I'm really worried about trusting these fintech tax services now! 😫 I used Column through MoneyLion and just realized my home office deduction completely disappeared. How can we even trust that our returns were filed correctly? What if we're all getting audited because of their mistakes?! I'm seriously freaking out about this!

I've used Column Tax for exactly 3 tax seasons, including this one. They had precisely 2 major system updates this year which I believe caused the issues we're seeing. I tracked 17 different deductions for my small business, and 4 of them disappeared in the final return. Their customer service took exactly 8 business days to respond, but they did eventually fix everything. I'd recommend everyone double-check their returns against what was actually submitted to the IRS.

Have you considered bringing a change of address confirmation from USPS as additional proof? In my experience from February 2024, this carried significant weight with the verification agent. They seemed to view it as official government documentation that supported my explanation.

The IRS Authentication Protocol for in-person verification requires biographic verification (your ID) and residential verification (proof of address). The standard procedure allows for documentation discrepancies if you can provide supplementary evidence. A utility bill, bank statement, or lease agreement with your current address should suffice as secondary verification. The verification threshold is typically met with two concordant documents, even if your primary ID shows a different address.

Has anyone checked the IRS2Go app today? According to the IRS Refund Status page (https://www.irs.gov/refunds), they do update the system overnight, so what you heard might be accurate. I'm in a similar boat and noticed the maintenance message on the website yesterday. I'm wondering if this is the big update wave that usually happens mid-filing season? Last year around this time there was a massive update that cleared a lot of pending returns all at once.

Did anyone else notice that the Where's My Refund tool was down for maintenance for about 30 minutes last night? Could that be part of the updates they mentioned to you? I've been checking obsessively every day (sometimes multiple times a day... is that too much?) and that was the first time I saw it down. Maybe they really are doing system updates? I filed on February 3rd and have been stuck on "still processing" for what feels like forever now.

Alternative approach: file now without EIC. Claim just the dependent exemption. Get most of your refund quickly. File amended return later for EIC portion. Less waiting for majority of refund. Database sync issues resolved by then. Worth considering if you need funds soon.

I successfully navigated this same issue last year with my December baby! Isn't it ridiculous that government systems don't talk to each other better? I initially tried calling the IRS regular number but couldn't get through for days. Finally went with paper filing and included a photocopy of my baby's social security card and birth certificate. Wrote "NEWBORN SSN VERIFICATION ISSUE" in red at the top of my 1040. Got my full refund with EIC about 7 weeks later. Would it be faster if their systems worked properly? Of course! But at least there's a proven solution.

Mine was accepted February 6th. WMR stuck for 5 weeks. Got my refund yesterday. No explanation. No errors on return. System just takes time. Hang in there. You're probably fine. Just IRS being slow.

Not to be *that person* 😂 but have you tried checking your tax transcript instead of WMR? The transcript usually updates before WMR does and gives you actual cycle codes. I was in the dark for weeks until I figured this out. You can access it through the IRS website under "Get Transcript" - just need to create an account if you don't have one already.