I've been with BCU for about 18 months now and can add to what everyone's saying! My experience has been really consistent with the 1-2 day early timeline. Last year my DDD was 2/24 and I got my deposit on 2/22 at around 2:15 AM during their overnight batch processing. This year I'm waiting on a 2/27 DDD, so I'm in the same anxious boat as many of you! 😅 What I've found helpful is setting up account alerts through their mobile app - you'll get a notification as soon as any deposit posts, which saves you from constantly checking. Also, for anyone new to BCU, their customer service is fantastic if you have any concerns about the timing. The automated system Omar mentioned is definitely worth calling, but their live agents are also really helpful and knowledgeable about deposit schedules. Based on my experience and what everyone else is sharing, I'd be really surprised if people with 2/26 DDDs don't see their deposits by Thursday evening or Friday morning. The waiting is always nerve-wracking but BCU has been super reliable for me! Keep us all posted when yours hit! 🤞

I've been with BCU for almost 2 years now and wanted to jump in with my experience! They've been really consistent with early deposits - usually 1-2 days ahead of the DDD like everyone else is mentioning. My DDD last year was 2/25 and I got my deposit on 2/23 around midnight during their overnight processing. This year my DDD is 2/28 so I'm also in the waiting game with everyone! 😅 One thing I've noticed is that BCU's mobile app notifications are super reliable - I always get pinged the moment a deposit hits, even at 2 AM. For those of you with 2/26 DDDs, based on my experience I'd expect to see something by Thursday night or Friday morning. The automated phone system tip that Omar shared is gold - I use it all the time to check pending deposits without having to log into anything. BCU has never let me down with refunds, so I'm confident you'll all see yours soon! This community is awesome for sharing real experiences instead of just speculation. I'll definitely update when mine posts! 🤞

I've been successfully using Priority Mail with tracking for my tax returns for the past 3 years and it's worked flawlessly every time! As someone who was initially hesitant to move away from Certified Mail, I can confirm that Priority Mail provides everything the IRS needs for proof of timely filing. The tracking is incredibly comprehensive - you can see when USPS accepts your package, follow it through every processing facility, and get the exact delivery timestamp at the IRS center. What really convinced me was that Priority Mail typically delivers in 1-2 days versus 5-7 days for Certified Mail, and the cost is nearly identical. I've had to reference my filing proof twice over the years (once for an audit, once for a processing question), and both times the IRS accepted my Priority Mail tracking documentation without any hesitation. The key is keeping good records - I always take photos of my return before mailing, save the receipt, and screenshot the complete tracking history once delivered. One practical tip: make sure you're using the correct IRS mailing address for your state and return type. You can find this on the IRS website. With Priority Mail's speed, using the right address ensures your return gets processed as quickly as possible. Priority Mail with tracking absolutely meets IRS requirements and gives you better service than Certified Mail. You're making a smart choice!

As someone who was in your exact same situation last year, I can definitely confirm that Priority Mail with tracking is completely acceptable! I was nervous about not using Certified Mail since that's what I'd always heard was the "official" way to send tax documents, but after doing research and talking to a tax professional, I learned that the IRS just requires proof of timely mailing - they don't specify which mail service you have to use. I ended up going with Priority Mail and had a great experience. It arrived at the IRS processing center in just 2 days, the tracking was incredibly detailed (showing every step from pickup to delivery), and I got confirmation with an exact timestamp of when it was delivered. The cost was about the same as Certified Mail but with much faster service. The key is just keeping good records - I saved screenshots of the complete tracking history once it showed delivered and kept my receipt with my tax documents. When I called the IRS later about an unrelated question, they were able to easily look up my return using the Priority Mail tracking number. Priority Mail with tracking definitely gives you all the proof you need while being faster and more convenient than Certified Mail. You're making a smart choice!

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! The hyphenated last name is almost certainly your issue. Here's what finally worked for me: First, try entering your name in ID.me exactly as it appears on your most recent tax return if you have a copy. Even if your parents filed it, your name should appear consistently with how the IRS has it stored. If you don't have that, here are the variations to try with your hyphenated name: - With the hyphen: "Smith-Jones" - Without the hyphen but with a space: "Smith Jones" - Without the hyphen, no space: "SmithJones" - Sometimes they store it as two separate last names Also, make sure you're using your full legal first name, not a nickname. If your birth certificate says "Elizabeth" but you go by "Liz," use Elizabeth. The other thing that helped me was checking my credit report first - sometimes the way your name appears there matches how it's stored in government databases, since they often cross-reference the same sources. Don't panic about the deadline! You can always file for an extension if needed, and like someone else mentioned, you can enter "0" for prior year AGI if you absolutely can't retrieve it. The IRS would rather have your return with a small processing delay than not have it at all.

I went through this exact same issue a few months ago and it was incredibly frustrating! The ID.me error 6001 is definitely a name formatting mismatch between what you entered and what the IRS has on file. Since you mentioned you have a hyphenated last name, that's almost certainly the culprit. Government systems are notoriously inconsistent about how they handle special characters like hyphens. Some store them, others strip them out, and some replace them with spaces. Here's what I'd recommend trying first before calling anyone: 1. Try your name with the hyphen, without the hyphen (as one word), and with a space instead of the hyphen 2. Make sure you're using your full legal first name exactly as it appears on official documents, not any nicknames 3. Double-check that you're not accidentally adding extra spaces anywhere If those don't work, calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 is actually your best bet. Yes, the wait times are terrible, but they can verify your identity using other information and tell you exactly how your name appears in their system. I ended up having to do this and the agent was actually very helpful once I got through. Don't stress too much about the deadline - you can always file for an extension if needed, and entering "0" for prior year AGI won't prevent you from filing. The IRS deals with these verification issues constantly during tax season.

This discussion has been absolutely fascinating and has completely changed how I think about ACA subsidy planning! I'm a tax preparer and I have to admit, I've been advising clients to avoid the repayment situation entirely rather than helping them understand how to strategically use the limitations. One thing I want to add that might help people is about the timing of income recognition for those who have some control over when they receive income. For example, if you're a consultant or small business owner, you might be able to strategically time invoice payments or defer income to December vs January to optimize your MAGI for ACA purposes. I've also seen situations where people benefit from bunching itemized deductions into alternate years - doing things like prepaying property taxes or making large charitable contributions every other year. This can help you stay within favorable repayment cap brackets in the years when you have lower deductions. What really strikes me about this thread is how the ACA repayment limitations have created these unintended planning opportunities that most people (including tax professionals like me) don't fully understand. It seems like there's a whole subset of tax strategy that's developed around these rules. For anyone reading this who's working with a tax preparer, I'd definitely recommend bringing up these repayment limitation strategies during your planning meetings. Not all of us are up to speed on the more sophisticated ACA planning techniques, and this discussion has shown there's a lot more to consider than just trying to avoid repayments altogether.

This entire discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! As someone who's been on an ACA marketplace plan for three years, I've been treating the potential for premium tax credit repayment like something to fear rather than a tool to potentially leverage. Reading through everyone's strategies has made me realize I've been leaving money on the table. I'm particularly interested in the approach of treating the repayment limitations as a planning feature rather than a bug. The idea that you could actually save money by owing at tax time versus paying higher premiums throughout the year is counterintuitive but makes perfect sense when you understand the math. I'm curious about one scenario that hasn't been discussed yet: what happens if you have a major life change mid-year that affects your income projection? For example, if you lose a job in June but then start a higher-paying position in September, your year-end MAGI might still be higher than your original estimate, but you would have had months of lower income in between. Do the repayment limitations still protect you in this situation, or does the IRS expect you to have updated your marketplace application immediately when your circumstances changed? I know you're supposed to report changes within 30 days, but I'm wondering how this affects the strategic planning aspects that everyone has been discussing. Also, has anyone dealt with how HSA contributions factor into these calculations? Since HSA contributions reduce your MAGI, I'm wondering if maxing out HSA contributions could be another lever to help optimize your position relative to the FPL thresholds.

Kinda related question - has anyone dealt with getting settlement money across multiple tax years? I got a lead paint settlement that's being paid out over 3 years and I'm confused about how to handle it.

Based on my experience with a similar asbestos settlement case, the key is really in how the settlement agreement describes the compensation. Since your agreement mentions "potential exposure and related inconveniences" but doesn't break down specific amounts, you're in a bit of a gray area. The good news is that you haven't received a 1099, which suggests the paying party doesn't consider it fully taxable income. For the health-related portion of your settlement, you can likely argue it falls under IRC Section 104(a)(2) as compensation for potential physical injury, making it non-taxable. However, you'll probably need to allocate some portion to the "inconveniences" and relocation expenses, which would be taxable. A reasonable approach might be to estimate what percentage was for potential health impacts versus out-of-pocket expenses and inconvenience. I'd recommend keeping detailed records of your reasoning for any allocation you make, and consider getting a tax professional's opinion if you're unsure. The IRS publications on settlements (Publication 525) have helpful guidance on this exact situation.