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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Just want to add that the TurboTax "5 days early" feature is such a scam, especially with Child Tax Credit returns. I paid for it too, thinking I'd get my refund faster, but it only applies AFTER the IRS releases your refund. With the PATH Act hold, that doesn't even start until mid-February at the earliest. Basically TurboTax knows most people with kids file early hoping for a quick refund, so they push this "feature" knowing full well the IRS won't release those refunds any sooner regardless. I complained and actually got my money back from TurboTax for this - might be worth trying!
Did you just call TurboTax customer service to get the refund for the early feature? I want to try this too since I'm in the same boat - paid for early refund but still waiting because of Child Tax Credit.
I used their chat support on the website and explained that I felt the feature was misleadingly advertised since it didn't disclose the PATH Act restrictions for Child Tax Credit claims. I was polite but firm that I wouldn't have purchased it had I known it wouldn't actually get my refund any earlier due to the mandatory IRS hold. The first agent tried to explain how the feature works, but I asked to escalate to a supervisor who approved the refund. Just be persistent - they know it's a bit deceptive for CTC filers!
For what it's worth, I'm in the same situation. Filed on Jan 19, claimed Child Tax Credit for my two kids, and still showing "Processing" on the IRS site. Called my tax preparer and they said it's 100% normal and almost all Child Tax Credit returns are held until late February regardless of when you filed. They told me to expect my refund around March 5-10 based on previous years' patterns. The PATH Act delay is annoying but apparently it's helped reduce tax fraud significantly. Just trying to be patient at this point!
Do you know if this also applies to the Additional Child Tax Credit or just the regular Child Tax Credit? I claimed both and wondering if that makes the wait even longer.
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Don't overlook the IRS Free File program! Go directly through the IRS website (irs.gov/freefile) - not through TurboTax's website claiming to be "free." There are multiple options there depending on your income level. Since you were laid off, your income might be lower this year, making you eligible for completely free filing. I made the mistake of going to TurboTax directly last year thinking it would be free but ended up paying $89 after they claimed my "situation was too complex" (it wasn't). Going through the IRS Free File portal got me actual free filing with the same exact software.
This is so important! The tax prep companies are super sneaky about this. They advertise "free" filing everywhere but then hit you with fees at the very end. I almost fell for this too until someone told me about going through the IRS site directly. Does anyone know if there's an income limit for the Free File options? And does unemployment income count toward that limit?
The income limit for most IRS Free File options is $73,000 in Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). And yes, unemployment benefits do count toward that limit since they're considered taxable income. However, even if your income is above that threshold, the IRS still offers Free Fillable Forms which are electronic versions of paper forms - though they provide no guidance, so they're best if you're comfortable doing taxes yourself. Also worth noting that some Free File providers have lower income limits or age restrictions, so you need to check each one's specific requirements through the IRS portal to find your best option.
Has anyone tried Cash App Taxes? It used to be Credit Karma Tax and I heard it's completely free for federal AND state. My brother used it and said it was decent, but I'm curious if it's actually good for someone with unemployment and maybe some 1099 income from gig work during job hunting?
I used Cash App Taxes this year and it was surprisingly good for being completely free! It handled my unemployment and some freelance work without issues. The interface isn't as polished as TurboTax, but it asks all the same questions and I got the same refund amount when I compared them. Only downside is that it doesn't import as many forms directly - I had to manually enter some information. But for literally saving $100+ compared to TurboTax, I can spend an extra 15 minutes typing.
Thanks for the feedback! That's really helpful - I don't mind spending a little extra time if it saves that much money. As long as it handles everything correctly, that's my main concern. Did you have any issues with state filing? That's where I usually run into problems.
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For what it's worth, my husband and I just went through this exact situation last year. We got married in February but had already done our taxes in January (filed as single). It worked out fine, but we had one small issue - we both got refunds sent to our individual accounts, which was a little awkward since we had just combined finances after the wedding. If you're planning to merge finances after marriage, maybe consider where you want your refunds to go! You can have them direct deposited to any account you choose, so you could send them to a joint account if you already have one set up, even if you're filing as single.
That's actually super helpful! We are planning to set up a joint account right after the wedding, but I hadn't thought about the refund issue. Did you have any problems updating your name with the IRS after you got married? I'm taking his last name so I'm a little worried about that process too.
The name change process wasn't too bad, but make sure you update your name with Social Security first before doing anything with the IRS. The IRS system checks against the Social Security database, so if the names don't match, it can cause processing delays. For the refund situation, you could either wait to file until you have a joint account set up, or you could always have the refund sent to just one of your existing accounts temporarily. Some people even choose to get paper checks for this reason, though that takes longer.
Just a heads up - one advantage to filing before your wedding is that it's one less thing to worry about when you're dealing with all the post-wedding chaos. My wife and I got married last April and we regretted not filing beforehand because we were so busy with thank you notes, changing names, merging accounts, etc. Also, start gathering documentation now for next year's taxes when you'll file jointly! It's way more complicated combining two people's tax situations. Especially keep track of any wedding-related expenses that might be deductible (rare, but some business-related wedding expenses can be).
What wedding expenses could possibly be tax deductible??? I've never heard of this!
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I'd recommend looking at Sage Fixed Assets if they can afford it. It's what I've used with several non-profit clients. It's more expensive than some options (around $2k for a perpetual license), but it's specifically designed for organizations that need to track physical location alongside depreciation. The reason I like it for non-profits is the grant management features - you can tag assets purchased with restricted funds and generate the specialized reports donors often require. The physical inventory module with barcode scanning has been a lifesaver during audits.
Is the Sage option cloud-based or desktop only? Our non-profit has staff in multiple locations and need something accessible from anywhere. Also, does it integrate with accounting systems other than Sage products?
Sage Fixed Assets is primarily a desktop solution, though they do have a cloud-hosted option that costs more. For multi-location access, you'd want the cloud version or would need to set up remote access to a central installation. As for integration, it works reasonably well with QuickBooks and several other accounting systems beyond just Sage products. They have standard import/export functions for most major platforms. The data flows aren't always completely seamless, but they're reliable. We typically set up monthly or quarterly synchronization processes rather than real-time integration, which works fine for most non-profits' reporting needs.
Has anyone tried the free option of using Google Sheets with a fixed asset template? We're a small non-profit with about 50 assets and can't justify the cost of dedicated software. We found a pretty good template online that calculates depreciation automatically.
I've done this for smaller non-profits. Works fine if you have under 100 assets. Here's what I use: start with a template from vertex42.com, add columns for physical location, asset condition, and maintenance schedule. Then use Google Forms linked to the spreadsheet for staff to update asset info from the field. It's not fancy but it's free and gets the job done for basic tracking.
FireflyDreams
For anyone still confused, here's a clearer explanation: Box 19 on your W-2 shows local income taxes withheld. If you worked in multiple cities/localities that have their own income taxes, your employer should list each amount separately in Box 19. In H&R Block's online software, you need to: 1) Complete the federal portion first 2) Move to the "State" section 3) Select your state 4) Look for the "Local" or "Local Taxes" section 5) Enter the first locality and amount 6) Look for a small "+" or "Add another locality" button 7) Add each locality separately Don't just sum them up - each locality needs to be reported individually to get proper credit for those withholdings!
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Do you know if this works the same way in TurboTax? I have a similar issue but I'm using TurboTax and can't find where to add the second locality.
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FireflyDreams
•TurboTax handles it similarly, but their interface is a bit different. In TurboTax, after entering your W-2 information, you'll complete the federal section, then move to state taxes. When you get to the local tax section, there should be an option to "Add another local tax" or something similar. If you don't see it immediately, look for a link that says "I have more than one local tax" or check if there are small arrows or a menu that expands to show more options. TurboTax sometimes hides these additional entry options to keep the main screen clean, but they're usually accessible through a dropdown or expansion button.
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Javier Morales
Has anyone else noticed that H&R Block's help section is absolutely useless for these specific issues? I spent like an hour going through their FAQs and couldn't find any clear answer about multiple Box 19 entries.
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Emma Anderson
•Their knowledge base is terrible for anything slightly complicated. I ended up calling their support line and waiting 45 minutes just to be told I needed to upgrade to their "Deluxe" version to handle multiple localities, which was NOT true. The free version absolutely can handle it if you know where to look.
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