Thanks for sharing your experience! I did use H&R Block and had their fees taken out of my refund, so that definitely could explain it. I just thought it was weird that it didn't have their name in the transaction description. I'll check tomorrow to see if I get the rest of my refund as scheduled. Fingers crossed it all works out!

This is what happened to me! Had a forgotten old state tax bill from when I moved, and they took part of my federal refund to cover it. The IRS sends a letter explaining the offset but it usually arrives AFTER the weird deposit shows up.

I don't think I have any outstanding debts, at least nothing I'm aware of. I guess I'll know for sure tomorrow if I get the rest of my refund or not. And I'll keep an eye out for any letters from the IRS explaining what happened.

I've never heard of Form 911 or the Taxpayer Advocate Service. Is this something anyone can use? And how long does it typically take to get a response from them?

Yes, anyone can request help from the Taxpayer Advocate Service, though they prioritize cases where taxpayers are experiencing financial hardship, immediate threats of adverse action, or situations where they've tried normal IRS channels without success - which definitely applies to your case. Response times vary greatly depending on their caseload and the complexity of your situation. Currently they're taking about 4-6 weeks for initial response, but they can place holds on collections while they investigate. The best part is you'll get assigned a specific advocate who handles your case personally, so you're not explaining your situation to a different person every time. You can find the form and contact information on the IRS website by searching "Taxpayer Advocate Service.

This is actually a good point. I once had a similar issue and it turned out a former employer had submitted a corrected W-2 that showed $2k more income than the original one I received. I never got the corrected copy but the IRS did! Worth checking your wage and income transcript too.

What exactly counts as "capital improvements"? Does regular maintenance count? Like if I replaced the dishwasher when it broke, is that an improvement or just a repair?

Great question about capital improvements vs. repairs. The basic rule is that improvements add value to your home, prolong its useful life, or adapt it to new uses, while repairs just keep your property in good working condition. Replacing a broken dishwasher with a similar model is generally considered a repair and not a capital improvement. However, if you upgraded to a significantly better dishwasher or remodeled the entire kitchen, that would count as a capital improvement. Examples of capital improvements include: adding rooms, replacing the entire roof, paving the driveway, installing central air conditioning, replacing all windows, or adding a fence. Regular maintenance like painting, fixing leaks, or replacing broken fixtures usually doesn't count.

I used TurboTax last year when I sold my primary residence. It was pretty straightforward - it walks you through a series of questions about how long you owned and lived in the home, and then calculates whether you qualify for the exclusion. The software also helps you calculate your adjusted basis including improvements.

Do you have any suggestions for handling situations where you forget and use the wrong card? This happens to me all the time and then I'm stuck trying to remember which purchases were actually business-related.

When I accidentally use the wrong card, I immediately send myself an email with the details (what I bought, which card I used, and the business purpose). Then during my weekly review, I transfer those transactions to my business records. Another trick is setting different cards in different mobile wallets. I keep my business card as the default in Apple Pay and my personal as default in Google Pay. This creates a physical separation that helps me remember which is which.

This is so true. My dad was an accountant for 40 years and always said the same thing. He called it the "sleep at night" test - if your position is reasonable enough that you can sleep at night, you're probably fine. The tax code is too complex for perfect compliance.

Exactly! And there's this misconception that an audit means you did something wrong. Sometimes it's just random selection. I've been through one, and it was basically just showing my documentation and explaining my reasoning. Since I had good records and wasn't trying to pull anything shady, it was pretty straightforward. The peace of mind comes from having a system, not from having perfect answers to every possible tax scenario. That's why I stopped obsessing over every little deduction and instead focus on consistent documentation.

I hadn't even thought of that! Great idea, I'll check with HR tomorrow. We do have a pretty decent benefits package at my main employer, so there might be something there. Thanks for the suggestion!

I did exactly this and it worked well. Had the CPA show me what documentation to keep for the home office deductions especially. Now I just use FreeTaxUSA and it's easy.