This thread has been incredibly valuable! As someone who's been wrestling with the same solo 401(k) reporting confusion, seeing all these real-world experiences and the consistent guidance about Schedule 1, Line 16 for sole proprietors is exactly what I needed. What really helped me was the explanation about thinking of yourself as both employee AND employer as a sole proprietor - that's why both contribution types flow to your personal return rather than being split between business and personal deductions. It finally makes the logic clear! For those still setting up their plans, I'd add one small tip: when you're comparing providers, also check their customer service quality for tax-related questions. I went with Schwab and their support team has been really helpful when I had questions about contribution timing and limits mid-year. Wesley, your numbers look right based on everything discussed here. That $34,506 total on Schedule 1, Line 16 is the way to go. The peace of mind from having this community confirm the approach is worth its weight in gold! Thanks to everyone who shared their expertise - this is exactly why I love this community for navigating the complexities of self-employment taxes.

This has been such an enlightening discussion! As a fellow solo business owner who's been dragging my feet on setting up a solo 401(k) because of the tax reporting confusion, this thread has been a game-changer. The consistent guidance about Schedule 1, Line 16 for sole proprietors really cuts through all the conflicting information out there. I've been going back and forth between different sources for months, but seeing multiple experienced folks (including a tax preparer!) confirm the same approach gives me the confidence I needed. Wesley, your situation mirrors mine almost exactly - similar income levels and the same confusion about where everything gets reported. Seeing your numbers worked out and confirmed by the community is incredibly helpful for visualizing how this actually works in practice. I particularly appreciate how this discussion went beyond just "what" to do and explained "why" it works that way. Understanding that as sole proprietors we're both employee and employer makes the Schedule 1 reporting logic finally click. Plus all the practical implementation tips about automatic contributions and record keeping - those are the details that make the difference between theory and successful execution. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences. This is exactly the kind of peer support that makes navigating self-employment so much more manageable!

I'm really sorry you're going through this frustrating situation with code 976! I've been dealing with the same code since mid-February and I know how stressful the waiting and uncertainty can be. From what I've learned, code 976 means your refund is under manual review - usually they're verifying income, dependents, or credits on your return. The timeline is typically 6-16 weeks, but can go up to 120 days in some cases. The hardest part is not knowing exactly what triggered the review or when it'll be resolved. Here's what's helped me cope: check your online transcript weekly for updates, keep records of your IRS calls (though customer service isn't very helpful right now), and if you hit 120 days, contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service - they have more authority than regular reps. I know it's tough when you need that money, but most 976 cases do eventually get resolved. Hang in there and keep checking for updates! 💪

I'm dealing with code 976 too since filing in February - it's been such a long and stressful wait! From what I understand, this code means your refund is stuck in manual review where they're verifying something on your return (could be income, dependents, or credits). The timeline is usually 6-16 weeks but can stretch to 120 days in some cases. The uncertainty is definitely the worst part since they don't tell you exactly what they're reviewing. I've been checking my transcript weekly for any changes and keeping records of my (mostly unsuccessful) calls to the IRS. If you haven't already, I'd suggest doing the same and if you hit that 120-day mark, definitely reach out to the Taxpayer Advocate Service since they supposedly have more pull than regular customer service. I know how frustrating it is when you're counting on that money - hang in there and hopefully we'll both see movement soon! 🤞

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a somewhat similar boat - just discovered my partner has some tax compliance issues and I've been losing sleep over it. What really stands out to me from reading everyone's experiences is how much the "unknown" factor amplifies the stress. It sounds like once you actually understand what you're dealing with - whether through the AI tools people mentioned, getting tax transcripts, or talking to professionals - the situation becomes much more manageable. I'm particularly interested in what @Hiroshi Nakamura mentioned about the IRS preferring payment plans over asset seizure. That's reassuring since I keep imagining worst-case scenarios about losing our home or having bank accounts frozen. One question for those who've been through this: how long did it typically take from when your spouse finally filed the back returns to when you felt like the situation was truly resolved? I'm trying to set realistic expectations for how long this stress might last once we start addressing it properly. Also, has anyone dealt with state tax issues alongside federal? I'm wondering if state agencies are typically as willing to work with payment plans as the IRS seems to be.

I've been following this thread closely as someone who went through a very similar situation last year. What helped me the most was creating a timeline of exactly which years needed to be addressed and gathering all the documents first before doing anything else. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that if your husband was doing contract work, he might actually be entitled to refunds for some of those years if taxes were withheld from his payments or if he's eligible for certain credits. I know it sounds counterintuitive when you're panicking about owing money, but my husband ended up getting refunds for 2 of the 4 years he hadn't filed, which significantly reduced the overall amount owed. Also, regarding your joint accounts - I'd suggest opening a separate account in just your name and moving some funds there temporarily while this gets sorted out. It won't protect assets that are already jointly owned, but it can give you peace of mind knowing you have access to some money that's clearly yours if anything gets frozen during the resolution process. The key thing I learned is that the IRS is surprisingly reasonable once you start communicating with them. They genuinely want to collect what's owed rather than destroy people financially, so payment plans are almost always available. Your husband just needs to stop avoiding this - every day of delay makes it worse and more expensive.

Just wanted to add that as a business owner who collects W-9s from freelancers, please please PLEASE use electronic signatures if the option is available! Paper forms are the bane of my existence - they get lost, information is illegible, pages get separated, and it's a nightmare come tax season when I need to issue 1099s. RightSignature and similar platforms have been a godsend for my bookkeeping. Everything is organized, searchable, and properly stored for tax purposes.

As someone who's been freelancing for over 5 years, I completely understand your hesitation about submitting sensitive tax information online! I had the exact same concerns when I first encountered RightSignature. What helped me feel more comfortable was learning that RightSignature is actually owned by Citrix, which is a well-established enterprise software company. They're required to maintain strict security certifications to serve their corporate clients, including SOC 2 Type II compliance and 256-bit SSL encryption. One thing I always do now is verify I'm on the legitimate site by checking the URL carefully - make sure it's exactly "rightsignature.com" and shows the secure padlock icon in your browser. If your client sent you a direct link, you can always navigate to the main RightSignature site independently and log in from there instead. The IRS has actually been encouraging electronic submissions for years now because they're more secure and traceable than paper forms that can get lost in the mail. Electronic signatures create an audit trail that shows exactly when and where the document was signed, which provides better protection for both you and your client. That said, if you're still uncomfortable, there's nothing wrong with asking your client if they can accept a scanned PDF of a hand-signed form as an alternative. Most reasonable clients will accommodate that request, even if it adds a day or two to the process.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! F1 visa holder, been in the US for about 10 months, and FreeTaxUSA has been giving me such a headache. The software definitely seems designed only for US citizens and permanent residents. Like you, I noticed it never asked about my visa status or how long I've been in the country, which seems like pretty crucial information for determining tax residency. After reading through all these responses, I'm convinced that FreeTaxUSA just isn't the right tool for our situation. The difference between resident and nonresident tax treatment is huge - we're talking about potentially overpaying by over $1000 like you mentioned. I'm planning to check with my university's international student office tomorrow to see if they have a VITA program. If not, I might try one of those specialized services that people mentioned here. It sounds like the small cost upfront could save us a lot of money and stress in the long run. Thanks for posting this - it's reassuring to know other international students are dealing with the same confusing situation!

I work as a tax preparer and see this exact issue with international students every tax season. You're absolutely right to be confused - FreeTaxUSA and similar consumer tax software are simply not equipped to handle F1 visa tax situations properly. The core issue is that as an F1 student, you have a completely different tax profile than what these programs expect. You should be filing Form 1040-NR (Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return), not the standard Form 1040. This isn't just a minor difference - it affects your standard deduction, tax rates, and eligibility for various credits. For your specific situation with 11 months in the US on F1 status, you are definitely a nonresident alien for federal tax purposes. The substantial presence test doesn't apply to F1 students during their first 5 calendar years in the US. My strong recommendation: Stop using FreeTaxUSA for this. Either visit your university's international student office (they often have VITA programs specifically for this), or consider paying for a tax preparer who specializes in nonresident returns. The $1,100 difference you mentioned between resident and nonresident treatment makes this worth getting professional help. Don't risk filing incorrectly - the IRS is very strict about nonresident alien tax compliance.