I went through this exact situation last year with 3 years of unfiled returns. After getting burned by a company similar to Taxrise (paid $3,500 upfront and they basically did nothing for 6 months), I ended up working directly with the IRS. Here's what I learned: if you voluntarily file before the IRS comes after you, you're in a much better position. I was able to get First Time Penalty Abatement which eliminated about $2,800 in penalties, and set up a payment plan for the remaining balance. The key is getting your returns filed ASAP. The failure-to-file penalty is 10x worse than failure-to-pay, so even if you can't pay immediately, filing stops that clock from ticking. You can literally file online and request a payment plan at the same time. Don't let the stress paralyze you - the IRS is actually pretty reasonable to work with when you're proactive about fixing the situation. Save your money and handle it yourself or with a local tax pro, not these TV companies.

As someone who's been through this nightmare, I want to echo what others have said about avoiding these TV tax relief companies. I actually fell for Taxrise's marketing two years ago when I was panicking about 4 years of unfiled returns. They took $4,200 upfront and promised to "settle my tax debt for pennies on the dollar." Six months later, all they had done was file my returns (which I could have done myself) and submit an Offer in Compromise application that got rejected because I obviously didn't qualify - something they should have known from the start. I ended up firing them and working with a local Enrolled Agent who charged me $150/hour. She got me set up with a reasonable payment plan in two weeks and helped me understand that my situation wasn't nearly as dire as Taxrise had made it seem. The "massive tax debt" they claimed I had was mostly just penalties that could be reduced through proper penalty abatement requests. Bottom line: these companies prey on fear and desperation. If you're behind on taxes, just file them ASAP (even if you can't pay) and work directly with the IRS or a local tax professional. You'll save thousands and actually get your problem solved instead of making it worse.

unemployment dosent hurt your return but it isnt free money either lol. I got laid off in 2023 and collected for 5 months. main things to know: 1) its taxable income. u will get a 1099-G form 2) withholding is OPTIONAL but smart!! check the box to withhold 10% federal 3) some states dont tax unemployment (mine does tho) 4) if u dont withhold u might need to make quarterly payments if its a lot of $$ i didnt withhold enough and owed $840 at tax time which sucked.

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact situation last year. I was on unemployment for about 4 months after getting laid off from my finance job. The key thing that helped me was setting up withholding immediately - I had 10% federal and 5% state withheld from each payment. Yes, it reduced my weekly benefit amount, but it saved me from a nasty surprise at tax time. One thing to watch out for: if you find a new job partway through the year, make sure your new employer's payroll department knows about your unemployment income when setting up your withholding. I forgot to mention it and had to adjust my W-4 mid-year to avoid underwithholding. Also, keep good records of your job search expenses (resume services, interview travel, etc.) - some of these may be deductible and can help offset the tax impact of your unemployment income. Hope you find something soon!

This is exactly the kind of thread I needed to find! I'm currently on day 6 since my Michigan return moved to "completed" status, and I was starting to wonder if something had gone wrong with my direct deposit information or if there was an issue with my return. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so helpful - it's clear that this 7-14 day wait after "completed" status is just the reality this year, even though it's frustrating. The batch processing explanation makes total sense and explains why the timing seems so random from a taxpayer perspective. @QuantumQuasar - thanks for coming back to share your actual timeline! Getting your deposit on day 10 gives me hope that I should see movement soon. I'll definitely be watching for deposits on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday based on the processing patterns people have identified. @Barab'bas - I'm so sorry about your 69-day wait. That's completely unacceptable, especially when you're dealing with financial hardship. The disparity between e-filing and paper filing processing times this year seems extreme. For everyone still waiting - this community knowledge has been infinitely more valuable than anything on the Michigan Treasury website. It's reassuring to know we're all in the same boat and that the refunds do eventually come through, just with more patience required than usual this year. I'll make sure to update when mine processes to add another data point to our collective timeline tracking!

New to Michigan taxes this year and honestly had no idea what I was getting into! I moved here from Ohio where state refunds were pretty straightforward and quick. My Michigan return has been sitting at "completed" status for 4 days now, and I was starting to panic thinking I did something wrong with my filing. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - thank you to everyone sharing your experiences and timelines! The batch processing explanation makes so much sense, even though it's frustrating to be stuck in an invisible queue. It sounds like 7-14 days after "completed" status is the new reality this year. @QuantumQuasar - congrats on getting your deposit on day 10! That gives me hope I should see movement soon. @Luca Esposito - your tracking and analysis has been incredibly helpful for setting expectations. And @Barab'bas - I'm so sorry about your 69-day ordeal with the paper filing. That's completely unacceptable. I'll definitely update here when my refund processes to add another data point. This community knowledge is so much better than trying to decode the vague status messages on the official Michigan Treasury website! Fingers crossed for everyone still waiting. 🤞

I just wanted to share my experience from last year to help set expectations. I filed my extended return by mail in July and it took exactly 11 weeks to get my refund. The most frustrating part was that the "Where's My Refund" tool didn't update at all until week 9, then suddenly showed "approved" and I had the money within 3 days. For what it's worth, I called the IRS around week 8 (waited 2.5 hours on hold) and the agent confirmed they had received my return but said it was in the "normal processing queue" with no way to expedite. She told me paper returns were taking 10-16 weeks at that time due to backlogs. Since you mailed yours in mid-June, you're probably looking at late August or early September based on current processing times. I know it's tough when you're counting on that money, but hang in there - it will come! The IRS transcript tip mentioned above is definitely worth checking too.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation - filed my extended return by mail in late June and it's been radio silence from the IRS ever since. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about the IRS account transcript option, that's definitely something I'm going to check today. The processing timeline estimates people are sharing (6-16 weeks for paper returns) are both reassuring and nerve-wracking at the same time. At least now I know what to expect instead of just wondering if my return got lost in the mail somewhere. Has anyone here had experience with amended returns after using those analysis tools mentioned? I'm wondering if it's worth double-checking my return for missed deductions while I'm waiting anyway. Might as well make the most of this frustrating wait time!

This is such a helpful discussion! I've been confused about the same thing - seeing all these articles about 2025 changes but not understanding the actual mechanics of how tax laws can be modified. The explanation about budget reconciliation rules really clarifies why we're seeing this specific timeline. I had no idea that the 2017 tax cuts were designed to expire to comply with Senate procedures rather than because there was some legal requirement for how long tax laws can stay in effect. It's actually somewhat reassuring to know that while Congress *could* theoretically change tax laws constantly, the political reality creates more stability than the legal framework would suggest. I was worried we might see constant changes that would make financial planning impossible. Does anyone know if there are any proposals to change how this process works, or if we'll likely see the same pattern of temporary provisions in future tax legislation?

This thread has been incredibly enlightening! As someone who works in tax preparation, I can confirm that the uncertainty around these expiring provisions is causing a lot of anxiety for both preparers and taxpayers. One thing I'd add is that even when Congress does act on these expiring provisions, they often wait until the very last minute - sometimes even retroactively. For example, many tax extenders have been renewed in December for the tax year that's already ending. This creates a nightmare for tax software companies and preparers who have to scramble to update everything. The political reality is that lawmakers often use these expiring provisions as leverage in broader negotiations, which is why we rarely get early clarity on what will actually happen. It's frustrating from a planning perspective, but it's become the norm. For anyone trying to plan ahead, I'd recommend preparing scenarios for both outcomes - what your taxes would look like if the provisions expire versus if they're extended. At least then you're not caught completely off guard either way.