One more thing to consider - ask if your client moved states after retirement. My father-in-law moved from Illinois to Florida after retiring from the railroad, and we discovered that some states tax railroad retirement benefits differently than others. Florida doesn't tax them at all (no state income tax), but his preparer didn't file a part-year resident return for Illinois which caused headaches. Might not apply to your situation but worth checking!

Great question, Ethan! I've handled several railroad retirement cases and you've got most of the key items covered. A few additional things to ask your client: 1. **Survivor benefits**: If the client is receiving benefits as a surviving spouse rather than their own work record, the tax treatment can be different. 2. **Vested dual benefits**: Some railroad workers also qualify for Social Security benefits if they worked outside the railroad industry for 10+ years. They might be receiving both RRB and SSA benefits, which need separate treatment. 3. **Medicare premiums**: Ask if Medicare Part B or D premiums are being deducted from their railroad retirement benefits. These show up on the RRB-1099 and affect the taxable calculation. 4. **Occupational disability vs age retirement**: The tax treatment differs if they retired due to occupational disability versus regular age retirement. Also, double-check that your tax software can properly handle the Simplified Method worksheet for railroad retirement - not all programs do this correctly. You might need to manually calculate it using the IRS worksheets if your software doesn't have the specific railroad retirement module. The RRB-1099 should have all the key figures you need, but don't hesitate to have your client call the Railroad Retirement Board if any amounts seem unclear. Better to get it right the first time!

I'm in a similar boat and want to share what I learned from my tax advisor. Since you already filed without an extension, you're unfortunately stuck with the April 15th deadline for SEP IRA contributions. The key lesson here is that filing an extension BEFORE the deadline would have given you until October 15th, even if you ended up filing early. For your current situation, your CPA's amendment approach is correct - you'll need to remove the SEP IRA deduction and pay the additional tax. It's painful but unavoidable. Going forward, consider filing an extension every year as a safety net, even if you plan to file on time. It only costs you the time to file Form 4868 and gives you that crucial October deadline for SEP contributions. I now set a calendar reminder for March 1st to file an extension just in case. Also, consider setting up your SEP IRA contributions earlier in the year or even making estimated contributions throughout the year. Waiting until April is risky for exactly the reason you experienced.

I've been through this exact scenario before and it's frustrating, but unfortunately once you've filed your return without having filed an extension beforehand, you're locked into the April 15th deadline for SEP IRA contributions. The extension needs to be filed BEFORE your original due date to be valid. Your CPA is taking the right approach with the amendment. You'll need to remove the SEP IRA deduction you claimed and pay the additional tax owed. It's an expensive lesson, but not uncommon. For future years, I'd strongly recommend: 1. File Form 4868 (extension) by March 15th every year as insurance, even if you plan to file on time 2. Set up quarterly SEP IRA contributions throughout the year rather than waiting until April 3. Keep a separate account for tax payments so unexpected situations like this don't create cash flow issues The silver lining is that you can start making 2025 SEP IRA contributions immediately, so you could get ahead of the game for next tax year. Many people don't realize you can make the current year's contribution as early as January 1st.

Don't forget state tax credits too! Many states offer additional incentives for energy efficient improvements on top of the federal credits. I made the mistake of only claiming federal credits for my solar installation and missed out on about $1,000 in state credits because I filed past my state's deadline.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you'll want to be extra careful about which improvements actually qualify for the residential energy credit versus other potential tax benefits. For example, if any of your improvements were done as part of medical necessity (like better insulation for someone with respiratory issues), you might be able to claim them as medical deductions instead, which could be more beneficial depending on your situation. Also, keep in mind that if you've already claimed depreciation on any of these improvements (if part of your home is used for business), that can affect your eligibility for the energy credits. The IRS gets picky about double-dipping on tax benefits for the same expenses. I'd definitely recommend getting all your documentation organized before filing those amended returns - receipts, manufacturer specs, installation dates, and any contractor invoices that show labor costs (since some credits include installation costs while others don't). Having everything ready upfront will make the process much smoother if the IRS has any questions.

I'm dealing with the same thing! Filed my Maryland return in late January and still waiting. The website errors are so frustrating - I keep getting "system temporarily unavailable" messages. I tried calling yesterday and was on hold for 2 hours before giving up. Really hoping they get their act together soon because I was counting on that refund for some bills.

I'm in the same situation - filed my Maryland return in early February and it's been radio silence since then. The website crashes every time I try to check and the phone system is completely overwhelmed. This is my first year dealing with Maryland taxes after moving here and I'm shocked at how dysfunctional their system seems to be compared to other states. Really need that refund to cover some unexpected car repairs that came up. Fingers crossed we all get some movement soon!

I work in HR and can confirm that The Cheesecake Factory uses Workday for their payroll system. As a former employee, you should still have access to your Workday account - the login credentials are typically your employee ID and either your SSN or a password you set up during onboarding. Try going to myworkday.com and looking for The Cheesecake Factory's specific login portal. If you can't remember your login info, there should be a "Forgot Password" or "Account Recovery" option. You'll need your employee ID (which should be on any old paystub) and your SSN to reset access. If that doesn't work, call their corporate HR line at 1-818-871-3000 and ask to speak with someone about accessing your W-2 as a former employee. They deal with this situation constantly and should be able to help you get logged in within a few minutes. Don't let them brush you off - you have a legal right to that document! Also, just so you know for future reference, most large employers are required to make W-2s available electronically to former employees through the same system they used while employed. They just don't always make this clear when people quit.

I just went through this exact situation with The Cheesecake Factory last month! Carmen is absolutely right about the Workday system. What worked for me was going directly to the Cheesecake Factory employee portal (not the generic myworkday.com). Try searching online for "Cheesecake Factory employee login" or "Cheesecake Factory Workday portal" - they have their own branded login page. Your employee ID is definitely on your last paystub, and the initial password might have been your birth date (MMDDYYYY format) or last 4 digits of SSN if you never changed it. One thing that helped me was calling during off-peak hours (like 10am-2pm on weekdays) when their HR isn't swamped. The person I talked to was actually really helpful once I got through to the right department. They walked me through the password reset process while I was on the phone. Don't stress too much about the deadline - if you can't get your W-2 by February 15th, the IRS will definitely help you get it from them. But honestly, the Workday portal route will probably be your fastest solution. Good luck!