I'm experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! Filed on February 11th with TurboTax and still stuck at "being processed" after 6+ weeks. My return is also super straightforward - just W-2 income, standard deduction, and no complications whatsoever. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear this is a massive system-wide issue affecting tons of people with simple returns, not something we did wrong. The "Where's My Refund" tool has been completely useless, showing that same generic "being processed" message with zero updates or realistic timeline. I haven't attempted calling the IRS yet after seeing everyone's stories about 3+ hour hold times, only to be told to "keep waiting" with no concrete information. It's so frustrating when you're budgeting around that refund money and have absolutely no idea when it might actually arrive. The lack of transparency is really the worst part - they could at least provide some kind of realistic timeline instead of just leaving us all in limbo. But knowing we're all dealing with this together definitely helps. Thanks for starting this thread - it's been really helpful to realize I'm not alone in this endless waiting game!

I'm in the exact same situation! Filed on February 3rd using TaxSlayer and I'm still stuck at "being processed" after almost 7 weeks now. Like so many others here, my return is incredibly simple - just W-2 income, standard deduction, and no credits or complications. Reading through all these comments has been both frustrating and reassuring. Frustrating because it's clear the IRS is completely overwhelmed this year, but reassuring to know I'm definitely not alone in this endless waiting game. The "Where's My Refund" tool has been absolutely useless - just that same generic message for weeks with zero actual updates. I finally worked up the courage to call last week after seeing some people here had success. Waited on hold for almost 3 hours but did get through to an agent. She basically confirmed what everyone is saying - massive processing delays due to new fraud prevention measures and they're still catching up on backlogs from previous years. No specific timeline, just "keep waiting" which is so unhelpful when you're budgeting around that money. What really bothers me is that filing early seems to have worked against us this year. I thought getting my return in early would mean faster processing, but it feels like we early filers are getting stuck in some kind of limbo. The complete lack of transparency is the worst part - at least give us realistic expectations instead of leaving us guessing for months! Thanks for starting this thread - it's been really comforting to know we're all dealing with this mess together. Hopefully we all finally see some movement soon because this uncertainty is absolutely exhausting!

Is there a time limit on these corporate write-offs? Like could Warner Bros claim the loss now for the tax benefit, but then release the movie in a few years? Or once they claim it as a loss, are they permanently prevented from ever making money from it?

This is such a fascinating example of how corporate tax strategy works at scale! As someone who's dealt with business losses on a much smaller level, I can see the logic even though the numbers are mind-boggling. What really strikes me is how this illustrates the difference between accounting loss and economic loss. Warner Bros already spent the $90 million - that money is gone regardless. The question becomes: can they minimize the total financial impact through tax strategy? If the write-off saves them $19+ million in taxes, and they genuinely believe the movie won't generate more than that in net revenue (after marketing costs, potential brand damage, etc.), then mathematically it makes sense. It's the same principle that applies to any business loss deduction, just with way more zeros. When I had to write off some equipment that didn't work out for my consulting business, I was essentially doing the same thing - reducing my taxable income by the amount of the loss to minimize the overall financial impact. The part that's hardest to wrap my head around is the permanence of it. Once they claim that loss, they're essentially burning the bridge to ever monetizing that content. That's a level of financial commitment that shows how confident they are in their analysis.

I've been doing my small business taxes for about 5 years now, and here's a practical tip: keep very clear records separating your different types of inventory and supplies throughout the year. I use a spreadsheet with columns for: - Finished products I buy for resale (PURCHASES) - Raw materials for products I make (MATERIALS & SUPPLIES) - Packaging materials (SHIPPING SUPPLIES) - General business expenses (separate from COGS) Makes tax time way easier when everything is already categorized correctly!

Don't forget that your inventory method also matters! If you're using the accrual method, you need to count your remaining inventory at the end of the year and subtract that value from your COGS. So if you bought $5000 in supplies but have $1000 worth left at year end, your actual COGS would be $4000.

I've been following this thread as someone who recently completed the EIN application process for my Hungarian Kft., and I wanted to add a few observations that might help future applicants. First, the C-Corporation designation advice here is absolutely correct - I can confirm this worked perfectly for my Hungarian limited company. The IRS processed it without any questions or delays. One thing I'd add that I haven't seen mentioned: if you're applying during peak tax season (January-April), expect longer processing times. I submitted my SS-4 in March and it took nearly 4 weeks instead of the typical 2-3 weeks others have reported. The IRS international line confirmed this was due to higher application volumes during tax season. Also, regarding the international fax number (+1-304-707-9471), I recommend calling your fax service provider first to confirm they can send to US numbers. Some European fax services have restrictions on international transmissions that I discovered the hard way after my first attempt failed. For anyone still on the fence about those callback services mentioned earlier - I was initially skeptical but ended up using Claimyr when I needed to check my application status. It genuinely worked as described and saved me hours of frustration trying to get through on my own. The key takeaway is that this process is very manageable once you know the right steps. European limited companies should confidently select C-Corporation, use "Banking purpose" if that's your intent, and be patient with processing times. This community's collective experience makes it much easier for newcomers to navigate successfully.

This has been an incredibly thorough and helpful thread! I'm preparing to apply for an EIN for my Swiss GmbH and this collective wisdom has answered virtually every question I had. The consistency across all European limited company types is remarkable - whether it's Belgian, German, Romanian, Hungarian, or any other EU limited liability structure, the C-Corporation designation seems to be the universal solution. This gives me complete confidence moving forward. A few key takeaways I'm noting from everyone's experiences: - Use "Banking purpose" if that's your actual reason (not "Started new business" for existing companies) - Format addresses clearly with country name in caps - Use personal name as responsible party rather than company name - International fax number: +1-304-707-9471 - Expect 2-4 weeks processing time (longer during tax season) - Keep company registration docs handy but they likely won't be requested For anyone still reading this thread in the future, this is basically a complete playbook for European companies getting US EINs. The community knowledge here is invaluable and could save hours of research and potential mistakes. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical guidance that makes these bureaucratic processes manageable!

Thanks for asking this question - I was in the same boat last year! The Box 14 HSA amount is just your employer tracking your payroll contributions, but here's something I learned that might help: make sure you have records of ALL your HSA contributions for the year, not just what's in Box 14. I made the mistake of only looking at my W-2 and missed some direct contributions I made to my HSA account outside of payroll. When you get to the HSA section in TaxFreeUSA, you'll need to enter your total contributions from all sources. Check your HSA account statements or year-end summary from your HSA provider - they usually send a form showing all deposits made during the tax year. Also, keep in mind that if you changed jobs during the year and had HSA contributions at multiple employers, you'll need to add up all the Box 14 amounts from each W-2. The software will help you calculate if you're under the contribution limits, but having all your documentation ready makes the process much smoother!

Great question! I ran into this exact same issue when I first started with an HSA. The Box 14 entry showing "HSA $2,850" is basically your employer's way of tracking how much you contributed to your HSA through payroll deductions during the year. Here's what you need to know: those contributions were already made with pre-tax dollars, which means your taxable wages (Box 1) are already reduced by that $2,850. So you've already gotten the tax benefit! In TaxFreeUSA, you'll need to navigate to the HSA section (usually under Health Savings Accounts or similar). The software will generate Form 8889 for you. You'll enter that $2,850 amount along with any other HSA contributions you might have made directly to your account outside of payroll. The key thing is that you're not getting an additional deduction for the Box 14 amount since it was already pre-tax. You're just properly reporting it. Make sure to check if you have any employer contributions too - those would show up in Box 12 with code "W" if they exist. TaxFreeUSA should walk you through this pretty smoothly once you find the right section. Don't stress too much - HSAs are actually one of the more straightforward tax-advantaged accounts to deal with!