thread that started from your question! Based on all the success stories here with purchases 8+ months old, your July timeline is definitely not an issue. The "too late" excuse has been completely debunked by multiple people's experiences. I'm going to proactively contact my dealership tomorrow to confirm they've handled my ECO Portal registration. Thanks to this thread, I now know exactly what to ask for and how to escalate if needed. This community is amazing - turning one person's frustration into a comprehensive guide that's helping so many others!

Another simple trick - look at your 2020 tax return PDF file size. If it's bigger than usual, you probably itemized because Schedule A adds pages. My standard deduction returns are always like 10-15 pages but my itemized years are 20+ pages with all the extra forms. Just a quick way to check before digging into the actual numbers.

UGH im looking at my 2020 return right now and line 12 shows $24,800 but there's also something on line 8 that says "Schedule A" with a checkmark? Super confused!!! Why would it have schedule A but also the standard deduction amount??

I had a very similar situation with my RSUs from Microsoft that went through Fidelity. What I discovered after a lot of digging is that the $110k that was "withheld" from your stock sale likely wasn't traditional tax withholding at all - it was probably shares that were automatically sold to cover your tax obligation at vesting. Here's what probably happened: When your RSUs vested, your company calculated the taxes owed on the $450k value and instructed Fidelity to sell enough shares to cover that amount. Those proceeds were then sent to the IRS as estimated tax payments on your behalf. The key difference is that these don't show up as "withholdings" on your W-2 because they're not payroll withholdings. Instead, look for: 1. A statement from Fidelity showing "shares sold for tax withholding" or similar language 2. Your employer's year-end statement that might show "estimated tax payments made" 3. Any Form 1099-MISC that shows payments made to the government When you file your taxes, you'll need to enter that $110k as estimated tax payments, not rely on W-2 withholding. This is completely normal with RSUs but definitely confusing the first time you encounter it!

I'm a tax preparer and see this confusion with RSUs constantly! You're absolutely right to be concerned, but this is actually a very common reporting issue that trips up many people. What's happening is that your employer correctly reported the full RSU income ($450k) on your W-2, but the "tax withholding" that occurred when you sold the shares through Fidelity is technically not payroll withholding - it's an estimated tax payment made on your behalf. Here's what you need to do: 1. Log into your Fidelity account and look for any document or transaction history showing "tax payment," "withholding sale," or "sell to cover taxes" 2. Check with your employer's HR/payroll department - they should have records of estimated tax payments made for RSU transactions 3. Look for any supplemental tax documents beyond just your W-2 and 1099-B When you file your return, you'll enter that $110k as estimated tax payments rather than as W-2 withholding. This is completely normal and legitimate - you're not missing any withholding, it's just reported differently than regular payroll taxes. The good news is that if those payments were actually made to the IRS, you're not behind on taxes at all - you just need to make sure they're properly accounted for on your return. Don't panic! This is a reporting issue, not a tax debt issue.

Has anyone tried using an accountant who specializes in healthcare workers? My regular tax guy keeps telling me I can't deduct anything as a W-2 employee but I feel like he doesn't understand the unique situation of home health workers who drive between multiple clients.

I'm in a very similar situation as your husband! I've been working as a home health aide for about 8 months now and was also told by my supervisor that W-2 employees can't claim mileage. But after reading through all these responses, I'm realizing there might be options I didn't know about. I do keep a small desk area at home where I complete all my patient documentation, scheduling, and communicate with the office - basically all my administrative work happens there. From what I'm reading, this might actually qualify as a home office? I drive to about 3-4 clients per day and easily put 800+ miles per month on my car just for work. I think I'm going to look into that taxr.ai tool that people mentioned and maybe also try to get through to the IRS directly to ask about my specific situation. It sounds like there are legitimate ways for home health workers to claim these expenses even as W-2 employees if you meet certain criteria. Thanks for posting this question - I had no idea this was even a possibility! Definitely going to start keeping better mileage records just in case.

I've been researching this same question and found that FreeTaxUSA is actually quite transparent about their revenue streams. They're not "free" in the traditional sense - they use a freemium model where federal filing is free but they charge for state returns ($14.99), premium features like audit support ($14.99), and earn affiliate commissions from financial products they recommend. What's reassuring is that they're required to follow IRS Publication 1075 guidelines for data protection, and their privacy policy explicitly states they don't sell personally identifiable tax information to third parties. The IRS can revoke authorization from e-file providers who don't comply with security standards, so there's real oversight. I ended up choosing them over TurboTax last year and was impressed by the lack of aggressive upselling during the filing process. They clearly state what's included in the free version versus paid upgrades, unlike some competitors that hit you with surprise fees halfway through filing. The interface is clean and straightforward, though not quite as polished as premium alternatives. For data security, I haven't experienced any suspicious marketing calls or emails that I could trace back to them, which suggests they're handling personal information responsibly. The main trade-off is slower customer support during peak tax season, but for most standard returns the software is intuitive enough that you won't need much assistance.

As a tax preparer who's worked with various software platforms, I can confirm that FreeTaxUSA is legitimate and their business model is actually quite straightforward. They make money through three main channels: state filing fees ($14.99 per state), premium add-ons like audit defense and amended return support, and affiliate partnerships with financial institutions. What makes them trustworthy is their IRS Authorized e-file Provider status, which requires meeting stringent security standards under Publication 1075. The IRS regularly audits these providers and can revoke authorization for non-compliance, so there's real regulatory oversight. From a data protection standpoint, they use 256-bit SSL encryption (same as banks) and are required to report any data breaches to the IRS within 24 hours. Their privacy policy clearly states they don't sell personal tax information to third parties - this would actually violate federal regulations and could result in serious penalties. The key difference from sketchy "free" services is transparency. FreeTaxUSA clearly explains what's free (federal filing) versus paid (state returns, premium features) upfront, rather than hiding costs or monetizing through data sales. I've recommended them to clients with straightforward returns who want to save money without compromising security. One tip: if you're nervous about any tax software, you can always prepare your return but delay e-filing until you're confident everything looks correct. This lets you test the platform without committing.