As someone who just went through this exact transition from Chime to Chase last month, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - Chase is absolutely rigid about depositing on the exact DDD. I had a February 28th DDD and was checking my account obsessively for days beforehand, but nothing appeared until exactly 2:54am on the 28th. The adjustment period is real! I kept expecting that familiar Chime notification days early, but it never came. What helped me was realizing that Chase's predictability is actually a feature, not a bug. No more guessing games or constantly refreshing my account - just solid, reliable timing. For your spring break situation, I'd echo what others have said about treating March 13th as gospel and doing your research now so you can book immediately when the funds hit. Your kids will appreciate having concrete plans locked in quickly rather than more waiting. One thing I noticed that might help - Chase's customer service is miles better than Chime's if you ever need to call about anything. That reliability extends beyond just deposit timing. You're so close now - just a few more days and you'll have that "aha moment" where Chase's consistency clicks and you realize it's actually less stressful than the Chime uncertainty!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Just made the switch from Chime to Chase this year and filed on February 8th with a DDD of March 12th. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so helpful - I was definitely stuck in that "maybe it'll come early" mindset until I found this thread. What really resonates with me is how everyone describes Chase's reliability as actually being LESS stressful once you adjust. I never realized how much mental energy I was spending with Chime constantly wondering "will it be today or tomorrow?" At least now I can plan with certainty around March 12th. I've already set up the push notifications everyone recommended and I'm treating my DDD as gospel. It's kind of refreshing to know exactly when to expect it rather than being in that constant state of anticipation. For anyone else making this transition - the mindset shift from "early deposit excitement" to "reliable planning certainty" is real, but based on all these stories, it sounds like it's worth it in the long run. Thanks to everyone who shared their specific timing details and experiences. This community has been incredibly reassuring during what was becoming a pretty anxious waiting period! Here's to trusting our DDDs and embracing that predictable 2-4am deposit window! 🏦

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly thorough and educational discussion! I'm actually facing the exact same situation right now - my tax preparer just asked for SSN card copies for the first time, and I was genuinely concerned about whether this was a legitimate request or something I should be worried about. What I find most valuable about this thread is how it evolved from initial skepticism to practical, actionable solutions. The comprehensive security questions that @Noland Curtis provided are going to be my roadmap when I meet with my preparer next week. I especially appreciate the emphasis on asking about Written Information Security Plans, encryption practices, and document retention policies - these are verification steps I never would have thought of on my own. The discussion about Identity Protection PINs has also been eye-opening. I had no idea this protection was available proactively to anyone, not just previous identity theft victims. Given how common tax fraud has become, it seems like such a straightforward preventive measure that I'm definitely going to pursue. What really impressed me is how several community members took the time to follow up and share their positive outcomes after having these security conversations with their preparers. It demonstrates that approaching these concerns professionally and asking informed questions typically leads to satisfactory explanations and increased confidence in the process. I'm curious whether others have found that tax preparers who are thorough about security documentation also tend to be more detailed and communicative about other aspects of tax preparation. It seems like attention to detail in one area might indicate overall professionalism. Thanks again to everyone who contributed their experiences - this kind of balanced, practical discussion is exactly what makes community forums so valuable for navigating new situations with confidence!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful for this comprehensive discussion! I'm currently in the exact same situation - my tax preparer is requesting SSN card copies for the first time this year, and I was initially quite concerned about the legitimacy and safety of this request. What strikes me most about this thread is how it demonstrates the importance of informed questioning rather than knee-jerk reactions. The detailed security questions that @Noland Curtis provided have given me a clear checklist to work through when I meet with my preparer. I particularly appreciate the focus on Written Information Security Plans and encryption practices - these aren't things I would have known to ask about without this community's guidance. The information about Identity Protection PINs has been a real revelation. I had no idea these were available proactively to all taxpayers, not just those who've been victims of identity theft. This seems like such a sensible precaution given the prevalence of tax fraud, and I'm definitely going to set one up. One thing that really stands out is how multiple community members took the time to follow up with their positive experiences after having these security conversations. It shows that approaching preparers with professional, informed questions typically results in transparent explanations and increased confidence in their services. I'm also intrigued by the observation that preparers who are thorough about security often demonstrate the same attention to detail in their overall tax preparation services. This correlation between security consciousness and general professionalism makes a lot of sense and gives me additional criteria for evaluating my preparer's overall competence. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this is exactly the kind of balanced, practical advice that helps newcomers navigate unfamiliar situations with confidence!

Anyone else notice TurboTax keeps pushing their "live expert" add-on now? I tried it last year and it was... meh. The "expert" seemed to just be reading from the same help screens I could access myself.

I made the jump from TurboTax to a CPA when my income hit around $160k, and honestly wish I'd done it sooner. The biggest eye-opener wasn't just finding more deductions, but learning about tax strategies I never even knew existed. My CPA showed me how to optimize my 401k contributions, set up a backdoor Roth IRA (which TurboTax never suggested), and restructure some investments to be more tax-efficient. The first year alone, these strategies saved me more than double what I paid in CPA fees. At your income level, you're probably hitting some phase-out thresholds for certain deductions and credits that TurboTax might not explain clearly. A good tax pro can walk you through these and help you plan ahead for next year too. Even if you decide to go back to software later, having a professional review your situation once during this big income change could be really valuable.

Just a quick tip - if all else fails, you can always print and mail your return. I know it's old school, but sometimes it's the easiest solution when dealing with electronic filing issues.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! The confusion between IP PINs and self-selected PINs is so frustrating because the IRS and tax software companies don't explain the difference clearly. Here's what I learned: Your 6-digit IP PIN is correct and you DO need to use it when filing. But that 5-digit PIN your software is asking for is probably the self-selected PIN you created when you first set up your account with that tax software (sometimes called an e-file PIN). Check your email from when you first registered - you might have created a 5-digit PIN back then. For the AGI issue, definitely use the transcript amount ($58,750). The IRS makes adjustments during processing that create differences between your filed return and their records. When they ask for "prior year AGI" for verification, they want what's in their system, not what's on your paper copy. One more tip - if your software keeps rejecting the IP PIN, make sure you're entering it in the right field. Some software has separate fields for "Identity Protection PIN" and "Electronic Filing PIN" and people mix them up all the time.

This is a great breakdown of the pro-rata calculations! I want to emphasize one important timing consideration that could affect your situation: make sure you complete this reverse rollover before making any new IRA contributions or conversions in 2025. The pro-rata rule looks at your IRA balances at the end of the tax year, so if you're planning to do another backdoor Roth conversion in 2025, you'll want to get that pre-tax money out of your IRAs first. Otherwise, you'll be back to dealing with the same pro-rata complications. Also, since you mentioned your rollover IRA has grown to $85,000, double-check that your 401(k) plan doesn't have any limits on incoming rollover amounts. Some plans cap rollovers at certain dollar amounts or have waiting periods between rollovers. One last thing - keep detailed records of this entire transaction. The IRS sometimes gets confused about partial rollovers from mixed IRAs, and having clear documentation of your basis calculation and the specific amounts transferred can save you headaches if they ever question it during an audit.

Just wanted to add another perspective on the calculation method since I see some great advice here already. You're absolutely correct to go with Option 2 - the basis remains at the fixed dollar amount of $6,825. Here's a simple way to think about it: when you paid taxes on that $6,825 during your backdoor Roth conversion, you essentially "bought" that amount as your after-tax basis in traditional IRAs. Market gains and losses don't change what you already paid taxes on - they just affect the overall account value. One thing I'd recommend is calling your 401(k) plan administrator before initiating the rollover to confirm: 1. They accept partial rollovers from IRAs (as others mentioned, some don't) 2. Their process for handling the pre-tax designation 3. Any paperwork they need from you to properly code the incoming funds Also, when you request the rollover from your IRA custodian, be very specific that you're rolling over "$78,175 of pre-tax funds, leaving $6,825 of after-tax basis in the IRA." Some custodians will try to do a proportional distribution if you're not crystal clear about your intent. This reverse rollover strategy will definitely clean up your future backdoor Roth conversions - you'll essentially have a "clean slate" IRA situation going forward!