Protip: use an account transcript analyzer like taxr.ai instead of trying to figure it out yourself. Shows exactly when YOUR transcript will update based on YOUR specific situation. Changed the game for me fr

Same here! The waiting is killing me 😩 I've been refreshing like crazy too. From what I've learned here, it sounds like most updates happen Friday mornings around 3-6am EST, but it really depends on your specific cycle code. Might be worth checking what yours is so you know when to actually expect updates instead of checking constantly!

Just to clarify something important that others haven't mentioned - cycle 05 means your account is processed weekly, not daily. So your transcript only updates once per week (typically Thursday night/Friday morning), while daily cycle filers can see updates any day. This is why the lag between transcript and WMR might seem longer for weekly filers - you're essentially waiting for two different weekly processes to align. It's not that the WMR delay is longer, it's that your transcript only updates weekly to begin with! 😆

Thank you for asking this question! I'm in the exact same situation - cycle 05 and avoiding ID.me. Based on all the responses here, it looks like I can expect WMR to update 1-4 days after my transcript changes, with Thursday night transcript updates typically leading to Friday-Monday WMR updates. The consistency in everyone's experiences is really helpful. I'm going to stop obsessively checking WMR multiple times a day and just check once daily starting Friday mornings. It's frustrating that we can't access our own tax information without giving up our privacy, but at least now I have realistic expectations for the timing!

Has anyone actually gotten an IRS notice for this kind of thing but been below poverty line? I thought there was a rule that if you're below 100% FPL, you don't have to pay back premium tax credits? I'm in a similar situation and freaking out about potentially owing money.

I went through almost this exact situation last year! The key thing to understand is that even though you're below 100% FPL, you still need to complete Form 8962 because advance premium tax credits were paid on your behalf when you were on your dad's marketplace plan. Here's what worked for me: On Line 6, check "Yes" because you meet the exception - you were enrolled in a qualified health plan where APTC was paid, even though your income is below 100% FPL. For the monthly calculations, you'll put zeros for January-June (Medicaid months) and then work with your dad to determine the allocation percentage for July-December. The good news is that there are repayment limitations based on income. Since you're below 200% FPL, your maximum repayment is capped at a much lower amount than the full credit received. In many cases with very low income like yours, you might not owe anything back at all. Make sure to coordinate with your dad on the allocation percentage - you both need to use the same percentage on your returns. The IRS instructions for Form 8962 have examples of how to calculate this based on the premium amounts for each person covered.

I think we're missing something obvious here. Maybe she just doesn't want to pay the fees or go through the hassle of the application? A friend of mine who's a tax preparer told me getting an EFIN requires fingerprinting, an in-person interview sometimes, and a bunch of documentation. Sounds like this lady might just be lazy and cutting corners rather than being unable to qualify.

This whole situation raises red flags about the quality and ethics of this tax preparer's practice. As someone who's dealt with tax compliance issues before, I can tell you that the IRS takes EFIN violations very seriously - it's not just a technical violation, it's a breach of the entire electronic filing system's integrity. What concerns me most is that clients may not even realize their returns are being filed under fraudulent credentials. When tax season gets busy, people often don't pay close attention to the technical details on their forms. But if the IRS discovers this arrangement and investigates, those clients could face delays in processing their refunds, additional correspondence, or even audits through no fault of their own. The fact that she's been operating this way for 3 years suggests this isn't an oversight or temporary arrangement - it's a deliberate choice to circumvent IRS requirements. Whether it's because she can't qualify for her own EFIN or just doesn't want to go through the proper process, either scenario should make potential clients think twice about trusting her with their financial information. I'd strongly recommend anyone considering using her services to verify that their preparer has their own valid EFIN before handing over their tax documents.

Just to add to the education expenses discussion - I used that exception last year as a grad student. For the "qualified higher education expenses" remember it includes: 1) Tuition and fees 2) Books, supplies, equipment required for enrollment 3) Room and board IF you're at least half-time student 4) Computer equipment/software/internet access if required The withdrawal doesn't have to directly pay for these things - you just need to have incurred these expenses in the same tax year as the withdrawal. Also, you can only use expenses that weren't paid for by tax-free education assistance (scholarships, grants, etc).

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - when you take early distributions from retirement accounts, make sure you properly report ANY exceptions on Form 5329. Even if you qualify for an exception, if you don't file this form correctly, the IRS computer system will automatically assess the 10% penalty. I learned this the hard way last year when I took a distribution for qualified higher education expenses but didn't properly code it. Got a lovely letter from the IRS saying I owed penalties plus interest. Had to file an amended return with Form 5329 completed correctly.