Something else to consider - many orthodontists offer a discount if you pay the full amount upfront rather than using a payment plan. When I got braces for my kid, the discount was almost 8%. You might want to run the numbers to see if it's worth paying more upfront (possibly using your credit card) to get the discount, especially if you think you'll qualify for the tax deduction this year. Just be careful about credit card interest rates - sometimes the discount isn't worth it if you'll be paying high interest on the card balance for months. I ended up doing a 0% intro APR card specifically for this expense.

Yes, Invisalign absolutely counts the same as traditional braces for tax purposes! The IRS doesn't distinguish between different types of orthodontic treatment - as long as it's medically necessary orthodontic care prescribed by a dental professional, it qualifies as a deductible medical expense. I actually went through this exact situation with my daughter's Invisalign treatment last year. The key is that it needs to be for correcting a dental condition, not just cosmetic improvement (though most orthodontic work falls into the medical necessity category anyway). One tip - make sure your orthodontist's treatment plan clearly documents the medical necessity. While audits for medical expenses aren't super common, having good documentation that shows the treatment was recommended for bite correction, jaw alignment, or other health-related issues (not just aesthetics) is important if you ever need to justify the deduction. The payment timing rules everyone mentioned above apply the same way too - whether you pay upfront, use a payment plan, or charge it all on a credit card.

New here but definitely not new to this Mississippi refund disaster! Filed my MS state return on February 14th and I'm at 12+ weeks of that infamous "processing" status that apparently means absolutely nothing. My federal refund showed up in 18 days but Mississippi seems to be processing returns with carrier pigeons at this point 😅 Called the DOR twice and got wildly different timelines - first rep said 6-10 weeks, second one said "could be up to 16 weeks due to enhanced security measures." That where's my refund tool is basically a screensaver now, been stuck since early March. It's honestly incredible how they managed to implement fraud prevention measures that are more frustrating than actual fraud! Reading through everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better though - at least I know it's not just me going crazy. Really hoping Mississippi figures out how to do basic government services soon because people are depending on these refunds! Solidarity to everyone still waiting 🤞

New member here and unfortunately joining the Mississippi refund waiting club! 😩 Filed my MS state return on February 6th and I'm going on 14+ weeks of that useless "processing" status. My federal refund came through in just 13 days but Mississippi seems to be stuck in some kind of time warp. Called the DOR three times and got three completely different answers - first said 6-8 weeks, second said 10-14 weeks, and the third rep told me "could be up to 18 weeks due to system upgrades." That "where's my refund" tool might as well just say "good luck" because it's been frozen on processing since late February. It's honestly baffling how they rolled out these fraud prevention measures without having the infrastructure to handle them. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both comforting and infuriating - at least I know I'm not going crazy but wow, Mississippi really dropped the ball this year! Fingers crossed we all see some movement soon because people are really counting on these refunds 🤞

I made a similar amount last year ($14k) and was disappointed to learn I couldn't get my Social Security and Medicare taxes back. But I did qualify for the Earned Income Credit which gave me back almost the same amount! Make sure you check if you qualify based on your age and income.

Just to add some clarity to what others have said - you're correct that Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA) aren't refundable in most cases, but don't give up hope on getting money back! At your income level of $13,500, you should definitely look into the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) if you meet the age requirements (25+ if single with no kids). Also, make sure you're claiming the standard deduction ($13,850 for 2023 if single) which should zero out any federal income tax owed. And double-check that you're not missing any other credits you might qualify for - things like education credits if you're a student, or the Child and Dependent Care Credit if applicable. The key is understanding that while FICA taxes fund Social Security and Medicare (which you'll benefit from later), income taxes can often be fully refunded through deductions and credits when your income is low. Focus on maximizing those refundable credits!

I think you're in pretty good shape compared to some situations I've seen. The community wisdom around here is that PATH Act returns with changing as-of dates but stable processing dates are usually just working through the system normally. In my experience (and I've filed PATH Act returns for 6 years now), the pattern you're describing typically resolves with a deposit 1-2 weeks after your last as-of date change. The real red flags would be if you saw a 570 code without a 571 resolution, or if your processing date started moving backward, or if you got a 9001 code (verification needed).

I completely understand the anxiety around filing changes after a divorce - you're definitely not alone in that feeling! As someone who went through a similar situation a few years back, I can tell you that the IRS system does take extra time when you're switching from married filing jointly to head of household, especially with custody-related credits. The pattern you're describing (accepted 1/16, as-of date moving but processing date stable at 2/17) is actually really common for PATH Act filers with new HOH status. I tracked my own return obsessively that first year and saw the exact same thing - as-of date jumped from 2/14 to 2/21 to 2/28 before I finally got my 846 code. One thing that helped me sleep better was understanding that the IRS automated systems are actually pretty good at catching legitimate returns versus fraudulent ones. Your return moving through the system with regular updates is a good sign that everything is processing normally, just slowly. Hang in there - based on what you've shared, you should see that 846 code soon!

This thread is a goldmine! I've been procrastinating on this exact problem for weeks. I have around 320 transactions from E*TRADE, Schwab, and some crypto from Coinbase that I need to get sorted before the deadline. Based on everything I'm reading here, it sounds like the automated conversion route is definitely worth it versus trying to do this manually. The time savings alone would be worth the cost - I was literally dreading spending my entire weekend entering transactions one by one. A few follow-up questions for the group: 1. For those who used taxr.ai with mixed stock/crypto portfolios - did it handle the different reporting requirements correctly? I know crypto has some unique tax implications. 2. Has anyone tried importing converted files into TurboTax's mobile app, or does this only work with the desktop/web versions? 3. If I run into issues with the import, what's the best way to troubleshoot? Are there any common error messages I should be prepared for? I'm definitely going to try one of the paid solutions mentioned here. My sanity is worth more than the conversion fee at this point! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you've probably saved me days of work and a lot of stress.

I just wanted to add my experience for anyone still struggling with this! I had about 280 transactions from Fidelity, Interactive Brokers, and some Robinhood crypto trades that I needed to convert for TurboTax. After reading through all the great advice in this thread, I ended up trying the taxr.ai solution that multiple people recommended. I was honestly skeptical about paying for a converter when there are free options available, but the time savings were incredible. What would have taken me literally days of manual work was done in about 30 minutes including review time. The system handled all three different CSV formats perfectly and even caught some wash sales between brokers that I never would have noticed on my own. The crypto transactions from Robinhood were processed correctly with the right tax codes, and everything imported into TurboTax without any errors. One tip I'd add based on my experience - before uploading your CSV files, quickly scan them to remove any "pending" or "cancelled" transactions that might still be showing in your export. I had a few cancelled orders in my Fidelity CSV that would have caused confusion during the conversion process. Also, definitely keep your original CSV files backed up somewhere safe. TurboTax asks you to verify some details during the import process, and having the source files handy makes that much easier. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences in this thread - you saved me from a major tax deadline panic! For anyone on the fence about using a paid converter, it's absolutely worth it for the peace of mind and time savings.