I just went through this exact situation with my son last year, and after consulting with our CPA and doing extensive research, here's what I found: The $575 enrollment deposit is absolutely a qualified 529 expense since it's being applied toward housing. Room and board are explicitly listed as qualified expenses for students enrolled at least half-time, so you're completely safe using 529 funds for this. The $65 application fee is trickier. Technically, it's not a qualified expense because it was paid before enrollment. The IRS requires expenses to be for "enrollment or attendance" at an eligible institution. Since application fees are just for the opportunity to apply (not actual attendance), they fall outside the qualified category. However, the practical risk is minimal. If you used 529 funds for the application fee and it was later deemed non-qualified, you'd only owe income tax and a 10% penalty on the earnings portion of that $65 withdrawal - we're probably talking about $2-5 in penalties at most. My recommendation: definitely use the 529 for the enrollment deposit, and either pay the application fee out of pocket to be completely compliant, or use 529 funds accepting there's a small technical risk. Keep all documentation either way - receipts, billing statements, and 529 withdrawal records. The key is having a clear paper trail showing the deposit went toward qualified housing expenses. Congratulations on your daughter's acceptance! It's exciting but definitely overwhelming trying to navigate all these financial details.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this with both my kids. The enrollment deposit situation is straightforward - if it's going toward housing like you mentioned, that's definitely a qualified 529 expense. No worries there. For the application fee, here's what I've learned from experience: while it's technically in a gray area since it's pre-enrollment, the IRS generally focuses on much larger discrepancies during audits. A $65 application fee is unlikely to trigger any scrutiny, especially if you have good documentation showing it was required for the application process. That said, if you want to be completely by-the-book, just pay the application fee out of pocket. It's a small amount and gives you complete peace of mind. Save your 529 funds for the bigger qualified expenses like tuition, books, and housing where there's no ambiguity. One tip: make sure to time your 529 withdrawal in the same calendar year as when you pay these expenses. This keeps everything clean for tax purposes and avoids any potential complications with the IRS. Congratulations on your daughter's acceptance! The financial planning side of college is definitely a learning curve, but you're asking all the right questions.

I'm currently at the 6-week mark waiting for a response about some stock sale documentation they requested, and reading through all these experiences has been such a relief! Like everyone else here, I was completely unprepared for the IRS's unique approach to time - I kept thinking something must have gone wrong when I didn't hear back after a couple weeks. What's been most reassuring is seeing how consistently everyone's timelines fall into that 6-10 week range that people keep mentioning. I also made the mistake of trying to call around week 4 and spent almost 3 hours on hold before giving up, which really drives home why those callback services are becoming so popular. I set up my IRS online account after reading all the recommendations here, and while it was empty for weeks, I finally got a small status update yesterday showing my case is "under review." It's amazing how exciting such a tiny piece of information can feel after weeks of complete silence! For anyone just starting this process: definitely prepare mentally for that 6-10 week minimum timeline, make copies of everything, and set up that online account early even if it stays empty for a while. The "geological time" concept really is the perfect way to think about how the IRS operates compared to the rest of the world. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community support makes the endless waiting so much more bearable!

I'm in week 4 of waiting for the IRS to respond to some documentation I sent about a business equipment deduction they flagged, and this entire thread has been like finding an oasis in the desert! Before reading all these experiences, I was convinced that something had gone horribly wrong since I hadn't heard anything back. The "geological time" description that Andre came up with really is perfect - it's helped me completely reframe my expectations about how the IRS operates compared to literally every other organization in 2025. I was so naive thinking I'd get some kind of acknowledgment within a week or two! Following everyone's advice, I set up my IRS online account and have been checking it religiously, though nothing has appeared there yet. At least now I have multiple ways to potentially see updates instead of just standing by my mailbox like a statue every afternoon. The complete radio silence really is the most unnerving part of this whole process. Reading about Zoe's small update appearing at week 7 and Aisha's "under review" status at week 6 gives me hope that things are actually moving behind the scenes, even when we can't see it. It's incredible how exciting the tiniest bit of information becomes after weeks of absolute nothing! Thanks to everyone for sharing your timelines and experiences - knowing that this anxiety-inducing waiting period is just standard IRS operating procedure (and not a sign that my documents got lost in the mail) has honestly saved my sanity. We're definitely all in this geological time warp together!

Quick question - I'm in a similar situation but I've been renovating my rental for 8 months now. Can I deduct all the renovation expenses even though the property isn't rented yet?

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of establishing the "placed in service" date properly for IRS purposes. Since you're doing renovations while living there, you'll want to document the exact date when the property becomes available for rent - this could be when you finish renovations, move out, and list it for rent. Keep records of when you complete the work, when you stop using it as your personal residence, and when you first advertise it. The IRS can be picky about this date since it affects when depreciation starts and how you allocate expenses between personal use and rental use. Also, since you mentioned staying in one bedroom - make sure you're clear on the business vs personal use percentages. If you're using 1/3 of the house personally, you can only claim rental deductions (including future depreciation) on the remaining 2/3. This gets tricky during the renovation period since you might argue the personal use is temporary and solely for renovation convenience, but the IRS generally looks at actual use patterns.

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Filed my return on February 8th, got the 810 freeze code on February 12th, received my 12C letter in early March asking for income verification, and submitted my amended return about 4 weeks ago. My transcript is still showing just that original 810 code with no updates. The waiting and uncertainty is absolutely brutal. I've been checking my transcript daily hoping to see ANY movement, but it's been complete radio silence. What's helping me stay somewhat sane is reading through all these experiences and realizing this 16-20 week timeline for amended returns with freeze codes is unfortunately just the reality we're dealing with. I think I'm going to follow the advice here and call just to confirm they actually received my amended return. From what everyone's saying, that seems to be the most important first step - at least knowing you're officially in their queue vs wondering if your paperwork got lost somewhere in their system. The fact that so many of us are going through the exact same timeline and experience is oddly comforting. We're all just stuck in IRS purgatory together! Thanks for posting this - it really helps to know I'm not alone in this frustrating waiting game. Hopefully we'll all see some movement on our cases soon 🤞

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now! Filed my 2024 return on February 12, got accepted, then saw the 810 freeze code appear on my transcript a few days later. Got my 12C letter in early March asking for income verification and filed my amended return about 3 weeks ago. Still showing just that original 810 code with zero updates. The waiting and not knowing what's happening is honestly the most stressful part. I've been refreshing my transcript constantly hoping to see ANY change, but it's been complete silence. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really eye-opening though - sounds like this 16-20 week timeline for amended returns with freeze codes is just the brutal reality we're all facing. I think I'm going to take the advice from others here and call to at least confirm they received my amended return. That seems like the most important first step based on what people are saying - just knowing you're officially in their queue versus wondering if your paperwork got lost in their system. It's oddly comforting to see so many of us going through the exact same timeline and frustrations. We're all just stuck in IRS limbo together! Thanks for posting this - it really helps knowing this nightmare experience is unfortunately normal and not just something wrong with my specific case. Hoping we all see some movement soon! 🤞

Has anyone used TurboTax for this situation? Will it guide me through the process correctly for both my return and my kid's return?

This is such a common situation and you're absolutely on the right track! Your daughter can definitely file her own return while you claim her as a dependent - happens all the time with college students. Just to reinforce what others have said: since you're providing over half her support (housing, utilities, insurance, groceries, phone) and she's a full-time student under 24, she qualifies as your dependent. The $800-900/month she makes for personal expenses doesn't change that. When she files her return, she'll need to check the box indicating someone else can claim her as a dependent. This is crucial - if she forgets to check that box, it can cause issues when you file your return claiming her. One thing I'd add: keep good records of what you pay for vs. what she pays for. The IRS support test looks at the total cost of her support for the year, and you need to provide more than 50%. Given that you're covering all the major living expenses, you should be well over that threshold, but it's good to have documentation just in case. Your daughter should definitely file her own return if she had any taxes withheld from her paychecks - that's likely the only way she'll get those refunds back. Plus it's good practice for her to learn the process!