Did you check your transcript on the IRS website? Sometimes that gives more detailed info than the "Where's My Refund" tool. You might see codes there that explain why your TAX refund is delayed. You'll need to create an account if you don't already have one.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed on January 20th and still showing "being processed" after almost a month. What's really frustrating is that I have friends who filed later than me and already got their TAX refunds. One thing I learned from calling my tax preparer is that even though we think our returns are "simple," sometimes there are automatic reviews that we don't know about. For example, if your refund amount is significantly different from last year, or if there are any slight mismatches in the data the IRS has on file vs what you reported, it can trigger a review. The good news is that February is historically the worst month for processing times. Once we get into March, things typically speed up a lot. I'm trying to be patient but it's hard when you're counting on that money!

I've been doing dog walking and pet sitting for 3 years now and went through this same confusion. I called the platform I use and they explained that the 1099 they issue follows IRS requirements - it shows payments made to you during the calendar year. For your own sanity, I recommend: 1) Use cash basis (report income when received) 2) Keep good records showing both service dates and payment dates 3) Deduct expenses in the same year as the related income 4) Save about 30% of all income for taxes (learned this the hard way!) And don't forget to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you expect to owe more than $1000 in taxes for the year. That was another expensive lesson for me...

Great advice in this thread! As someone who's been doing freelance pet services for 4 years, I want to add a few things that really helped me get organized: For tracking income vs 1099s, I use a simple spreadsheet with columns for: Service Date, Payment Date, Client, Amount, and Notes. This lets me easily sort by either date depending on what I need. At tax time, I just filter by Payment Date to match my 1099. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - if you're using multiple platforms (Rover, Wag, etc.), each one will send you a separate 1099 if you earned over $600 with them. Don't forget to include ALL of them on your Schedule C, even the smaller amounts. Also, for mileage tracking, I highly recommend using an app like MileIQ or Everlance. It automatically tracks your drives and you just swipe to categorize them as business or personal. Way easier than trying to remember to write down odometer readings for every trip! The quarterly tax payment advice is spot on too. I learned that lesson the expensive way my second year. Now I treat it like any other business expense and it's much less stressful.

Does anyone know if you can claim this credit if you pay a family member to watch your kids? My mother-in-law watches my kids while I work on my freelance projects (all 1099 income), and I do pay her, but it's cash. Can I still claim the dependent care credit?

I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share what I learned after doing some research. Your tax preparer is definitely incorrect about needing W-2 income for the dependent care credit. What really helped me was looking up IRS Publication 503 directly - it clearly states that self-employed individuals can claim this credit. The key is that you need to have "earned income" which includes net earnings from self-employment (your 1099 income). One important thing to keep in mind though - if your business expenses are high and you end up with a loss or very low net earnings from self-employment, that could limit your credit amount. But based on what you're saying about paying $8,000 in childcare expenses, it sounds like you're actively working and should definitely qualify. I'd strongly recommend getting a second opinion from a tax professional who has more experience with self-employment taxation. You shouldn't have to miss out on credits you're legitimately entitled to claim!

Has anyone noticed that Tax Topic 151 seems to come up more often when you claim certain credits? I got this last year when I claimed education credits, and now I'm seeing it again this year with different credits. Is there a pattern to what triggers Tax Topic 151?

I'm dealing with Tax Topic 151 right now too and it's been 10 weeks since I filed! The frustrating part is that the IRS website just keeps saying "your return is being processed" without any real timeline. From what I've learned lurking in tax forums, Tax Topic 151 can be triggered by several things: mismatched W-2 information, claiming certain credits like EIC or ACTC, math errors, or even just random selection for review. The 4-6 week estimate they give you is almost always wrong - most people seem to wait 8-12 weeks or even longer. One thing that helped me feel less anxious was setting up text alerts through the IRS2Go app so I'm not constantly checking Where's My Refund. At least now I'll get notified if there's any status change. Still waiting though... the struggle is real! 😤

Just for my own clarity on this gift tax thing - so if someone gives me $20,000 cash as a gift in 2025, they would have to report that to the IRS since it's over the $18,000 limit, but I still don't pay any taxes on it as the recipient? Is that right?

This is such a smart way to save money over the years! You're absolutely right not to worry about taxes on this. As others have mentioned, gift recipients don't pay taxes on the money they receive - that responsibility falls on the gift giver, and since these were small amounts given over many years by different family members, they were almost certainly all under the annual exclusion limits. Just wanted to add one practical tip for your bank deposit: consider calling ahead to let them know you'll be making a large cash deposit. Some banks appreciate the heads up, and you can briefly explain it's accumulated gift money you've been saving. This can make the process smoother and shows you're being transparent about the source. Good luck with your car repairs - it must feel great to have that emergency fund paying off exactly when you need it!