I actually had a somewhat similar situation in my family last year. My son, who's also military, forgot to include a W-2 from a brief civilian job he held during leave. We discovered it about three months after filing. The amendment process was relatively painless, all things considered. It probably took me about an hour to prepare the 1040-X, and while processing took nearly 4 months, there were no penalties since we voluntarily corrected the error before the IRS discovered it.

The community wisdom on this is pretty clear - amend now rather than wait. Here's why: 1. The IRS will eventually catch the missing W-2 through their matching program 2. Voluntary disclosure before they find it usually means no penalties 3. For the dependent, you're likely missing out on credits you deserve 4. Amended returns are taking 20+ weeks to process, so earlier is better 5. The peace of mind is worth the effort Just make sure to use certified mail with tracking when you send in your 1040-X!

FreeTaxUSA is totally fine, I've used it for years with no issues. The software doesn't affect how quickly your refund is processed or delivered. That's all on the IRS's end. If your transcript shows it was sent but you haven't received it, that's an IRS or banking issue, not a FreeTaxUSA problem.

What specific codes do you see on your transcript? If it shows a 846 code with the 4th date, that means it was sent. But sometimes there are other codes that can give more context about what's happening with your refund.

Listen, this happens more often than you'd think. I always triple-check my banking info when filing. For your situation, you need to understand exactly what's on your transcript. Those cycle codes and transaction dates tell you a lot more than just the DDD. I started using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) this year to analyze my transcript - it explains every code and tells you exactly what each entry means for your specific situation. It would tell you precisely when your check was processed for mailing based on your transcript data. Much better than guessing or getting conflicting info from random people online.

I had this exact problem earlier this tax season. My check finally showed up 9 days after the DDD on my transcript. Are you signed up for Informed Delivery through USPS? That way you'll at least know when it's coming that day. Did your tax preparer acknowledge their mistake? Did they offer any compensation for the delay since it was their error?

Has anyone compared the actual deposit times between: • Paying TurboTax fees upfront • Having fees taken from refund • Using a different tax service altogether? I'm trying to decide what to do next year and would love to see some real data on this.

Direct deposit is fastest. Always. Refund advances are actually loans. They charge interest. Hidden in the fine print. The bank account method adds delays. Pay your fees upfront next time. You'll get your money faster. No middleman.

Here's what you need to do to track your refund through the entire process: Step 1: Check WMR for "Refund Issued" status Step 2: Log into your tax preparer's website where you filed Step 3: Look for a "Refund Status" or "Check SBTPG Status" link Step 4: Enter your info to see if SBTPG has received and processed your refund Step 5: Allow 1-2 business days after SBTPG processing for funds to appear in your account I've found this approach gives you the most accurate timeline instead of just wondering where your money is.

I tracked my refund exactly through this process last month. IRS issued my refund on March 3rd at 12:01am (according to my transcript). SBTPG received it on March 4th at 9:42am. They processed it and sent it to my bank by 4:15pm that same day. My bank posted the funds at 2:27am on March 6th. So exactly 3 days, 2 hours and 26 minutes from IRS issuance to money in my account. SBTPG took $39.95 for the refund transfer fee plus my preparation fees of $219. The rest came through without issues.