I've been following this discussion with great interest as I'm facing a similar situation with my consulting business vehicle. What strikes me most about this thread is how many valuable deductions people are missing in the post-depreciation years. After reading through everyone's experiences, I realized I need to completely overhaul my expense tracking system. I've been pretty basic about it - mainly just gas and major repairs - but clearly I'm leaving money on the table by not tracking things like car washes, AAA membership portions, inspection fees, and all those smaller expenses that add up. @Amina Bah's professional breakdown was particularly helpful in understanding which expenses can be 100% deductible (specific business trip parking/tolls) versus those that use the business percentage. That distinction alone probably could save me hundreds of dollars annually that I've been missing. One thing I'm curious about - for those of you who've been through multiple years of post-depreciation tracking, have you noticed your total actual expense deductions staying relatively stable year over year, or do they tend to increase as the vehicle ages and requires more maintenance? I'm trying to plan ahead for my 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee that still has two more years of depreciation left. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences. This has been incredibly valuable for long-term tax planning!

Based on my experience helping clients with similar situations, I can confirm what others have mentioned - you're permanently locked into the actual expense method once you've chosen it in year one. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing for your Toyota SUV! I've seen many business owners in years 6-15 of vehicle ownership continue to get substantial deductions from actual expenses. For a reliable Toyota like yours, you can expect to deduct gas, insurance (50% business portion), registration fees, maintenance, and repairs indefinitely. As your vehicle ages, repair costs often increase, which can actually make your deductions more valuable than they were during the depreciation years. My recommendation: Start tracking EVERY vehicle expense now, no matter how small. This includes car washes (business portion), inspection fees, AAA membership (business portion), parking fees for business trips, and even small items like air fresheners if you meet clients in your vehicle. I've seen these "minor" expenses add up to $800-1,200 annually for business owners who track them properly. Also consider that your business usage might change over time. If your graphic design business grows and you travel more for client meetings, your business percentage could increase from 50%, which would boost all your deductions accordingly. Your Toyota will likely serve you well for 10+ more years with solid deduction potential throughout!

This happened to me in March. My WMR never moved past the first bar, but my check arrived on March 15th. I filed on February 2nd, so it took exactly 41 days from filing to delivery. I had the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Credit on my return which always takes longer. The IRS is processing returns in batches this year, and many people in my situation are reporting the same experience - WMR not updating but checks arriving anyway.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed on February 8th and my WMR has been stuck on "Return Received" for over 3 weeks. It's so reassuring to hear that others have gotten their refunds even when WMR doesn't update - I was starting to think something was wrong with my return. I've been checking it multiple times a day like it's going to magically change! 😅 I'm definitely going to try checking my transcript like some of the others suggested. Thanks for posting this - it's nice to know I'm not alone in this frustrating waiting game. Fingers crossed we both get our checks soon!

I've been through this exact scenario multiple times over the years, and honestly, the disappearing bars are more about the IRS system's quirks than actual problems with your return. What I've learned is that WMR is basically a simplified view of a much more complex processing system - it's like looking at a basic weather app when meteorologists have access to detailed radar and satellite data. The "still processing" status usually kicks in when your return moves from automated processing to a queue that requires some form of manual review, which could be anything from income matching to simple verification steps. Unless you receive an actual letter or notice from the IRS, this status change is typically just part of the normal workflow. That said, if you're really concerned, checking your tax transcript (as others mentioned) will give you much more detailed information than calling and waiting on hold for hours.

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Filed on February 15th and my bars just disappeared two days ago. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - it sounds like this is way more common than I thought. I was starting to panic thinking I messed something up on my return, but it seems like the WMR system just doesn't handle the mid-season processing volume very well. I think I'll follow the advice about checking my transcript first before calling. Has anyone found the transcript codes easy to understand, or do you need to look up what they mean? I'm trying to decide if I should just wait it out or be more proactive about tracking what's happening.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a tax preparer and I see this confusion all the time with my clients. Just to add one more perspective - when applications ask for "federal tax paid," they're almost always looking for your tax liability (Line 24) rather than amounts withheld or estimated payments. The confusion often comes from thinking about "paid" in terms of cash flow (what came out of your paycheck), but from a tax perspective, "federal tax paid" refers to your actual tax obligation for the year. Even if you got a refund, you still "paid" the amount shown on Line 24 - it's just that you prepaid more than that through withholding. One tip I always give clients: if the application specifically mentions FAFSA, student loans, or income-based repayment plans, they almost certainly want Line 24. These programs use your tax liability to calculate your financial situation, not your withholding patterns. For anyone still unsure, most tax software (TurboTax, H&R Block, etc.) will show you exactly where these numbers are on your return if you log back into your account. Much easier than trying to decipher the form layout!

This entire thread has been a lifesaver! I was in the exact same boat as the original poster - staring at my 1040 trying to figure out which number represents "federal tax paid" for a rental application. After reading through everyone's explanations, I now understand that Line 24 (Total Tax) is almost always what they're looking for. It makes perfect sense when you think about it - that's your actual federal tax obligation for the year, regardless of how much was withheld from paychecks or whether you got a refund. I really appreciate how this community broke down the difference between tax liability versus withholding amounts. As someone who's relatively new to understanding tax forms, I was definitely overthinking it and getting confused by all the different lines that mention taxes. One thing I learned from this discussion is that it's always worth calling the requesting organization to ask for a specific line number if you're unsure. Some places are clearer about this than others, but it can save you from potentially using the wrong figure on important applications. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and expertise - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that makes navigating tax season so much easier!

I actually faced this same decision last year and went with Deluxe for my 1099-B stock sales. Worked perfectly fine! The key is understanding what you're actually paying extra for with Premier. From my research, Premier mainly gives you additional guidance features, live tax advice, and support for more complex investment scenarios like rental properties or business income. But the actual forms needed for basic stock sales (Schedule D and Form 8949) are included in Deluxe. My advice: if your stock transactions are straightforward - just buying/selling regular stocks or ETFs from major brokerages with proper cost basis reporting - then Deluxe should handle everything you need. I saved the $30 and had zero issues. The nice thing is TurboTax lets you start your return and see exactly which forms you'll need before you commit to paying. If you run into any limitations with Deluxe, you can upgrade and just pay the difference. So there's really no downside to starting with the cheaper option and upgrading only if necessary.

I've been using TurboTax for my investment income for about 5 years now, and I can confirm that Deluxe absolutely handles 1099-B stock sales without any issues. The main thing to understand is that both Deluxe and Premier include the same core tax forms - Schedule D and Form 8949 - which are what you actually need for reporting stock transactions. Premier is really targeting people with more complex situations like rental properties, business income, or those who want extra hand-holding with investment guidance. But if you're just dealing with regular stock sales from a major brokerage (Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.), Deluxe has everything you need. I made the switch from Premier to Deluxe three years ago specifically to save money and haven't had any problems. The import process works the same way, the calculations are identical, and you get the same accurate results. The $30 savings adds up over time too! My suggestion would be to start with Deluxe this year and see how it goes. If you somehow run into limitations (which I doubt you will), you can always upgrade mid-process and TurboTax will just charge you the difference.