This is really helpful information! I had no idea about this extension. I'm definitely going to go back and review my 2019 return - I remember being super stressed that year with a job change and probably rushed through it. Quick question though - when you file an amended return using Form 1040-X, do you need to include copies of all the supporting documents again, or just the new ones for the changes you're making? I don't want to mess this up and delay my refund even more. Also, does anyone know roughly how long amended returns are taking to process right now? I know regular returns were backed up for a while, wondering if amendments are facing similar delays.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation where I think I rushed through my 2019 and 2020 returns during all the pandemic chaos. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like this Notice 2023-21 extension is definitely worth taking advantage of. I'm particularly interested in the tools people have mentioned for reviewing old returns. Like @Carlos Mendoza, I'm pretty sure I missed some deductions in 2019 - I started working from home that year but didn't claim any home office expenses because I wasn't sure how it worked. One thing I'm curious about though - if I do find mistakes and file an amended return, will that trigger an audit or extra scrutiny from the IRS? I've always been paranoid about amending returns because I worry it flags you for review. Has anyone had issues with this, or is it pretty routine when you're claiming legitimate deductions you originally missed? Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that makes navigating tax stuff so much easier!

Has anyone actually had their taxes rejected because of Form 8332 issues? Our decree says we alternate claiming our daughter each year, and we've been doing that for 2 years without any forms. I claim odd years, he claims even years. No issues so far, but now I'm nervous after reading this thread!

I went through this exact situation last year and wanted to share what I learned. The key thing to understand is that your divorce decree and IRS rules are completely separate systems that don't automatically talk to each other. Even though your decree says you each claim one child, the IRS has their own "tiebreaker" rules for determining the custodial parent when custody is truly 50/50. Since you mentioned equal physical custody, they'll look at who has higher adjusted gross income to determine who gets the right to claim the children. Here's what I'd recommend: First, carefully count the actual overnight stays for each child to make sure you really do have exactly 50/50 custody. Sometimes what we think is "equal" isn't when you count every single night. Second, if it truly is 50/50 and your ex has higher income, he technically has the right under IRS rules to claim both children unless he signs Form 8332 releasing his claim to one child. Your ex is wrong about not needing any forms - the IRS doesn't care what your divorce decree says if their rules determine a different custodial parent. Don't risk it. I'd suggest getting professional help to review your specific situation, because getting this wrong can result in rejected returns, penalties, and having to pay back tax credits with interest.

I've been tracking my own transcripts for the past few tax seasons and here's what I've noticed: while the IRS technically updates daily, there are definitely patterns. Most significant movements (like refund approvals, cycle codes changing) tend to happen overnight Wednesday-Thursday and Friday-Saturday. But smaller updates like processing acknowledgments can pop up any day. My advice? Check Thursday mornings and Saturday mornings for the big stuff, but don't stress about checking daily - you'll just drive yourself crazy like the rest of us have! 😅

As someone who's been through this waiting game multiple times, I can tell you the daily checking becomes an obsession real quick! The IRS system does update daily, but like others mentioned, the major processing batches usually hit Wednesday night/Thursday morning and Friday night/Saturday morning. I've found that checking first thing Thursday and Saturday mornings gives you the best chance of seeing actual movement. That said, I've also seen random updates on Tuesdays and Mondays, so there's always exceptions. My sanity-saving tip: set specific check times instead of randomly throughout the day. Maybe Thursday 6am and Saturday 6am, then try to forget about it the rest of the time (easier said than done, I know!). The transcript will update when it updates, regardless of how many times we refresh that page! 😅

Make sure you mail it early! International/dual status returns take WAY longer to process. I sent mine last year on April 10 and didn't get my refund until August. The earlier you send it, the better.

I had a very similar situation last year as a dual status resident with temporary housing arrangements. After going through this confusion myself, I can confirm that you should mail your return to the Austin, TX international address since you listed a foreign address on your Form 1040. The key thing to understand is that the IRS routes returns based on what's written on the forms themselves, not your physical location when mailing. Since your 1040 shows a foreign address, the system expects it to go through international processing channels. A few additional tips from my experience: - Use certified mail with tracking as others mentioned - Include a cover letter explaining your situation if you want, but it's not required - Don't worry about the pay1040 discrepancy - the payment and return processing are handled separately - Expect 10-16 weeks for processing (mine took 14 weeks) The most important thing is to be consistent with what you put on your actual tax forms. Since you already listed the foreign address on your 1040, stick with the international mailing address. Good luck!

One thing to keep in mind is that tax software like TurboTax sometimes applies specialized rounding rules in certain calculations that might not be obvious. For example, when calculating things like the Earned Income Credit or Child Tax Credit, there are specific worksheets with their own rounding rules. Some calculations might require rounding at intermediate steps while others only round at the final step. My advice is to always use the official IRS worksheets and tables rather than trying to recreate the formulas yourself. They're designed to be followed step-by-step and will give you the exact same result as tax software.

The $3 difference is most likely coming from your rounding of taxable income to $84,600 instead of using the exact amount of $84,582. The IRS tax tables calculate tax based on your precise taxable income (rounded only to the nearest dollar), not rounded to the nearest $50. When you used the formula method with $84,600, you calculated a slightly higher tax than what the actual tax tables would show for $84,582. The difference of $18 in taxable income at the 12% bracket would create about a $2.16 difference in tax ($18 × 0.12), which closely matches your $3 discrepancy when combined with other minor rounding differences in your calculations. For future manual calculations, I'd recommend using the official IRS Tax Tables found in the 1040 instructions rather than the bracket formulas. The tables are specifically designed to give you the exact tax amount that software like TurboTax uses, and they're actually easier to use since you just look up your income range rather than doing percentage calculations.