Has anyone here actually had their return processed using the prior year income election after divorce? I'm filing this weekend and need to know ASAP if there were any issues with processing times or additional verification steps? Did the IRS question your calculation method at all?

I successfully navigated this exact situation last year after my 2022 divorce. I used only my portion of income from our 2020 joint return for EIC calculations. I was worried about it, but my refund came through without any issues or delays. The key was having documentation ready - I kept copies of my individual W-2s from 2020 in case I was asked to verify. Remember that the IRS can already see which income was reported under your SSN versus your ex's, so they know what's yours.

I work with tax resolution cases, and this is more common than you might think. As of March 27, 2024, the IRS is still processing amendments filed in December 2023, so timing matters. File your 1040-X immediately with a clear explanation in Part III. Include any documentation showing you don't own this business. The IRS has specific internal procedures for handling preparer errors versus taxpayer errors, and the distinction matters significantly for penalty abatement. The automated systems will eventually catch this discrepancy if you don't correct it proactively.

I think I might have had something similar happen to me last year, possibly. My preparer added a small side business I mentioned in passing but that I hadn't actually started yet. I called the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service, and they were somewhat helpful in guiding me through the amendment process. It took about 14 weeks or so for my amendment to process, but everything worked out okay in the end. You might want to consider getting a transcript of your return first, just to see exactly what was filed before you submit the amendment.

I've been dealing with PTC forms for 3 years now, and this year is definitely slower than usual! 🙃 After waiting 45 days with no updates, I finally decided to call the IRS directly. Spent two days trying to get through their phone system with no luck (seriously, who has time for that??). Finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an agent in about 15 minutes. Worth every penny! The agent confirmed my return was flagged for "income verification" because of the combination of PTC and EIC. Apparently, this is happening to a lot of returns with both credits. The agent was able to verify everything was in order and manually release my return for processing. Got my deposit 8 days later.

This is my third year filing with marketplace insurance and PTC, and each year has been progressively worse with delays. Last year I waited 28 days, the year before was 21 days, and this year I'm currently at day 49 with no refund in sight! I called the IRS hotline last week and after being on hold for 97 minutes, the agent told me there was a "discrepancy" between my reported PTC and what the marketplace reported. Turns out my insurance company reported a different monthly premium amount for December than what they showed on my 1095-A. The difference was only $12.43 but it triggered a full manual review of my entire return.

I was in the same boat last year! My brother got his refund a full week before mine, even though I filed three days earlier. It's way less stressful than trying to get a payment plan with the IRS though - I did that in 2021 and it was a nightmare compared to just waiting for a refund. Your money is definitely coming, the banking system just processes things at different speeds. Chime and other online banks are almost always faster than traditional banks, sometimes by several days.

Have you perhaps considered checking your tax transcript instead of just WMR? It might possibly give you more detailed information about where your return is in the processing pipeline. Sometimes, if I'm not mistaken, the transcript will update with a DDD before WMR does. You could also, if you're comfortable with it, try calling the IRS directly at the account management number, though you may need to be somewhat persistent due to high call volumes this time of year. It seems that patience is unfortunately the main solution in these situations.

NJ has been surprisingly efficient this year. I got mine in 18 days exactly. My federal took over 6 weeks though! Did you file electronically or paper?

Just a heads up - make sure the deposit actually hits your account. I had an approved date of 2/28 but it didn't show up until 3/4. Apparently there was some processing backlog at their end. But congrats on getting approved!