Filed on January 26th and just got my refund this morning! I had a very similar situation - job change in October 2024 that created a withholding nightmare, and I was expecting about $4,200 back. Like so many others here, my "Where's My Refund" status was stuck on "processing" for what felt like forever. I had two W-2s and claimed the American Opportunity Tax Credit for my daughter's college expenses, which I think added to the review time. What finally gave me peace of mind was realizing that "processing" actually means they have your return and it's working through their system - it's not stuck or lost. The IRS is just being extra careful with returns that have multiple income sources or credits this year. For anyone still waiting who filed around the same time, based on what I'm seeing here it looks like they're working through late January filings right now. The wait is absolutely brutal when you're counting on that money, but it seems like once they get to your return, things move pretty quickly from approval to deposit. Hang in there - your refunds should be coming soon!

Filed January 26th and still waiting here too! Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. I'm in almost the exact same situation - job change in September created withholding issues and I'm expecting around $4,500 back. What's really frustrating is that the "Where's My Refund" tool gives you basically no useful information beyond "processing." It would be so much better if they could at least tell you WHY it's taking longer or give you a more specific timeframe. Based on what everyone is sharing, it sounds like returns with multiple W-2s from job changes are automatically getting flagged for manual review this year. I have three W-2s (old job, new job, and a small contractor payment) so that's probably what's holding mine up. It's really encouraging to see people who filed around the same time starting to get their refunds this week. The waiting is so stressful when you're depending on that money for bills and expenses. But knowing that others are finally seeing movement gives me hope that mine should be coming soon too. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and timelines - it really helps to know we're all going through the same thing!

This is exactly what happened to me a few years ago! I had three part-time jobs totaling about $78k and each employer was withholding as if their job was my only income. I ended up owing nearly $5,000 at tax time because I was being withheld at much lower brackets than my actual combined income warranted. The math is pretty straightforward - your total income of $85k puts you solidly in the 22% federal bracket for the top portion of your income, but each employer is probably withholding your earnings at 12% or even 10%. That gap adds up fast across three jobs. I'd strongly recommend using the IRS withholding calculator immediately and adjusting your W-4 at your highest paying job ($42k one) to request additional withholding. Don't wait until next year - every paycheck you delay makes the catch-up amount per paycheck higher. One other tip: keep detailed records of your adjustments. When I finally fixed my withholding, I over-corrected and got a huge refund the following year. It's better to be slightly over-withheld than to owe thousands, but try to dial it in as close as possible so you're not giving the government an interest-free loan.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago with multiple W-2 jobs and learned some hard lessons! Here's what I wish I had known earlier: The biggest issue is that each employer calculates withholding using the full standard deduction and tax brackets as if their job is your only income. So if you're making $42k, $28k, and $15k separately, each employer is applying the 10% and 12% brackets to their portion. But when combined, your total $85k income means those top dollars should actually be taxed at 22%. Quick action items for you: 1. Use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator ASAP - it's free and designed exactly for this situation 2. Focus your adjustment on your highest-paying job ($42k one) by adding extra withholding on line 4(c) of a new W-4 3. Rough estimate: you probably need an extra $100-150 per paycheck in additional withholding (assuming bi-weekly pay) Don't forget about state taxes too if you're in a state with income tax - the same underwithholding problem applies there. The good news is you caught this early enough in the year to fix it without too painful of an adjustment per paycheck. I waited until December and had to withhold an extra $400 per paycheck for the last month just to avoid penalties! One last tip: double-check that your weekend gig is actually withholding taxes and not treating you as a 1099 contractor. If it's 1099 work, you'll need to handle those taxes completely separately through estimated payments.

As someone who's been running a successful pet influencer business for about 18 months, I can confirm that this is absolutely doable - but you need to be strategic about it from the start. The most important thing I learned is that the IRS looks for a clear separation between personal pet ownership costs and legitimate business expenses. My golden retriever would need food, toys, and vet care regardless of his Instagram account, so those basic expenses stay personal. However, the specialized equipment I bought specifically for content creation (ring lights, backdrop stands, special treats only used for training during shoots) are legitimate business deductions. I've found success by treating this exactly like any other small business. I registered an LLC, opened a business bank account, and maintain meticulous records. Every business expense gets logged with a photo, receipt, and description of how it contributed to content creation or revenue generation. One tip that's been invaluable: I created a "content calendar" that shows planned posts and associated expenses. This helps demonstrate to the IRS (and myself) that purchases were made with specific business purposes in mind, not just impulse buys I'm trying to write off later. The profit requirement is real though - you need to show you're genuinely trying to make money, not just subsidizing pet ownership through tax deductions. Focus on building multiple revenue streams early: sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, maybe even merchandise featuring your pet.

This thread has been incredibly insightful! I'm just getting started with my rabbit's Instagram account and had no idea about the complexity involved in legitimate business deductions. One thing I'm curious about that hasn't been mentioned yet - what about equipment depreciation? If I invest in a good camera or lighting setup specifically for my pet content, can I depreciate that over time like other business equipment? And does the equipment need to be used exclusively for the pet business, or can I use it for other purposes too? Also, I'm wondering about the timing of when to start treating this as a business. Should I wait until I have some income before making business-related purchases, or is it okay to invest upfront in equipment and setup costs before generating revenue? I don't want to put the cart before the horse, but I also want to create quality content from the beginning to attract potential sponsors. The advice about maintaining separate accounts and detailed documentation is definitely noted - it seems like the key is being able to prove legitimate business intent from day one rather than trying to justify personal expenses after the fact.

Just a tip - if your husband's ESPP is a qualified plan, there are special holding period rules that affect taxation. If he held the shares for at least 1 year from purchase AND 2 years from the offering date, any discount might qualify for better tax treatment.

I went through this exact same situation last year with my ESPP shares! The "non covered security" designation was so confusing at first. Here's what I learned that might help: Your husband will need to contact his company's stock plan administrator (usually listed on the 1099-B or his employee benefits portal) to get the original purchase details. They should be able to provide a statement showing the purchase date, number of shares bought, purchase price per share, and the fair market value on that date. For the cost basis calculation, it's typically the actual amount paid for the shares (the discounted price). So if he bought shares at a 15% discount, his cost basis would be that discounted purchase price multiplied by the number of shares. One thing to watch out for - depending on how long he held the shares, part of the discount might need to be reported as ordinary income on your tax return, separate from the capital gains/loss calculation. TurboTax Premier does handle this well, but make sure you have all the purchase documentation first. The good news is once you gather the paperwork, it's actually straightforward to enter into tax software. The hardest part is just getting the original purchase information from the company!

I've been using TurboTax with Robinhood for two years now and overall it's been pretty smooth. One thing I'd add to what others have said - make sure you wait until Robinhood releases their final 1099 before importing. They sometimes issue corrected versions in late February/early March if there were errors in dividend reporting or corporate actions. Also, if you're planning to itemize deductions, keep track of any margin interest you paid throughout the year. It's deductible as investment interest expense, but you'll need to enter it manually since the import doesn't always catch it. You can find this info in your Robinhood monthly statements. For a first-time filer with stock trades, TurboTax should handle your situation just fine. The key is to take your time reviewing everything after the import and don't rush through it. Good luck!

I've been using TurboTax with Robinhood for the past four years and can confirm it generally works well for most situations. A few additional tips from my experience: 1. **Timing matters** - Don't rush to file in January. Wait until at least mid-February to make sure you have the final version of your 1099. I learned this the hard way when I had to amend my return one year. 2. **Review wash sales carefully** - These can be confusing even after import. If you sold a stock at a loss and bought it back within 30 days, the loss gets deferred. TurboTax usually handles this correctly, but it's worth understanding what happened. 3. **Check your state taxes too** - Some states have different rules for capital gains, so make sure the import works correctly for your state return as well. 4. **Keep good records** - Even though TurboTax imports everything, I still keep screenshots of my Robinhood summary pages and download copies of all my 1099s. You never know when you might need them later. For someone with your level of trading activity, TurboTax should definitely be sufficient. The import feature has gotten much more reliable over the years. Just take your time with the review process and you should be fine!