I filed on February 3rd and got my refund direct deposited on February 12th, so 9 days total from submission to money in my account. Was honestly shocked at how fast it was! I have a pretty simple return though - just W-2 income, standard deduction, no credits besides the standard ones. My friend who claimed EITC is still waiting though. I think certain credits definitely slow things down a lot.

Just a heads up - if you claim certain credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), the IRS legally cannot issue your refund before mid-February regardless of when you file. That's why some people will always wait longer than others.

Don't overlook the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports! They often have comprehensive summaries of tax credits by sector. The report titled "Energy Tax Policy: Historical Perspectives on and Current Status of Energy Tax Expenditures" was incredibly helpful for my energy policy work. It breaks down ALL business energy tax credits with their IRC sections, dollar values, and expiration dates. Also check out the Tax Foundation and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) - both have great compilations of energy-related tax incentives. Another trick is to look at the Joint Committee on Taxation's tax expenditure reports which quantify the fiscal impact of each credit.

For debate prep specifically, don't forget to look at industry criticism of these tax credits too! Check out resources from API (American Petroleum Institute) for critiques of renewable credits, and conversely, look at SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association) for advocacy of solar incentives and critiques of fossil fuel subsidies. Also, the Joint Committee on Taxation scores each tax expenditure with revenue impacts, which is crucial for cost-benefit analysis in your debate. Congressional Budget Office reports often evaluate the effectiveness of these credits too.

Don't forget about state-specific considerations with commercial property depreciation. Federal bonus depreciation is great, but some states don't conform to it! I own commercial properties in three different states and each one handles depreciation differently. California, for example, doesn't conform to federal bonus depreciation rules, so you end up with different depreciation schedules for federal vs. state returns. This creates a tracking nightmare if you're not prepared for it. You might save big on federal taxes but see minimal state tax benefits depending on your location.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the potential trap of Qualified Improvement Property (QIP) vs regular improvements. This can be HUGE for commercial buildings. QIP (improvements to the interior of nonresidential buildings) qualifies for 15-year depreciation AND bonus depreciation, but only if done after the building was placed in service. If you're buying existing buildings, any improvements the previous owner made don't qualify for you. But if you plan renovations after purchase, make sure to properly document them as QIP to get the accelerated depreciation benefits. This alone could save you tens of thousands on a property your size.

You should just file it on this year's taxes. There's a specific place for miscellaneous income that doesn't have a 1099 attached to it. Your parents will probably know how to include it. The bigger issue is that this company is breaking the law by not issuing you a 1099-NEC when you earned over $600. They're supposed to get your SSN before you start working so they can properly report your earnings. If they didn't, they could be subject to penalties.

One important thing to note - if you wait until next year to withdraw the money, you'll still need to report it as 2021 income on your 2021 taxes. But if you wait and file next year, you'll need to file an amended return for 2021 (Form 1040-X), which is more complicated and could trigger penalties for late payment.

I encountered something similar last year. The difference is likely in the Qualified Dividends and Capital Gain Tax Worksheet. If your income is in certain brackets, qualified dividends and long-term capital gains are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% instead of your regular tax rate. Make sure both programs have correctly identified your qualified dividends from your 1099-DIV (Box 1b) and long-term capital gains from your 1099-B. Sometimes one program might mistakenly treat qualified dividends as ordinary dividends, which would result in a higher tax calculation. Also check if either program is applying the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT), which is an additional 3.8% on certain investment income if your AGI is above certain thresholds.

Pro tip: You can preview your 1040 in TurboTax without paying. Just look for the "Preview my 1040" option in the menu. That way you can see the full return and compare line by line with FreeTaxUSA before deciding which one to file with. Also, in case this helps others, I've found that sometimes the discrepancy comes from how software handles foreign tax credits or the alternative minimum tax (AMT) calculations. Might be worth checking those sections too if you have those situations.