I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now! Just discovered I made duplicate payments totaling $4,800 when I only owed about $2,400. Used TurboTax and then panicked and made another payment directly through the IRS website because I wasn't sure the first one went through properly. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I was having a complete meltdown thinking I'd never see that money again or it would take months to resolve. Reading everyone's experiences here shows this is incredibly common during tax season when we're all stressed and rushing to meet deadlines. What's giving me the most confidence is that literally everyone who has shared their story here eventually got their money back, and the IRS seems to have solid procedures for handling duplicate payments once they identify them. The timelines vary between 2-6 weeks, but knowing there are multiple proven approaches makes this feel so much more manageable. Based on all the excellent advice shared here, I'm planning to: 1. Monitor my IRS online account daily for any "overpayment identified" notation over the next 2-3 weeks 2. Keep all my payment confirmations organized with timestamps from both platforms 3. If automatic processing doesn't happen, I'll try Claimyr or file Form 8849 based on what others have shared Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and timelines - this community support has transformed what felt like a financial disaster into a solvable problem with clear next steps. I'll definitely update with my progress for anyone else dealing with duplicate payment stress!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I accidentally made duplicate payments last week - $3,100 through TurboTax and another $2,950 through FreeTaxUSA when I only owed around $3,000 total. I was comparing different software options and somehow managed to submit payments through both platforms. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - it's clear this happens to way more people than any of us realized, especially during the final push to meet tax deadlines when we're all stressed and making rushed decisions. What's giving me the most confidence from all these stories is that the IRS seems to handle duplicate payments pretty routinely once they identify them. The fact that everyone here eventually got their money back, whether through automatic processing or by taking more proactive steps, is incredibly reassuring. Based on all the great advice shared in this thread, I'm going to monitor my IRS online account over the next 2-3 weeks to see if that "overpayment identified" notation appears like several people mentioned. I've already organized all my payment confirmations and screenshots from both platforms with timestamps, just in case I need to escalate. If the automatic route doesn't work out, it's so helpful to know there are proven backup options like Claimyr or filing Form 8849 that others have used successfully. Having multiple strategies really takes the panic out of what initially felt like a financial disaster. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines - this community support has been amazing for managing the stress of this situation!

This is definitely positive news! The status change from "Still Processing" to "Received and Being Processed" after identity verification is exactly what you want to see - it means the IRS has successfully confirmed your identity and your return has been released from the verification hold back into normal processing. As someone new to navigating IRS processes, I've found it really helpful to understand that "Still Processing" often indicates some kind of hold or review, while "Received and Being Processed" means your return is actively moving through their system again. Your 18-minute online verification time is actually excellent - it suggests clean documentation without complications. Based on what I've learned from this community, most people see their refunds within 2-3 weeks of this status change. Given your mother's care expenses and the urgency involved, I'd recommend checking your IRS account transcript if you can access it. Look for transaction codes 971/570 to clear (these are the verification hold codes) and eventually code 846 to appear with your deposit date. The fact that you're seeing this positive change just 7 days after verification is actually quite good timing. You've cleared the biggest hurdle - identity verification - and now it's just normal processing time. If you have direct deposit set up, refunds typically post on Wednesdays once processing completes. For your planning purposes, I'd expect early-to-mid April, but many people see faster results. You're definitely moving in the right direction!

This is definitely a positive development! The status change from "Still Processing" to "Received and Being Processed" after identity verification is exactly what you want to see - it means the IRS has successfully confirmed your identity and released your return from the verification hold. As someone who's navigated this process before, your 18-minute online verification time is actually really encouraging. It indicates your documentation was clean and straightforward, which should help prevent any additional processing delays. Based on what I've observed in this community, most people see their refunds within 2-3 weeks of this specific status change. Given the urgency with your mother's care expenses, I'd recommend checking your IRS online account transcript if you haven't already. Look for transaction codes 971/570 (verification hold codes) to clear, and eventually code 846 to appear with your actual deposit date. The fact that you're seeing this positive movement just 7 days after verification is actually quite good timing compared to many others' experiences. You've cleared the biggest hurdle - the identity verification process - and now you're back in normal processing rather than sitting in limbo. For your financial planning, I'd expect early-to-mid April for completion, but many people see faster results. If you have direct deposit set up, refunds typically post on Wednesdays once processing completes. You're definitely moving in the right direction, and this status change is a strong indicator that your refund is progressing normally through the system!

I'm actually a subcontractor for several different contractors and many of them don't really understand how to handle the taxes. From my perspective, I receive the full payment and report it all as income on my Schedule C, paying the full self-employment tax. But the contractor definitely shouldn't be paying SE tax on money they paid to me.

Great discussion everyone! I want to add one more important point that hasn't been covered yet - timing of the deduction. Since you paid the subcontractor in the same tax year you received the payment, you can deduct it immediately. But if there's ever a situation where you receive payment in one tax year and pay the subcontractor in the next, you'd need to be careful about when you claim the deduction. Also, keep detailed records beyond just payment receipts. Document the work scope, timeline, and why you needed to subcontract the work. This helps establish the legitimate business purpose if the IRS ever questions the arrangement. I learned this the hard way during an audit - having clear documentation of the business relationship saved me a lot of headaches. One last tip: consider setting up a separate business bank account if you haven't already. It makes tracking these pass-through payments much cleaner and provides better separation between personal and business expenses.

Has anyone successfully filed state taxes after amending federal taxes as a non-resident? I'm in California and using standard software keeps giving me errors when I try to input my corrected federal information.

I went through this exact same situation as an F-1 student last year! The panic is real, but you can definitely fix this. Here's what I learned from my experience: First, yes, you absolutely need to file an amended return using Form 1040X along with the correct 1040NR. The key thing is to act quickly - I filed my amendment about 6 weeks after my original filing and had no issues. A few important points from my experience: 1. Make sure you understand your substantial presence test status - as an F-1 student, your first 5 years don't count toward the test, so you should indeed be filing as a non-resident alien. 2. Check if your university provides any tax assistance for international students - mine had a partnership with a service specifically for this. 3. Don't forget to look into tax treaty benefits if your home country has one with the US. I saved about $300 by properly claiming treaty exemptions that TurboTax had missed. The IRS acknowledged my amended return in about 8 weeks, and I received my corrected refund (which was actually larger due to treaty benefits) about 12 weeks total. No penalties since I was correcting an honest mistake and filed the amendment promptly. For state taxes, definitely wait until you get confirmation that your federal amendment was received before filing. Most states will accept the amended federal information, but the timing matters for processing.

Giovanni, I completely understand your anxiety about this situation! As someone who has dealt with similar international tax complications, I want to reassure you that you're taking the right step by seeking clarity now rather than continuing to ignore it. From what you've described, your Colombian vacation house worth $85k that doesn't generate income and is held directly in your name likely doesn't require reporting on Form 8938. The key factor you need to investigate is whether you have any Colombian bank accounts associated with the property - even small accounts for property taxes or utilities. The $10,000 FBAR threshold applies to the aggregate value of ALL your foreign financial accounts, so if you have Colombian accounts plus accounts in other countries, you'd need to add them all together to see if you hit that threshold in any given year. If you discover you should have filed FBAR forms in previous years, definitely look into the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures. This program is specifically designed for taxpayers who had non-willful failures to report foreign accounts/assets. Since you genuinely didn't know about these requirements, you'd likely qualify for this program which has much more reasonable penalties than regular enforcement. I'd strongly recommend scheduling a consultation with a tax professional who specializes in international taxation. Even if it costs a few hundred dollars, it's much better to get clarity now than to potentially face significant penalties later. You're being proactive by addressing this now, which puts you in a much better position than if the IRS discovered unreported assets through other means.

Giovanni, I really feel for your situation - inherited foreign property can be such a minefield when it comes to US tax compliance! I went through something similar with a rental property I inherited in Canada a few years ago. The good news is that based on what you've described, you're probably not in as dire straits as you might think. Since your Colombian property is worth $85k, doesn't generate rental income, and is held directly in your name (not through a foreign entity), the property itself likely doesn't need to be reported on Form 8938 or similar forms. The critical question is whether you have any Colombian bank accounts - even small ones for paying property taxes, utilities, or maintenance expenses. If the total value of ALL your foreign accounts combined ever exceeded $10,000 in any calendar year, you'd need to file FBAR forms for those years. If you discover you missed required FBAR filings, don't panic! The Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures are specifically designed for situations like yours where the non-reporting was genuinely unintentional. Since you clearly didn't know about these requirements (non-willful non-compliance), you'd likely qualify for this program which has much more reasonable penalties. My advice: Schedule a consultation with a tax professional who specializes in international taxation and dual citizenship issues. Yes, it'll cost a few hundred dollars upfront, but it's infinitely better than potentially facing penalties later. You're being smart by addressing this proactively rather than hoping it goes away. The peace of mind alone will be worth the investment!