Does it matter that her state return was already accepted with the married name? Won't that cause problems when the federal return has a different last name?

States operate their own tax systems separate from the federal IRS system, which is why one might accept a return while the other rejects it. Some states don't verify against the SSA database as rigorously or might batch their verification processes. Having different names on your federal and state returns isn't ideal but it's not catastrophic. When you file with your maiden name federally, include a brief statement explaining the situation with your state return. The key issue is ensuring your tax ID numbers (SSN) match on both returns. Most tax agencies understand that name changes happen and have procedures to handle these timing mismatches.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I was worried I was the only one dealing with this. I'll go ahead and refile with my maiden name tonight. Did you have any issues with your state return? Mine was already accepted with my married name.

My state return actually got rejected too, but I'm in Texas so we don't have state income tax - it was just for my property tax stuff. I had to fix that one separately. If your state return already went through with your married name, you might want to call your state tax agency and ask them what to do. Some states are more laid back about the name matching than the IRS is. The important thing is that your social security number is consistent on both returns!

Thanks for sharing this - makes me feel a bit better. Did you have to pay a lot in penalties when you amended for those stock gains? And how long did the whole amendment process take?

The penalty wasn't bad at all - I think it ended up being around $80 plus some interest on the unpaid tax. So all in maybe $120 extra beyond what I would have paid originally. The amendment took about 3-4 months to process completely, which I hear is actually pretty fast for the IRS these days. Just make sure you keep copies of absolutely everything you submit and proof that you sent it (certified mail is good).

This isn't always true - I tried to amend through TurboTax and they wanted to charge me for the "deluxe" version even though my original filing was free. Ended up having to pay like $60.

Thanks for the suggestion, but isn't the 83(b) election only available for restricted stock, not RSUs? From what I've read, it doesn't apply to standard RSUs because there's no actual ownership until vesting. But I'd love to be wrong about this if it could help with future grants!

You're absolutely right, and I apologize for the confusion. The 83(b) election typically doesn't apply to standard RSUs because, as you correctly noted, there's no actual ownership until vesting. It's more applicable for restricted stock awards (RSAs) where you have immediate ownership with restrictions. For standard RSUs, tax planning is more about timing your sales after vesting to manage capital gains. Some companies offer programs where they automatically sell enough shares at vesting to cover tax obligations, which might be worth looking into for future grants.

I had the opposite experience! TurboTax Premier handled my RSUs perfectly but H&R Block kept giving me errors. Maybe it depends on the specific company's reporting format?

Does this work with the free version of TurboTax or only the premium versions? And can you use this feature before you're actually ready to file?

You need TurboTax Premier or above for the investment features - the free version doesn't support capital gains calculations. And yes, you can absolutely use this feature any time during the year before you're ready to file. I typically start a new tax file at the beginning of each year just for planning purposes. The tax planning tools are available year-round, not just during tax season. You can run different scenarios like "what if I sell these stocks at a loss?" to see the impact on your tax situation. It's been super helpful for making strategic decisions throughout the year rather than just discovering surprises at tax time.

Not everyone can afford an accountant, especially if they're just casual investors. I tried getting a consultation with a CPA and they wanted $250/hour just to discuss my tax situation. These online tools seem way more cost effective for most people.

That's a great point! I completely forgot about my charitable donations last year. I gave about $2,200 to various organizations and I have all the receipts. Would that be worth including in my amendment too? Also, do I need to send in copies of my mortgage interest statement and donation receipts with the amendment?

Absolutely include those charitable donations in your amendment! $2,200 is definitely significant and will increase your refund further. Combined with your mortgage interest, you're well over the standard deduction threshold. You don't necessarily need to send in the documentation with your amendment, but you should absolutely keep all those receipts, donation acknowledgments, and your Form 1098 mortgage interest statement with your tax records. The IRS can request substantiation later, especially for amended returns which tend to be reviewed more carefully.

Yes, you actually can e-file Form 1040-X now! The IRS started allowing this in 2020. Most major tax software (TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, etc.) supports e-filing amendments. It's wayyy faster than paper filing and you get confirmation that they received it.