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EITC/CTC Filers: Anyone received refund before March 3rd PATH Act date?
Filed my taxes on Jan 25th with EITC and CTC. TurboTax sent an email saying refund won't come until March 3rd. Anyone with these credits get theirs earlier? Getting anxious about the wait.
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EIC Return Filed 1/15 - Will I Get My Refund Before 3rd? What's The Timeline?
Filed my taxes with EIC on Jan 15th and got accepted on the 17th. The IRS says EIC refunds should be available by March 3rd, but wondering if I might get it sooner? Has anyone who filed around the same time gotten theirs yet or have an idea of when it might come?
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Filed 1/12 with EIC and got the same acceptance date as you! From what I've researched, the PATH Act delay is real but some people do get their refunds in the Feb 20-25 range if there are no issues with their return. Keep checking your transcripts on the IRS website - that's usually more accurate than WMR for timing updates.
Is self-employment tax rate actually taking almost 50% of my earnings in total taxes?
So I've been crunching some numbers for my freelance design business and I'm kinda freaking out. When I add up all the taxes without considering deductions, it looks like I'm paying an insane amount: 15.3% self-employment tax 5.75% state income tax (Virginia) 24% federal income tax (based on what I'm projected to make) If my math is right, on every $100 I earn in profit, I'm handing over $45.05 to the government! I get that I can lower my taxable income with deductions and everything, but at the end of the day... is this really what self-employed people are dealing with? Almost HALF of what we make goes to taxes? This seems absolutely crazy to me. Am I missing something here or calculating something wrong?
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Don't forget that state taxes are deductible from federal! So while you're paying 5.75% to Virginia, you get to deduct that from your federal taxable income (up to $10,000 combined with property taxes). So it's not quite as simple as adding all three percentages.
That's only if you itemize deductions though, right? Most self-employed people I know take the standard deduction because it's usually higher unless you have a mortgage with lots of interest.
Your calculation isn't wrong, but you're looking at worst-case scenario numbers. As a fellow freelancer, I was in the same panic mode when I started. Here's what helped me understand the real picture: 1. The 24% federal rate is marginal, not effective. You only pay 24% on income above $95,550 (for 2025). Everything below that is taxed at 10%, 12%, and 22%. 2. You can deduct half your self-employment tax from your federal taxable income, which reduces that 24% burden. 3. The QBI deduction can reduce your taxable income by up to 20% if you qualify (most freelancers do). 4. Business expenses are huge - software, equipment, home office, professional development, business insurance, etc. These come off the top before any tax calculations. When I actually ran my numbers with realistic deductions, my effective tax rate was around 28-30%, not the 45% I initially calculated. Still high compared to some countries, but not the nightmare I thought it would be. Track every legitimate business expense - it makes a massive difference!
FreeTaxUSA Refund Advance - Do they offer instant deposits like TurboTax/H&R Block?
Looking to file with FreeTaxUSA this year but wondering if they do instant refund advances like the other big companies? Anyone use them before and know if they offer this? Really need my refund asap and trying to figure out the best option.
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idk why everyone stressing about getting money 2 weeks early when the fees eat up half the advance anyway lmaooo
I feel you on needing that refund fast! But honestly after doing taxes for years, those refund advances are such a ripoff. You're basically paying $50-100+ just to get your own money a couple weeks early. FreeTaxUSA is solid though - super cheap and reliable. If you really need cash ASAP, maybe look into a small personal loan from your bank instead? The interest might actually be lower than those advance fees 🤷♀️
Tax Refund Just Hit My Credit Karma Card - Faster Than Expected!
Refund just arrived. Filed through Credit Karma. Deposit hit my Credit Karma debit card 10 minutes ago. Pretty quick turnaround this year. First time filing as single status. Glad I chose direct deposit option.
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Did you have any credits or deductions on your return? I filed through Credit Karma too, but I have Child Tax Credit and I'm still waiting after 3 weeks. Last year I had a similar situation and ended up waiting 6 weeks! I'm getting nervous because I need to pay my property taxes by next Friday.
That's great news about the quick turnaround! I'm curious - did you file early this year or just recently? I've been using FreeTaxUSA for the past few years but I'm always looking for faster processing options. Also, when you say "first time filing as single status," does that mean you were previously married filing jointly? I've heard that can sometimes affect processing times when your filing status changes. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Max Reyes
This is my first time claiming these credits and tbh the waiting is stressing me out. Bills don't wait for the IRS to get their act together smh
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Mikayla Davison
preach! 👏 they expect us to pay them immediately but take forever to pay us
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Jamal Anderson
Filed 1/26 with both EITC and CTC here. Same situation - TurboTax gave me the March 3rd estimate. I've been checking WMR obsessively but it just says "processing" still. At least we're all in this together! The PATH Act delay is so frustrating when you're counting on that money.
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