I've been dealing with tax issues for years and the status change from "Being Processed" to "Still Being Processed" at 8 weeks is actually very common. It usually means your return has been flagged for manual review - could be income verification, credit verification, or just random quality control. The good news is that most people get their refunds within 2-6 weeks after this status change, plus interest for the delay (currently around 8% annually). Definitely check your IRS transcript online - look for codes like 570 (additional account action pending) or 971 (notice issued). These codes will give you a much better idea of what's actually happening. Don't panic - this is more about IRS processing backlogs than anything being wrong with your return!

The status change from "Being Processed" to "Still Being Processed" at 8 weeks typically indicates your return has moved into extended processing - this usually means manual review is needed for something like income verification, identity verification, or credit checks. While frustrating, this is actually pretty common and doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong with your return. Most people in your situation get their refunds within 2-4 weeks after the status change, plus interest for the delay (currently around 8%). I'd strongly recommend checking your IRS transcript online to look for specific codes like 570 (additional account action pending) or 971 (notice issued) which can give you much better insight into what's being reviewed. Try to hang in there - the waiting is brutal but you're definitely not alone in this experience!

Just to add some clarity on the payment methods - you're absolutely right that you can split your payment multiple ways! I did exactly this last year with a $6,200 tax bill. I used two different credit cards ($2,000 each through different processors to stay under the limit per processor), then paid the remaining $2,200 via Direct Pay from my checking account. The key things to remember: 1) Each payment processor has its own 2-card limit, so you can technically use up to 6 credit cards if you go through all three processors, 2) Direct Pay/bank transfers have no fees, and 3) You can spread the payments out over time as long as everything is received by the due date. One tip - I spaced my payments about 3-4 days apart just to make sure each one processed cleanly in their system. All showed up correctly on my account transcript. The credit card processing fees (around 1.87-2.5% depending on the processor) did eat into my rewards a bit, but it was still worth it for the cash flow management and keeping my individual card balances reasonable.

Great question about timing! Yes, you definitely want to start early enough to account for processing delays. Credit card payments through the approved processors typically process within 1-2 business days, but Direct Pay from your bank account can take 3-5 business days to fully clear and post to your IRS account. I'd recommend starting your payment sequence at least 7-10 days before the April 15th deadline, especially if you're using multiple methods. This gives you a buffer in case any payment gets delayed or needs to be resubmitted. And yes, you'll get a separate confirmation number for each individual payment - whether it's through a credit card processor or Direct Pay. I kept a spreadsheet with the payment amount, method, date submitted, and confirmation number for each one. You can also check your IRS online account or call the automated payment line to verify that all payments posted correctly. One more tip: if you're using multiple credit card payments, make sure you have enough available credit on each card before you start the sequence. Nothing worse than having a payment declined halfway through your plan!

I made the switch from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA two years ago and haven't looked back. As someone who was paying $120+ annually for TurboTax's self-employed version, the cost savings alone made it worth it. The biggest adjustment was getting used to FreeTaxUSA's more straightforward interface - it's definitely less hand-holdy than TurboTax, but once you get the hang of it, it's actually refreshing not to deal with constant upselling popups. I found that FreeTaxUSA asks all the same questions about deductions and income sources, just without the flashy animations. One tip for anyone considering the switch: take screenshots of your previous year's TurboTax return before switching. It helps you remember what forms and deductions you claimed, making the transition to FreeTaxUSA smoother. The tax calculations came out identical for me, but I saved over $200 between federal and state filing fees. The only thing I genuinely miss is TurboTax's automatic import feature for some financial institutions, but honestly, manually entering a few W-2s and 1099s takes maybe 10 extra minutes total. Totally worth it for the savings.

I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA this past year and wanted to share my experience since I was in the exact same position as you - wondering if the price difference was really worth it. Here's what I found: For my situation (W-2 income, some investment gains, student loan interest, and charitable deductions), FreeTaxUSA handled everything perfectly. The interface is definitely more basic - it looks like it's from 2015 compared to TurboTax's sleek design - but it asked all the same tax questions and gave me the identical refund amount. The biggest differences I noticed: - No automatic importing of tax documents (had to manually enter my W-2 and 1099s, which took maybe 5 extra minutes total) - Less explanatory text about why certain deductions matter (but if you're comfortable with basic tax concepts, this isn't a big deal) - Zero upselling attempts, which was honestly refreshing after years of TurboTax constantly trying to sell me audit protection and other add-ons I ended up saving $85 this year ($0 federal + $15 state vs $60 federal + $40 state with TurboTax). Unless you really need the hand-holding or have an extremely complex tax situation, I'd say FreeTaxUSA is definitely the way to go. The money you save can go toward something actually useful!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation where I live in Oregon but work remotely for a company in New York. My 1099-NEC has New York listed in Box 6, but I've never even been to New York - all my work is done from my home office in Oregon. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like I should report this income to Oregon since that's where I physically performed the work, regardless of what Box 6 says. But I'm worried about getting audited if I don't follow what's printed on the form. Has anyone had experience with state audits over this kind of discrepancy? Should I reach out to my client to get a corrected 1099-NEC, or is it safe to just allocate the income to Oregon when I file?

Great discussion here! As someone who's been dealing with multi-state remote work tax issues for years, I want to emphasize a key point that might get lost in all the details: the "convenience of the employer" rule that some states have. While most states follow the physical presence rule (you're taxed where you physically work), a few states like New York have this "convenience rule" where they can still tax remote workers if the remote work is for the employee's convenience rather than the employer's necessity. This can override the normal Box 6 logic. Before assuming you only need to file in your home state, check if any of the states where your clients are located have convenience rules. It's not common, but it can create tax obligations even for true remote workers who never set foot in that state. The documentation everyone's mentioning becomes even more important in these cases - you need to show the remote work arrangement was required by the employer, not just your preference. Most remote workers won't hit this issue, but it's worth being aware of, especially if you're working for companies in NY, DE, PA, or CT.

I'm dealing with this same situation right now! Got my 826 code last week followed by the 971, and like everyone else here, I've been anxiously waiting for that 846 to show up. What's really helpful about this thread is seeing the actual timelines people experienced - it ranges from 8 days to 3 weeks, but most seem to fall in that 7-14 day window that @Ali Anderson mentioned. I have an old balance from 2022 when I miscalculated my quarterly payments as a freelancer, so I knew an offset was coming but didn't really understand the process. The hardest part is that "Where's My Refund" just shows generic status messages that don't really tell you what's happening with offsets. At least now I know those codes actually mean the system is working through everything properly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so much better than just wondering and worrying!

I went through this exact same situation last year! Had my 826 and 971 codes appear within a day of each other, just like you're describing. I also had a prior year balance from a retirement withdrawal (roof repair too, actually - what are the odds!). The waiting period between seeing those codes and getting the 846 was absolutely nerve-wracking. Mine took exactly 12 days from the 826 code to finally seeing the 846 appear on my transcript. What helped me stay sane during the wait was understanding that the 826 code means they've already calculated and applied the offset - so the hard part is actually done. The remaining time is just administrative processing. One thing I learned that might help: the notice you'll receive (triggered by that 971 code) will break down exactly how much went to your debt versus how much you'll get back. In my case, they took about 60% for my prior balance and I got the other 40% deposited about 4 days after the 846 appeared. You're still early in the process at 5 days, so try not to stress too much. The system is working exactly as it should!