Has anyone noticed that some tax software automatically fills in the payer info if you've used them before? I was entering a bunch of 1099-INTs and realized TurboTax remembered some banks from last year but got confused with the ones that changed names. Double check everything!

This is exactly why I always keep physical copies of my 1099 forms! I learned the hard way that relying on digital copies or memory can lead to transcription errors. Pro tip: if you're entering multiple 1099-INTs, do them all at once while you're focused rather than spreading it out over days. I made the mistake of doing a few one evening and finishing the rest a week later - ended up mixing up some of the EINs because I was rushing. The IRS notices for mismatched information are no joke and can delay your refund by months.

Don't forget that even if you can justify the mileage deduction, you need to be keeping REALLY good records to survive an audit. The IRS is super picky about mileage logs. You need date, starting location, ending location, miles driven, and business purpose for EVERY trip. There are some good apps that can help track this automatically.

This is a really complex situation, but I think you're on the right track with your thinking. The key distinction here is that you're not just commuting to work - you're operating a legitimate equipment rental business that happens to serve the same client as your W-2 job. Since your vehicle serves as mobile storage and transport for rental equipment that generates 1099 income, you have a strong business purpose for those miles. The fact that you never report to a central office and are sent directly to different locations each day further supports this. I'd recommend keeping detailed logs that clearly document: 1. Equipment being transported each day 2. Business purpose of each trip (equipment delivery/pickup/transport) 3. How your vehicle storage is essential to your rental business operations 4. Any instances where you make separate trips solely for equipment purposes The IRS will likely want to see that your mileage deductions are reasonable and directly tied to your Schedule C business activities. Since you're receiving both equipment rental income AND a car stipend on 1099, you'll want to report all that income and then offset it with legitimate business expenses including the appropriate portion of your mileage. Consider consulting with a tax professional who has experience with mixed W-2/1099 situations like yours - the documentation and allocation methods you use now could save you major headaches if you ever get audited.

The 3-year vs 2-year rule is really important! I learned this the hard way. Had a huge overpayment from 2019 that I tried to claim in 2023, but the IRS rejected it because I was past the 3-year window by like 2 months. Over $3,000 just gone!

This is exactly the kind of situation where timing matters so much! Based on what you've described, you should be good until April 2025 since the 3-year rule from the original due date would apply (as Daniel explained well above). But here's something to keep in mind - make sure you actually file your 2021 return if you haven't already! The refund statute expiration gives you the deadline to CLAIM the refund, but you need to have filed the return first. If you only made payments but never filed the actual return, the IRS won't process any refund until they have your complete filing. Also, double-check your payment records to make sure that overpayment actually got credited to your 2021 tax year and not accidentally applied elsewhere. Sometimes the IRS applies payments to different years or types of taxes than intended, especially if there were any outstanding balances on your account. You can get a tax transcript online to verify exactly how your payments were applied. Don't wait until the last minute though - even if you have until 2025, get this sorted out soon so you can actually get your money back!

Something similar happened to me last year. What worked was going to my local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. You need to schedule an appointment first (can't just walk in) but they were able to track exactly where my refund was and fixed the issue while I was there.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago! My refund was sent to a Wells Fargo account I had closed months earlier. Here's what I learned from that experience: The 3-5 week timeline that others mentioned is pretty accurate, but it can stretch longer during peak tax season. In my case, it took almost 7 weeks to receive the paper check. The frustrating part is that the "Where's My Refund" tool will keep showing "refund sent" status even after the bank has rejected the deposit. One thing that helped me was requesting my tax transcript online through the IRS website. It shows more detailed information about what's happening with your refund than the basic tracking tool. You might see codes that indicate when the bank returned the funds and when the IRS started processing the paper check. Also, double-check that the IRS has your current mailing address. If you've moved since your last return or if there are any discrepancies in how your address is formatted, that could cause additional delays. The paper check will be sent to whatever address they have on file from your return. Hang in there - it's stressful but the money will come! Just make sure to update your bank info on next year's return so this doesn't happen again.

I've seen this exact issue 4 times this tax season. Here's what worked for my clients: Step 1: Go to IRS.gov and request a Wage & Income Transcript for 2023 Step 2: Compare the AGI on that transcript with what you're entering Step 3: If they match and still get rejected, try entering $0 as the prior year AGI Step 4: If still rejected, file by mail with Form 8453-OL attached I'm concerned that both his total income and AGI are identical. This usually indicates no adjustments were taken (no student loan interest, no HSA contributions, etc). If he had marketplace insurance the previous year but didn't report it, the IRS might have flagged his account for review.

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! My client's return keeps getting rejected even though we're using the exact AGI from their 2023 return. What's frustrating is that the IRS error message is so vague - it just says "AGI doesn't match" without any hint about what might be wrong. One thing I learned from calling the Practitioner Priority Service (which took 3 hours of waiting) is that sometimes the IRS system doesn't update immediately when they make adjustments to prior year returns. The representative told me that if a return was adjusted after the initial processing, there can be a delay of several weeks before their e-file system reflects the correct AGI. Has your brother received any notices from the IRS about his 2023 return being adjusted? Even a small change like rounding or a calculation correction can throw off the AGI verification. I'd definitely recommend getting that transcript as others mentioned - it's the only way to see what the IRS actually has on file versus what Jackson Hewitt gave him.