Its wild how everyone in the same batch gets different timeline. feels like playing the lottery at this point smh

Same boat here - batch 05 with codes showing for almost 3 weeks now. The inconsistency is frustrating but at least we're not alone in this. Hoping tomorrow brings some good news for all of us! 🤞

I'm using TurboTax this year and it keeps asking me what the code in box 14 means. If I put in just a backslash character is that going to cause problems with my filing? Should I just leave it blank instead?

I had the exact same issue with a backslash in box 14 on my W2! I ended up calling my former employer's payroll department and they confirmed it was just a system glitch from when they exported the W2 data. The payroll person told me their software sometimes puts placeholder characters in empty fields instead of leaving them truly blank. She said I could either file with it as-is (since it doesn't affect the actual tax calculations) or they could issue a corrected W2 if I preferred. I chose to just file with it since all my wage and withholding information was correct. My return was accepted without any issues and I got my refund on schedule. If you're using tax software that's asking about the code, you can usually just skip that section or mark it as "other/miscellaneous" since it's clearly not a legitimate tax code. The important thing is that your actual income and tax withholding amounts are accurate.

I can definitely understand your concern! I went through this exact same worry pattern last year. Here's what I learned from my experience and talking to IRS representatives: The "pending" status in TurboTax generally means your return has been transmitted to the IRS but they haven't yet sent back the official acknowledgment. This is completely normal and expected during the first 24-48 hours after e-filing. Regarding your amended return concerns from last year - those delays were likely due to the complexity of Form 1040-X processing, which requires manual review. Regular returns (Form 1040) go through automated systems first, so the timeline is much more predictable. A few things to keep in mind: • WMR often lags behind TurboTax status updates by 24-72 hours • Filing time matters - returns submitted on weekends may take longer for initial processing • Peak filing season (late February through April) can cause slight delays in status updates If you're still seeing "pending" in TurboTax after 72 hours, then I'd recommend contacting their support. But given that you mentioned checking "multiple times today," you're likely still well within the normal processing window. Your return is almost certainly in the IRS queue and progressing normally.

I had this exact same issue two weeks ago and want to share what I learned from calling TurboTax support directly. The rep explained that "pending" specifically means your return has been successfully transmitted to the IRS Electronic Filing system, but they're waiting for the official acknowledgment response from the IRS servers. Here's the timeline I experienced: • Filed Sunday evening - TurboTax showed "pending" • Monday afternoon - Still "pending" in TurboTax, nothing in WMR • Tuesday morning - TurboTax updated to "accepted," WMR still blank • Wednesday evening - WMR finally showed "Return Received" The key thing the TurboTax rep told me was that "pending" is actually a good sign - it means there were no immediate rejection codes (like wrong SSN, math errors, etc.). If the IRS was going to reject your return, you'd typically see that within 2-4 hours of filing. Since you mentioned your amended return delays last year, I totally understand the anxiety. But regular 1040 returns go through a completely different automated processing pipeline than Form 1040-X. You're comparing apples to oranges in terms of processing speed. Give it until Wednesday if you filed over the weekend, or 48 business hours if you filed on a weekday. The systems will sync up!

Great question! This is actually one of the most common misconceptions new homeowners have about property tax deductions. The IRS uses what's called the "cash basis" method for individual taxpayers, which means you can only deduct expenses in the year you actually paid them. Since you'll be paying your 2024 property taxes in January 2025, you'll need to claim that $4,200 deduction on your 2025 tax return (the one you file in spring 2026), not on your 2024 return. It doesn't matter that the taxes were assessed for the 2024 tax year - what matters is when you actually made the payment. This timing rule applies to all cash-basis deductions, so it's good to understand it early in your homeownership journey. Make sure to keep good records of your actual payment dates, as that's what the IRS cares about. Also, since you mentioned this is your first time itemizing, double-check that your total itemized deductions (property taxes + mortgage interest + charitable donations + other eligible expenses) actually exceed the standard deduction for your filing status. For 2024, that's $13,850 for single filers or $27,700 for married filing jointly. With property taxes around $4,200, you'll want to add up your mortgage interest and other deductions to see if itemizing actually saves you money compared to taking the standard deduction.

As a newcomer to this community, I really appreciate this detailed discussion! I'm in a very similar situation - just bought my first home and trying to figure out all these property tax rules. One question I haven't seen addressed yet: what happens if you're in a state where property taxes are assessed mid-year but due at the end of the year? For example, if my 2024 property taxes were assessed in July 2024 but aren't due until December 31, 2024 - would paying them in December 2024 allow me to deduct them on my 2024 return, or would I still need to wait since they were assessed mid-year? I'm trying to understand if there's any difference in the rules based on when during the year the assessment happens versus when payment is actually made. The cash basis rule makes sense, but I want to make sure I'm not missing any nuances about assessment timing that might affect when I can claim the deduction. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread has been incredibly educational for new homeowners like myself!

This post saved me! I was about to mail my FIRPTA cert to the old Philly address today. Quick question - does anyone know if there's a way to submit these electronically yet? Seems ridiculous that we still have to mail physical forms in 2025.

I can confirm the Ogden, UT 84201-0023 address is correct for FIRPTA certificates. I had to deal with this exact situation about 6 months ago when the Philadelphia address stopped working. What really helped me was calling the IRS Practitioner Priority Service line (if you have a PTIN) - they were able to confirm the address change and explain that many international tax form addresses were updated in late 2023/early 2024. One tip: when you send to the Ogden address, make sure your cover letter specifically mentions "Treasury Regulation 1.897-2(h) submission" in the subject line. The IRS processing center told me this helps ensure it gets routed to the right department faster. Also keep detailed records of your mailing - I used certified mail with signature confirmation and kept copies of everything including the tracking receipts. Don't stress too much about the timing issue. As long as you can document your good faith efforts to comply (like the returned mail from Philadelphia), the IRS is generally reasonable about address change situations.