I've been following this thread as someone who had a very similar foreign account reporting situation a few years back. What really helped me was understanding the IRS's perspective on these issues - they're primarily focused on whether taxpayers are trying to hide income or evade taxes, not whether every form was perfectly attached. Since you reported all the income and filed your FBARs correctly, you've demonstrated good faith compliance with the substantive requirements. The Schedule B omission is more of a procedural oversight than a compliance failure. One practical tip that hasn't been mentioned yet: if you do decide to consult with a tax professional about this, bring copies of your filed FBARs and the pages from your tax returns showing the foreign interest income. This will help them quickly assess that you've met the core requirements and can provide more targeted advice about whether any action is needed. The peace of mind from knowing you've handled this correctly going forward is often worth more than the stress of trying to "fix" something that may not actually need fixing.

Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring! I was in a very similar situation last year where I properly reported foreign interest income and filed my FBAR correctly, but completely forgot to include Schedule B with my tax return. After going through the same anxiety you're experiencing, I ultimately decided not to file an amendment based on advice similar to what everyone here has shared. The key insight that helped me was understanding that I had met all the substantive compliance requirements - the income was reported, the FBAR disclosed the accounts to the government, and there was no attempt to hide anything. It's been over a year now and I haven't heard anything from the IRS about it. I made sure to include Schedule B properly on my next year's return and kept detailed documentation of everything. Sometimes the fear of what might happen is worse than the actual consequences, especially when you've done everything right from a substance perspective. Your situation sounds very similar to mine, and based on all the excellent advice in this thread, I think you can feel confident that you've handled the important parts correctly. Focus on getting it right going forward rather than stressing about a technical omission when you've been fully compliant with the core requirements.

Don't forget that sportsbooks are only required to report to the IRS when your winnings exceed certain thresholds (usually $600+ depending on odds), but YOU are still required to report ALL gambling winnings regardless of whether you received a W-2G form! Most of my bets fall under the reporting threshold, but I still have to declare them. Just because you didn't get a form doesn't mean you're off the hook.

This is such a common source of confusion for new sports bettors! I went through the exact same panic last year when I realized I might owe way more in taxes than my actual profits. The key thing to understand is that when you place a winning bet, your "taxable winnings" should be calculated as the payout minus your original stake for that specific bet. So in your $1000 bet that paid $1200 example, you'd report $200 in gambling income, not $1200. However, keep in mind that you can't net your wins against losses from other bets unless you itemize deductions. Each winning bet is reported separately as income, and losses can only offset this if you choose to itemize rather than take the standard deduction. The biggest mistake people make is thinking the sportsbook's payout amount is what they owe taxes on. Always subtract your stake from winning bets when calculating taxable income. Keep detailed records of every bet - date, amount wagered, payout, and net result - because you'll need this documentation.

Filed 1/28 and still stuck on processing with 2 checkmarks here too! Really hoping it moves to issued soon. Based on what everyone's sharing, it seems like late January filers are just now starting to see movement. @Amara Adebayo thanks for sharing your timeline - gives me hope that mine should update within the next week or so! 🤞

Filed on 1/25 and still showing processing with the two checkmarks as well! Really helpful to see everyone's timelines here. Sounds like most late January filers are still waiting, but seeing @Amara Adebayo got issued after filing 1/29 gives me hope mine should move soon too. The waiting game is brutal when you're counting on that refund! 😅 Will update here when mine changes status.

Not sure if this helps, but I had a similar situation a few years back. The key thing I learned is that certified mail gives you proof of MAILING, but not proof of what was INSIDE the envelope. The IRS sometimes argues that even though the envelope was timely, the return inside wasn't complete. Did your denial letter mention anything specific about the contents of your return being incomplete? Sometimes they use that as a technicality. If they're only disputing the mailing date, you have a much stronger case.

A little shocked nobody mentioned Publication 5, "Your Appeal Rights and How to Prepare a Protest If You Don't Agree." Even though you missed the initial appeal window, you can still file what's called an "audit reconsideration" request. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5.pdf This is basically asking the IRS to take another look at your case based on new information (or in your case, information they may have overlooked - your certified mail receipt). Mail this to the EXACT address on your denial letter, not to a general IRS address. Include copies (never originals) of your certified mail receipt and a clear explanation citing IRC Section 7502 about timely mailing being timely filing.

Anyone know if using different brokerages for the traditional ira contribution vs the roth conversion causes any issues? I contributed to a traditional ira at Vanguard but want to convert and have the roth at fidelity.

Just want to add another perspective on timing - I've been doing backdoor Roth conversions for about 5 years now and have never waited more than a few days between contribution and conversion. My CPA has never raised any concerns about the step transaction doctrine, and I've never had any issues with the IRS. The key thing is proper documentation on Form 8606 as others have mentioned. Make sure you report the nondeductible contribution in Part I and the conversion in Part II. The $2 in earnings you mentioned is totally normal and expected - I usually end up with somewhere between $1-10 in gains depending on how quickly I can complete the conversion. One tip: if you're planning to do this annually, consider setting up both accounts at the same brokerage to make the process smoother. I do mine at Schwab and can complete the entire conversion online within their system, which minimizes the time the money sits earning taxable gains.