If your CFO is still being stubborn, point them to IRS Publication 1779 which specifically addresses this question. It clearly states sole proprietors may use either their SSN or EIN. Period. Honestly sounds like your CFO is stuck in their ways and doesn't want to admit they're wrong. Pretty common in accounting departments unfortunately.

As someone who works in tax compliance, I can confirm that everyone here giving advice is absolutely correct. The IRS explicitly allows sole proprietors to use either their SSN or EIN on Form W-9, and this is documented in multiple official publications. What might help with your finance director is pointing out that using an EIN actually provides better identity theft protection for your contractors. The IRS has been encouraging this practice for years. When you file the 1099, their systems automatically cross-reference the EIN back to the individual's SSN for tax matching purposes. Your contractor is being completely reasonable in their refusal to provide their SSN when they have a valid EIN. I'd recommend having a direct conversation with your finance director about updating your company's policies to align with current IRS guidelines. It's 2025 - most modern businesses accept EINs from sole proprietors without issue. If they still resist, ask them to cite the specific IRS regulation that requires SSNs over EINs for sole proprietors. They won't be able to find one because it doesn't exist.

Just want to add my experience to help set expectations - I filed my 1040X in September and it took exactly 18 weeks to process (so about 4.5 months). The "Where's My Amended Return" tool was completely useless like everyone said - it just showed "received" the entire time until suddenly it said "completed" the same day I got my refund check. The transcript codes were way more helpful for tracking actual progress. I saw the 971 code about 3 weeks after filing, then nothing for months, then suddenly the 290 code appeared and my refund was issued within a week. My advice: check your transcript monthly (not daily or you'll drive yourself crazy), ignore the online tracker completely, and just be patient. The wait is brutal but it does eventually happen!

I'm also a first-time amendment filer and this thread has been incredibly enlightening! Filed my 1040X about two weeks ago for a missed deduction and was getting worried about the silence. Now I realize that's totally normal and I need to adjust my expectations from "a few weeks" to "several months." Really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences - it's way more helpful than the vague timelines on the IRS website. I'm definitely going to start monitoring my transcript for those transaction codes (971, 290, 291) instead of relying on that useless online tracker. The tools people mentioned like taxr.ai and claimyr.com sound like lifesavers if I get stuck in the waiting game. Here's hoping all of us recent filers get processed on the faster end of the spectrum! 🤞

I'd like to share some additional information about the trace process that might help you understand what's happening: Step 1: When you initiate a trace, the IRS first verifies whether your refund was already issued. Step 2: If it was issued but not received, they start an actual trace through the Treasury. Step 3: If the refund was never issued, they investigate why (which could be an unrelated review). Step 4: Once they determine the status, they either reissue the refund or send you a notice explaining the hold. Are you certain your refund was actually issued and not just approved? These are different statuses, and many business owners confuse them. If your WMR status never said "Refund Sent," then you might be waiting for an initial issuance rather than a trace resolution.

I'm experiencing something very similar with my business refund! Filed early February, got acceptance confirmation, but my refund has been missing for weeks now. I also use Navy Federal and they're usually lightning-fast with deposits, so I know the issue is definitely on the IRS side. What's really frustrating is that I initiated a trace about 2.5 weeks ago and got a confirmation number, but absolutely nothing has happened since then. Like you, I need these funds for upcoming business expenses and the uncertainty is stressful. One thing I'm wondering - when you check "Where's My Refund," does it still show the original status or has it changed since you started the trace? Mine still shows "refund approved" with the original deposit date, which makes me think the money was never actually sent out in the first place despite what the system says. Have you tried checking your tax transcript to see if there are any additional codes or holds that might explain the delay? I'm planning to do that next if I don't hear something soon.

Has anyone else noticed that their tax refund changes dramatically when entering the 1098-T information? When I first entered mine (also with $0 in box 1), my refund went DOWN by $2800! Then when I added my actual payment date and amount for spring semester, it went back UP by $3000. This is confusing as hell.

This entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation - Box 1 showing $0 but I definitely paid tuition in early 2023 for spring semester that was billed in December 2022. What's really frustrating is that my university's financial aid office gave me the runaround for weeks, telling me the form was "correct" because of their billing system. It's reassuring to see from @Noland Curtis that this is a known issue and that universities are supposed to be using the payment method, not the billing method. I'm going to follow the advice here and enter my actual January 2023 payment amount when FreeTaxUSA asks about expenses paid in 2023 but billed in another year. Like @Diez Ellis mentioned, my refund dropped significantly when I first entered the 1098-T, but I'm hoping it will bounce back once I add the correct payment information. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's made me feel much more confident about handling this correctly!

22 Don't forget to look at the fees and features of both brokerages before deciding which direction to transfer. Some brokerages offer better research tools, lower fees, or fractional share investing. Since you're going through the hassle of a transfer anyway, might as well end up at the better brokerage!

Great question! As others have mentioned, spousal transfers are indeed tax-free under the unlimited marital deduction. However, I'd add a few practical considerations from my experience: 1. **Timing matters for rebalancing** - If you're planning to rebalance the portfolio after consolidating, consider doing any tax-loss harvesting BEFORE the transfer while the assets are still in separate accounts. This gives you more flexibility. 2. **Account type consistency** - Make sure you're transferring between the same account types (individual to individual, not accidentally mixing with retirement accounts). 3. **Dividend reinvestment settings** - Check that dividend reinvestment preferences are set up correctly in the receiving account before the transfer completes. 4. **Research tools access** - Since you mentioned this is for easier tracking, consider which brokerage has better research tools, mobile app, or portfolio analysis features before deciding the direction of transfer. The transfer itself is straightforward, but these details can save you headaches down the road!