Here's what's probably happening: The IRS likely identified something they need to verify or adjust on your return. Instead of stressing, I'd highly recommend using taxr.ai to analyze your transcript. It uses AI to break down exactly what's happening with your return, when to expect correspondence, and most importantly - when you'll likely receive your refund. The tool has been a game-changer for understanding these complex situations. Costs $1 but saves hours of confusion and anxiety. You'll get immediate answers instead of waiting for that letter to show up. Other things you can do: - Set up USPS informed delivery - Make sure your address is current with IRS - Keep checking your transcript for updates - Don't call IRS yet - wait for the letter first Hope this helps!

I've been through this exact situation before! "Notice Issued" typically means the IRS found something on your return that needs clarification or verification. Don't panic - it's not necessarily bad news, just means they need more info or are making adjustments. The notice will explain exactly what they need from you and give you a timeframe to respond. In my case, it was just identity verification and once I sent the docs back, my refund processed within a few weeks. Keep checking your transcript for updates and make sure to respond quickly once you get the letter!

Don't forget about the financial aid implications! When your kid applies for college, 529 plans owned by parents are counted as parental assets (assessed at a max of 5.64% for financial aid), but 529s owned by grandparents or other relatives used to not count at all until the money was withdrawn. This changed recently though - starting with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, distributions from grandparent-owned 529s no longer count as student income. So the old strategy of having grandparents own the account doesn't have the same advantage it used to. But there's still a consideration with divorce - the custodial parent's finances are what matter for FAFSA. If your ex is the custodial parent and also owns the 529, it could affect financial aid differently than if you (the non-custodial parent) own a separate 529.

I went through a similar situation with my divorce two years ago. Here's what I learned: the key is understanding your state's specific rules about 529 deductions. In my case (Ohio), I had to be the account owner to claim the state tax deduction, so I ended up opening my own 529 account. One thing to consider that hasn't been mentioned yet - check if your state has a "recapture" provision. Some states will require you to pay back previous tax benefits if you change the beneficiary or if the account owner changes. This didn't affect me since I opened a new account, but it's something to be aware of if you're thinking about transferring ownership of the existing account. Also, don't overlook the investment management aspect. When you have separate accounts, you each get to choose your own investment strategy, which can actually be beneficial. My ex is more conservative with investments while I'm more aggressive, so having separate accounts lets us each manage according to our risk tolerance while still working toward the same goal of funding our daughter's education. The paperwork is a bit more complex come tax time, but it's worth it for the flexibility and potential tax benefits.

check your email spam folder. sometimes they send verification letters that get filtered out

This happened to me too - blank transcripts for almost a month after filing! Turns out the IRS was doing additional processing because I had claimed some education credits. Eventually everything showed up and I got my refund. In the meantime, you can check your "Where's My Refund" tool on IRS.gov which sometimes updates before transcripts do. Also make sure you're looking at the right tax year transcript (2024 for returns filed this year). Hang in there!

Great thread everyone! As someone who works in tax prep, I wanted to add a few practical tips for newly married couples: 1. **Timing matters** - If you got married late in the year (like November/December), your withholding for that year might already be mostly locked in. You'll want to be extra careful about 2025 planning. 2. **State taxes too** - Don't forget that some states have different rules for married couples. If you live in a state with income tax, make sure your state withholding is also adjusted accordingly. 3. **Quarterly check-ins** - I always tell my clients to review their withholding after each quarter, especially in their first year of marriage. Look at your paystubs and estimate where you'll land for the year. It's much easier to make small adjustments than to get hit with a big surprise in April. 4. **The "marriage penalty"** - For couples with similar incomes like yours ($62k and $58k), you might actually benefit slightly from being married (marriage bonus), but the withholding tables don't always account for this perfectly. The IRS estimator is definitely your best bet, but if the tech solutions others mentioned work for you, that's great too. Just make sure whatever method you use accounts for ALL your deductions - 401k, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, etc.

Just went through this exact situation a few months ago! One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to make sure you both update your W-4s at roughly the same time. My spouse updated theirs first in January, but I didn't get around to mine until March. During those two months, our withholding was completely out of whack because only one of us was using the married filing jointly rate while the other was still on single. It created this weird period where we were under-withholding significantly. Also, if either of you gets a raise or bonus during the year, revisit your W-4s immediately. We learned this the hard way when my husband got a promotion in August and suddenly our carefully calculated withholding was off again. The checkbox method in Step 2(c) really is the easiest for most people in your situation. Don't overthink it - you can always adjust if your first few paystubs show you're way off track. Better to start somewhere reasonable than to get paralyzed trying to get it perfect from day one!

Anyone else notice that sometimes the pre-filled forms from accountants have calculation errors? I almost filed with a mistake last year that would have cost me $800. Make sure you double-check all the numbers before submitting!!!

Just want to add another perspective here - if your accountant used professional tax software to prepare your forms, you might be able to ask them for the electronic file (.tax file or similar) that you could then import into compatible software for e-filing. This would save you from manually re-entering all the data and reduce the chance of transcription errors. Also, before you submit anything, I'd strongly recommend calling the IRS practitioner priority line if your accountant gave you a power of attorney form. Even though they can't file for you due to their emergency, you might still be able to get priority phone support to verify everything looks correct. The number is different from the regular taxpayer line and typically has much shorter wait times. One last tip - if you do end up mailing paper forms, send them certified mail with return receipt. It costs a few extra dollars but gives you proof of delivery and timing, which can be crucial if there are any processing delays or questions later.