I filed with TurboTax on Feb 3rd and here's what happened with emails: • Got an email when TT submitted my return ✓ • Got an email when IRS accepted my return ✓ • Got NO email when my refund was deposited on Feb 24th ✗ • Checked spam/promotions folders - nothing there • Called TurboTax support who confirmed they've reduced email notifications Anyone else have this same experience? Just want to confirm this is their new normal and not something specific to my account.

I filed with TurboTax on February 15th and experienced the exact same thing as many of you! Got the initial acceptance email but absolutely nothing when my refund hit my account on March 5th. Last year I received multiple status updates throughout the process. After reading through all these responses, it's clear TurboTax has definitely scaled back their email notifications this season. It seems like they're only sending the critical acceptance email now, which honestly makes sense from their perspective - less server load and email delivery costs. For tracking your amended return, definitely use the IRS "Where's My Amended Return" tool rather than waiting for TurboTax emails. Amended returns are processed completely separately and take much longer (typically 16-20 weeks as others mentioned). The lack of emails from TurboTax won't impact your amended return processing at all. Bottom line: if you got your refund deposited, you're all set regardless of email confirmations! 👍

I completed my verification on February 17th this year, and like your boyfriend, the notification disappeared almost immediately. My return was fully processed and the refund hit my account on March 4th. The system seems to be working much better this year than in previous tax seasons. If he verified through ID.me (which is what the IRS uses), and that verification was accepted, you should be in good shape for summer tuition planning.

As someone who went through identity verification last year, I can relate to the anxiety! The quick disappearance of the notification is definitely promising. In my experience, the IRS system has become much more efficient - when verification goes smoothly, it really does process that fast. One thing I'd suggest is setting up an IRS account online if your boyfriend hasn't already. You can check his account transcript there, which updates more frequently than Where's My Refund and gives you a clearer picture of what's happening behind the scenes. The transcript will show codes that indicate where his return is in the process. Also, just to manage expectations for summer tuition - even with successful verification, refunds can still take 3-6 weeks to process completely. It might be worth having a backup plan just in case, but based on what you've described, things sound like they're moving in the right direction!

Watch out for the quarterly estimated tax payments if your trading is profitable! I got hit with an underpayment penalty last year cause I didn't realize I needed to make payments throughout the year on my trading gains. The Fidelity dashboard shows YTD figures but doesn't remind you about this requirement.

Based on your numbers, you're looking at about $800 in net short-term capital gains ($2,300 - $1,500), which will be taxed at your ordinary income rate. The Fidelity YTD dashboard is generally reliable for tracking realized gains/losses. A few key things to consider: First, make sure you understand wash sale rules - if you've been buying back the same or substantially identical securities within 30 days of selling at a loss, some of those losses might be disallowed. Second, consider whether you need to make estimated quarterly tax payments. If you'll owe more than $1,000 in additional taxes and your current withholding doesn't cover at least 90% of this year's tax liability (or 100% of last year's), you might need to pay quarterly. For someone in your situation with relatively modest gains, setting aside 20-25% of your net gains is usually a safe approach, but the exact amount depends on your total income and tax bracket. Given the complexity of trading taxes, especially with frequent transactions, it might be worth consulting with a tax professional or using specialized tax software that can handle investment activities properly.

Has anyone tried Credit Karma Tax? I switched to them last year and they're completely free for federal and state. No hidden fees, no refund transfer delays. The IRS direct deposited to my account in 8 days. The interface isn't as nice as TurboTax, but for the price difference, I can deal with it.

This is exactly why I always tell people to avoid the refund transfer option if possible! I've been preparing taxes for family members for years and learned this lesson the hard way. The marketing makes it sound convenient, but what they don't emphasize is that you're essentially adding an extra middleman (the bank) between you and your refund. Michael, I'm sorry you had to deal with this runaround. For future reference, if you can't pay the prep fees upfront, some tax software companies like FreeTaxUSA actually let you file your federal return for free and only charge for state returns. That way you can still get your federal refund directly from the IRS without any third-party delays. Also, for anyone reading this - always check the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website. It will show you exactly when the IRS processed and sent your refund, which gives you ammunition when dealing with these processing banks if there are unexplained delays.

I'm confused about whether the answer to the TurboTax question affects anything in the actual tax forms that get submitted to the IRS. Does answering "yes" to their question about prior disaster distributions actually show up anywhere on your final tax return?

I just went through this exact same scenario with my 2023 taxes! I had a COVID-related disaster distribution in 2020 and used the 3-year spread option. TurboTax kept asking about prior disaster distributions and I was worried I'd mess something up. What helped me was understanding that the question is really just TurboTax trying to figure out if there are any ongoing tax implications from previous distributions. Since you've already completed your 3-year reporting cycle (2020-2022), there's nothing more to report for that specific distribution. I ended up answering "yes" to the question, and TurboTax walked me through a few follow-up questions but ultimately didn't generate any additional forms for 2023. The software is smart enough to recognize when you've completed the reporting requirements. One tip: keep copies of your 2020-2022 returns with the 8915-E and 8915-F forms handy in case you need to reference the amounts you previously reported. It gave me peace of mind to double-check that everything added up correctly across the three years.