I filed through TurboTax on January 29th this year and had a DD date of February 8th. My refund appeared in my account on February 8th at exactly 3:17am. I did NOT pay my TurboTax fees from my refund - I paid upfront with a credit card. This is important because when you pay fees from your refund, your money goes through Santa Barbara TPG first, adding 1-3 business days. I've found that paying the fees upfront always results in getting the money exactly on the IRS date.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can confirm what others are saying. The key factor is HOW you paid your TurboTax fees. I switched from a local tax service to TurboTax two years ago and was initially confused by the process too. If you paid the TurboTax fees upfront (credit card, bank transfer, etc.), your refund goes directly from the IRS to your bank account on or around 2/25 - just like it would with your local tax service. However, if you chose to pay TurboTax fees from your refund, the IRS sends your money to Santa Barbara Tax Products Group first. They take out the fees, then forward the remainder to your account. This typically adds 1-3 business days to your timeline. The biggest difference from your local tax service is that they probably paid their fees upfront and gave you the full refund immediately. With TurboTax's "pay from refund" option, you're essentially getting a mini-loan that gets settled when your actual refund arrives. Check your TurboTax account - it should show exactly which payment method you selected and give you a clearer timeline for when to expect your money.

I'm going through this exact same issue! Set up my installment agreement in March and it's now August with no automatic withdrawals happening. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief - I was starting to panic thinking I had somehow messed up the setup process. The consensus here seems crystal clear: make manual payments through Direct Pay while waiting for their system to catch up. I've been hesitant because I was worried about creating complications, but seeing so many success stories gives me the confidence to move forward. What really stands out to me is how many people mentioned this 60-90 day (or longer) processing delay is apparently "normal" for the IRS, yet they don't communicate this clearly in the agreement paperwork. It would save everyone so much stress if they just included a simple note saying "auto-debits may take 2-4 months to activate, please continue making manual payments until then." I'm going to follow the advice here and make catch-up payments for all the missed months today through irs.gov/payments/direct-pay. Going to keep detailed screenshots and records of everything just in case there are any questions later. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread should honestly be pinned as a resource for anyone dealing with installment agreement auto-debit delays!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Set up my installment agreement in January and it's now been 8 months with absolutely no automatic withdrawals. I was getting really worried that I had somehow messed up the bank account information or that the IRS was going to come after me for defaulting. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - it's clear this is a systemic issue with their processing systems rather than individual mistakes on our part. The fact that so many people have successfully resolved this by making manual payments while waiting gives me confidence to move forward. What strikes me most is how the IRS doesn't provide any clear communication about these delays. A simple notice saying "automatic withdrawals may take 2-4 months to activate" would prevent so much anxiety for taxpayers trying to do the right thing. I'm going to follow the advice everyone's shared and make catch-up payments through Direct Pay for all the months I've missed. Going to keep detailed screenshots and records of everything, and hopefully the auto-debits will eventually kick in like they did for others here. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - knowing that this is a common issue and that there's a clear path forward makes this so much less stressful to deal with!

I went through this exact same situation when I first arrived on my H1B! The confusion is totally understandable because both forms deal with tax documentation, but they serve different purposes. As others have mentioned, the key is determining your tax residency status. Since you mentioned you "recently moved" to the US, you're most likely still considered a non-resident alien for tax purposes, which means you should fill out the W-8BEN form. The bank needs this form regardless of what your employer is doing with payroll taxes - these are separate requirements. Your employer withholds income tax from your salary, but the bank needs the W-8BEN to properly report any interest income from your accounts to the IRS and to determine if they need to withhold any taxes on that interest. One thing to keep in mind: if you stay in the US long enough to pass the substantial presence test (usually by your second year), your tax status will change to resident alien, and you'll need to update your bank documentation to a W-9 at that point. For now, go with the W-8BEN, but make sure you understand which country's tax treaty benefits (if any) you might be eligible for when filling out that section of the form.

I went through this exact same confusion when I first arrived on my H1B visa! The good news is that you're asking the right questions before submitting anything. Based on what you've shared - that you "recently moved" to the US on an H1B - you should almost certainly fill out the **W-8BEN form**. Here's why: The W-8BEN is for non-resident aliens (which you likely are in your first year), while the W-9 is for US citizens and resident aliens. Your tax residency status is determined by the "substantial presence test," not just your visa type. A few important points: - This bank requirement is completely separate from your employer's payroll tax withholding - The bank needs this form to properly report any interest income from your accounts to the IRS - Even though your employer is handling income tax, the bank has its own reporting obligations **Pro tip:** When filling out the W-8BEN, don't forget to check if your home country has a tax treaty with the US that could reduce withholding on interest income. Many countries do, and you don't want to leave money on the table! Also, keep track of your days in the US because you'll likely need to switch to a W-9 form once you become a resident alien for tax purposes (usually in your second year). The bank won't remind you of this - it's your responsibility to update them. Hope this helps clear things up! The tax system here can be overwhelming at first, but you're being smart by asking questions before acting.

Has anyone tried the IRS's free filing options for this kind of situation? I'm dealing with ISOs too but don't want to pay for TurboTax premium just for this one issue.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago and it was incredibly confusing at first! The key thing to understand is that when you have a disqualifying ISO disposition, you're dealing with two separate tax events that need to be reported correctly to avoid double taxation. Here's what worked for me in TurboTax: 1. First, make sure you have your 1099-B from your broker for the actual stock sale 2. When you enter the stock sale in the investment income section, TurboTax will ask if this was employer stock - answer YES 3. It will then ask if any income was already reported on your W-2 - this is where you answer YES and enter the amount from box 14 (the ISO-DQ amount you mentioned) 4. TurboTax should automatically adjust your cost basis to include both what you originally paid PLUS the amount already taxed as ordinary income The tricky part is that TurboTax sometimes buries these questions deep in the interview process, so if you miss one, it can look like double taxation. If you're still seeing it double-count after going through all the questions, try deleting the stock sale entry and re-entering it more carefully. Also keep that supplemental statement from your employer handy - it's your backup documentation showing exactly what was already included in your W-2 income.

This is such a common situation and you're smart to ask before selling! One thing I didn't see mentioned yet is that if you're selling personal-use property (like art you inherited for your home rather than as an investment), any losses generally aren't deductible. But gains are still taxable, so it's kind of a "heads they win, tails you lose" situation with the IRS. Also, since you mentioned these are from your grandfather who passed last year, make sure you have the estate paperwork handy. Sometimes the executor or personal representative had the items appraised as part of settling the estate, and those appraisals can serve as your stepped-up basis documentation. It's worth checking with whoever handled the estate to see if any formal valuations were done. If you do end up needing to establish values and don't want to pay for formal appraisals on lower-value pieces, try looking up recent "sold" listings (not just asking prices) on eBay, auction sites, or art databases for similar works. The IRS accepts reasonable market research as support for your basis, especially for items under a few thousand dollars.

I've been through a similar situation with inherited artwork, and there are a few practical details that might help beyond what's already been covered. One thing I learned the hard way is to take high-quality photos of each piece before you sell them - not just for listing purposes, but for your tax records. If the IRS ever questions your basis or the condition of the items at time of inheritance, having detailed photos can be incredibly valuable documentation. Also, since you mentioned you're selling to cover expenses, consider whether you actually need to sell all the pieces at once. If the total gains push you into a higher tax bracket or trigger additional taxes (like the Net Investment Income Tax), it might be worth spreading sales across 2024 and 2025 to manage your overall tax impact. One last tip - if any of your pieces turn out to be more valuable than you initially thought when you start getting offers, don't be afraid to pause and get a proper appraisal. I almost sold a piece for $2,000 that turned out to be worth $8,000 after I had it properly evaluated. The appraisal cost was definitely worth it in that case!