Watch out for state tax differences too! The W9 is federal, but some states treat single-member LLCs differently than the IRS does. Here in California, I still have to file a separate tax return for my LLC and pay an annual $800 fee even though it's disregarded federally.

This is such a common source of confusion! I went through the exact same thing when I started my LLC last year. The key thing to remember is that for tax purposes, how your business is structured legally (LLC) and how it's treated for taxes can be two different things. Since you're a single-member LLC and haven't made any special tax elections, you're what the IRS calls a "disregarded entity" - meaning for tax purposes, you're treated just like a sole proprietor. So you'd check "Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC" on box 3. On the form, put your name on the "Name" line and your LLC business name on the "Business name/disregarded entity name" line. You can use either your SSN or your LLC's EIN (if you have one) - both are acceptable for single-member LLCs. Don't stress too much about it - you're definitely not alone in finding this confusing! The IRS could definitely make their forms clearer on this point.

I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with the exact same nightmare scenario! Filed my 2023 return in January 2024, they cashed my payment check in February, but here we are in March 2025 and my return is still showing as "not received." Reading through this entire thread has been both incredibly frustrating and deeply reassuring - I had no idea so many people were stuck in this same bureaucratic black hole! The explanation about their payment processing and return processing being completely separate systems finally makes sense of this insanity. It's absolutely mind-blowing that they can grab your money within days but take over a year to acknowledge your paperwork exists. I've been keeping obsessive records (certified mail receipts, copies of cashed checks, screenshots of every account status) but the anxiety has been eating me alive for over a year. This thread has given me the push I needed to stop waiting around hoping it magically resolves itself. Based on everyone's advice, especially @Mei Zhang's success story, I'm calling them first thing tomorrow at 7am with all my documentation ready (SSN, filing date, payment amount, check clearing date). It's ridiculous that we have to become amateur tax investigators just to track down our own returns, but I'm so grateful to have found this community of people dealing with the same broken system. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's made me feel so much less alone in this mess and given me the courage to actually take action instead of just stressing in silence!

I'm also new to this community and going through the exact same frustrating situation! Filed my 2023 return back in March 2024, they cashed my payment check within 2 weeks, but my return is still showing as "not received" nearly a year later. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea that the IRS payment processing and return processing systems were completely separate! It finally makes sense why they can process payments at lightning speed but take forever to acknowledge receiving the actual return. I've been keeping detailed records (certified mail receipt, bank statements showing cleared checks, screenshots of my online account) but the uncertainty has been really stressful. This thread has convinced me to stop waiting passively and call them Monday morning right at 7am based on everyone's advice, especially @Mei Zhang's success story about getting a confirmation number. It's absolutely maddening but honestly so reassuring to know there's an entire community of us dealing with this same bureaucratic mess. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's given me the courage to be more proactive instead of just hoping it resolves itself!

Has anyone successfully back filed using TurboTax or similar software? Can I still download the older versions somewhere?

Don't feel embarrassed about this situation - you're definitely not alone! I was in a very similar spot a few years ago and successfully got everything sorted out. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track each year I needed to file. I listed out 2021, 2022, and 2023, then made columns for "Documents Collected," "Return Prepared," "Return Mailed," and "Confirmation Received." It kept me organized and made the whole process feel less overwhelming. Since you mentioned you have all your W-2s, you're already ahead of where I was! Make sure to also gather any 1099 forms (for freelance work, bank interest, etc.), receipts for deductions you might claim, and records of any estimated tax payments you might have made. The key thing to remember is that filing late is always better than not filing at all. Even if there are penalties, getting compliant with the IRS will put you in a much better position going forward. And yes, you can absolutely file your 2024 return now while working on the back filing - they're completely separate processes. Good luck with getting everything caught up! You've got this.

The tax software wont let you claim the child tax credit for her if you indicate your spouse is claiming her, but you can still get other benefits as the custodial parent. Its confusing but actually works out better financially for most couples this way.

This whole thread has been super helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my ex-wife and I share custody but she claims our son as a dependent. Reading through all these responses, I'm realizing I might be missing out on Head of Household status and other credits I'm entitled to as the custodial parent. Quick question for those who've been through this - does the IRS ever question why two parents from the same household are filing with different statuses? Like if I file as Head of Household and my wife files separately claiming our daughter as a dependent? I'm worried it might trigger some kind of red flag in their system even though it sounds like this is totally legitimate. Also seeing a lot of mentions of Form 8332 - is this something that needs to be filed every year or just once when you first make the agreement?

I've been filing taxes for 15+ years and have noticed significant variation in acceptance times. Here's what I've observed: Step 1: Understand that "acceptance" just means the IRS received your return with no obvious errors - not that they've processed it Step 2: Check your tax software's status page (not just email) as they often have more detailed information Step 3: If it's been more than 48 hours, look for any rejection notices that might have gone to spam Step 4: After 72 hours with no update, contact your tax software support first, then consider contacting the IRS I filed on January 29th this year and it took 26 hours for acceptance - much longer than previous years but everything was fine.

I'm experiencing the exact same thing! Filed my return through FreeTaxUSA on Tuesday and it's now Friday with still no acceptance notification. In previous years, I'd get that green checkmark within an hour or two max. This waiting game is driving me nuts because I have some major expenses coming up and was counting on getting my refund processed quickly. Has anyone tried checking the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool during this limbo period? I'm wondering if it shows anything useful before the official acceptance comes through, or if it just says "return not found" until acceptance happens. Really hoping this is just the new normal with their enhanced security measures and not some system-wide issue that's going to delay the entire season!