Went through this exact process last filing season. Submitted my 4800C on February 8th and got my refund on March 2nd, so just over 3 weeks. The key was making sure I submitted EXACTLY what they asked for - no more, no less. I made the mistake of sending too much documentation the first time (thought I was being helpful) and they rejected it and made me resubmit. The second time I followed their instructions to the letter and it went through without issues. Hope this helps and good luck!

Just went through this process myself - submitted my 4800C on February 28th and refund hit my account yesterday (March 8th), so about 8 business days for me. I think timing might depend on how backed up they are when you submit. One thing that helped was checking my account transcript on the IRS website rather than just relying on WMR - it showed the verification hold codes and when they were cleared, which gave me a better sense of what was actually happening behind the scenes. The transcript updated about 2 days before WMR finally showed "approved" status. Hang in there - it's definitely nerve-wracking but they seem to be processing these more efficiently than in previous years.

Just a personal experience - I've been filing Schedule C for small 1099 income (between $5k-15k) alongside my W-2 job for 7 years now. I take reasonable deductions including home office, internet percentage, and cell phone. Never been audited, not even a letter asking for clarification. I think the audit fears are overblown for small-time Schedule C filers who aren't claiming massive deductions or losses. The IRS is severely understaffed and focused on bigger issues. Just keep decent records and be reasonable with your claims.

I've been in almost the exact same situation! Last year I had about $80k W-2 income and $11k on a 1099-NEC from freelance work. I was terrified about filing Schedule C for the first time, but after doing research and talking to other people, I decided to go for it. I claimed home office deduction for about 8% of my apartment (dedicated workspace in my bedroom), plus reasonable percentages for internet and phone. Ended up saving around $400 after the software upgrade costs. Here's what gave me confidence: I kept meticulous records, took photos of my workspace, and was very conservative with my percentages. I also made sure I could justify every deduction if asked. A year later, no issues whatsoever - not even a peep from the IRS. My advice is to take the legitimate deductions you're entitled to, but be conservative and document everything well. The $310 savings might seem small, but it adds up over time, and you're following the tax code as it's written. Don't let fear of an audit stop you from claiming what you legally owe.

Also look into whether your department contributes to a 457 plan - those contributions can be deferred from your income. I'm maxing mine out ($22,500 for 2023) and it significantly reduces my taxable income. Our department also offers a Roth 457 option which doesn't reduce current taxes but grows tax-free.

Great thread! As someone who's been a career firefighter for 15 years, I've learned a few things about navigating these tax issues. One thing that might help with your educational course situation - if your department required the training and you didn't have a choice in taking it, you might want to ask your payroll/HR department if they can reclassify how they report it on your W-2. Sometimes they can adjust the reporting to minimize the tax impact, especially if it was truly mandatory training rather than optional professional development. For the mileage between stations, I keep a detailed log in my truck with dates, starting/ending locations, mileage, and purpose of travel. Even though it's not federally deductible right now, some states still allow it and the rules could change. Plus if you ever do contract work or consulting on the side, that documentation becomes valuable. One deduction people often miss - if you have a home office space that you use exclusively for firefighter-related work (studying for promotions, completing required paperwork, etc.), that might still be deductible in some situations, especially if your department requires you to do work from home. Also worth checking if your department offers flexible spending accounts (FSA) for medical expenses. A lot of us deal with job-related injuries and having pre-tax dollars set aside for copays, physical therapy, etc. can add up to real savings.

this happened to me. called SBTPG at exactly 5am Pacific when they open and got through after only 15 mins wait. they told me there was an error with my bank info and fixed it. got my refund 2 days later.

This is super frustrating but unfortunately pretty common with SBTPG. A few things to check: 1) Make sure your bank account info in TurboTax is 100% correct - even one wrong digit will cause delays, 2) Try calling SBTPG at exactly 8am ET when they open for the shortest wait times, 3) Check your IRS transcript online to see if there are any error codes that might explain the delay. The fact that there's no trace number usually means it's stuck in their processing queue rather than actually being sent to your bank. Most people see their money within 7-10 business days even with these delays, so hang in there! Also definitely pay TurboTax fees upfront next year to avoid SBTPG entirely.

I'm in the exact same situation! Filed April 3rd, accepted April 4th, WMR shows deposit by May 20th but still nothing in my Chime account as of today (May 24th). I've been checking my app probably 50 times a day - it's driving me insane! After reading through all these comments, I'm starting to realize this might not be a Chime issue at all. Sounds like there are hidden holds and reviews happening that the Where's My Refund tool just doesn't tell us about, which is honestly infuriating. How are we supposed to manage our finances when the IRS can't even give us accurate information about our own money? I claimed the Child Tax Credit too, so maybe that's what's causing the delay like someone mentioned. I'm definitely going to try that taxr.ai site tonight to see if there are any codes on my transcript that explain what's actually happening. If that doesn't work, I might have to try one of those calling services to get through to a real person. It's so frustrating because Chime is usually lightning fast with deposits, but we're all stuck waiting because of IRS processing issues. Thanks for posting this - it really helps to know I'm not alone in this mess! Hopefully we'll all get our refunds soon. The stress of waiting for money you're counting on is unreal.

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Filed April 7th, accepted the next day, WMR shows deposit by May 22nd to my Chime account, but still nothing as of today. I've been checking my account every few hours too - it's so stressful when you're depending on that money to catch up on bills. Reading through all these comments has been really helpful though. It sounds like there are often hidden holds or reviews that don't show up on the Where's My Refund tool, which honestly seems crazy. We shouldn't have to become detectives just to find out what's happening with our own refunds! I also claimed Child Tax Credit for my kids, so that might be causing additional review time like someone mentioned. I'm definitely going to try that taxr.ai site tonight to see if there are any codes on my transcript explaining the delay. And if I can't access my transcript online, maybe I'll look into one of those calling services people mentioned. It's frustrating because Chime is usually super fast with deposits, but we're all stuck waiting due to IRS processing issues. Thanks for posting this - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with this mess! Hopefully we all get our money soon. The waiting game is exhausting when you need that refund.