I'm so sorry for the loss of both your parents - that's an incredibly difficult situation to navigate while also dealing with complex tax issues. Based on what you've shared, there are several concerning aspects to your tax preparer's advice. The suggestion to "roll over" the refund to next year is fundamentally incorrect for deceased taxpayers. Once someone passes away, the IRS doesn't maintain ongoing tax accounts for them, so there's no mechanism to carry forward a refund to future tax years that won't exist. The $6,800 refund from your parents' joint return legally belongs to your mother's estate since she was the surviving spouse. To properly claim this refund, you'll need to file Form 1310 as the estate executor. Your stepbrother's potential claim would depend entirely on whether he's named as a beneficiary in your mother's will or estate planning documents - his rights through your father's separate trust don't automatically extend to your mother's estate assets. Given the significant amount involved and the family dynamics at play, I'd strongly recommend consulting with an estate attorney or a CPA who specializes in deceased taxpayer returns before proceeding. You want to ensure you're following the proper legal procedures and protecting yourself from any future disputes. The current accountant's advice suggests they may not have sufficient experience with estate tax matters, which could create problems down the line.

I'm really sorry for the loss of both your parents so close together - that must be incredibly overwhelming to deal with while also trying to navigate these complex tax and estate issues. Based on what you've described, your tax preparer has given you some fundamentally incorrect advice that could create serious problems. You absolutely cannot "roll over" a tax refund for deceased taxpayers to future years because the IRS doesn't maintain accounts for people who have passed away. This is a major red flag that suggests your accountant may not have adequate experience with deceased taxpayer situations. Here's what you need to know: The $6,800 refund from your parents' joint return legally belongs to your mother's estate since she was the last surviving spouse. To claim it properly, you'll need to file Form 1310 (Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer) along with supporting documentation like the death certificate and proof that you're the authorized executor. Regarding your stepbrother's potential claim - this depends entirely on whether he's named as a beneficiary in your mother's will or estate documents. His connection through your father's separate trust doesn't automatically give him rights to assets from your mother's estate. However, given that he's asking questions and uses the same accountant, I'd be concerned about potential confidentiality issues and would recommend notifying the accountant in writing that estate tax matters should only be discussed with you as the executor. I'd strongly suggest getting a consultation with an estate attorney or CPA who specializes in deceased taxpayer returns before proceeding further. The amount is significant enough to warrant proper legal guidance, and you want to protect yourself from family disputes while ensuring you follow the correct IRS procedures.

I work as a tax preparer and want to clarify something that might save you time and headaches. While the IRS Free File Fillable Forms is definitely your best option for avoiding the interview-style questionnaires, there's an important limitation to be aware of: you can only use it if your adjusted gross income is below certain thresholds (it changes yearly, but it's typically around $79,000 for 2024 returns). If your income is above that threshold, you'll need to use commercial software or paper filing. However, there's a lesser-known workaround: many of the major tax software companies are required by the IRS to offer a "Free File" version of their software for qualifying taxpayers, but they also have separate "free editions" available to everyone that cover basic tax situations. The key is to look for the software company's "free edition" (not their "Free File" version) which usually allows you to prepare and e-file simple returns without the income restrictions. These versions typically handle Form 1040 with standard deductions and common schedules, though they might not support every form you need. Since you've already done the work of figuring out which forms you need and completing them, you should be able to breeze through any of these options much faster than starting from scratch with the interview process.

As someone who's been through this exact frustration, I completely understand your situation! The good news is there are several viable options that don't require you to start over with those annoying interview questionnaires. Your best bet is probably the IRS Free File Fillable Forms (accessible directly through irs.gov). It's essentially the digital version of the paper forms you've already completed - you'll see the same Form 1040 and schedules in web format, and you can just transfer your numbers directly. No interviews, no upsells, just straightforward data entry. If you don't qualify for Free File Fillable Forms due to income thresholds, consider FreeTaxUSA's basic version, which allows more direct form entry without extensive questionnaires. You can jump straight to entering your data rather than answering lifestyle questions. One important tip: always access these services directly through the official websites (irs.gov for Free File, or the company's direct site) to avoid getting redirected to paid services that look similar. The process should be much faster since you've already done the hard work of determining which forms you need and completing the calculations. You're essentially just copying numbers from your PDFs to identical online forms. Just double-check your entries since these systems have minimal error checking compared to the full interview-style software.

anyone else notice the massive amount of 570/971 codes lately?

@Liam O'Sullivan check your account transcript on the IRS website - look for the 8-digit cycle code (usually starts with 2025). If it ends in 01-04 you get daily updates, if it ends in 05 you're on weekly (Fridays). The cycle code tells you which processing center you're at and when they batch your return. Don't panic about no movement - some returns just take longer especially if there are any reviews or verifications needed. Keep checking Friday mornings if you're on weekly cycle!

I'm in exactly the same situation with my single-member S-corp! After reading through all these responses, I'm leaning toward trying TaxBandits first since the cost seems reasonable at around $150-180/year. The quarterly payroll schedule makes sense for cash flow too. One question I haven't seen addressed - how do you all handle the actual payroll tax deposits? Do you just calculate them yourself and pay online through EFTPS, or does TaxBandits help with that part? I'm worried about missing deposit deadlines since I know the penalties can be steep even for small amounts. Also, has anyone tried combining TaxBandits with QuickBooks for the record keeping side? I'm already using QB for my regular business bookkeeping, so I'm wondering if there's a good workflow that connects the two.

I've been using TaxBandits for my single-member S-corp photography business for about 18 months now, and I can definitely recommend it for your situation. The learning curve isn't too steep, and the cost savings compared to full-service providers is significant. A few practical tips from my experience: 1. Set up a dedicated business checking account just for payroll if you haven't already. It makes tracking so much easier when you're paying yourself. 2. I run payroll quarterly and it works perfectly fine. Just make sure you're consistent with your schedule and document everything well. 3. The biggest challenge initially was figuring out the right amount for "reasonable compensation." I ended up researching salary ranges for photographers in my area and settled on about 40% of my net business income as W-2 wages, with the rest as distributions. 4. Don't forget about workers' comp insurance requirements - some states require it even for single-member LLCs electing S-corp status. TaxBandits has been reliable for all my federal filings (941s, 940, W-2s), though I did have to figure out my state unemployment filing separately. Overall, for a solo business owner, it strikes the right balance between cost and functionality.

I totally get your confusion - this happened to me my first year filing with multiple jobs too! The key thing to understand is that your refund isn't really "money you're getting back" - it's just the IRS returning the extra taxes you overpaid during the year. When you only entered your first W-2, TurboTax calculated your tax liability based on just that income. But when you added the second W-2, your total income increased, which means your actual tax liability for the year is higher than what either employer withheld individually. Think of it like this: if you owe $3,000 in total taxes but your employers only withheld $2,500 combined (because they each calculated withholding as if their job was your only income), then you'd actually owe $500 rather than getting a refund. For next year, definitely look into adjusting your W-4 withholding using the IRS multiple jobs worksheet or their online estimator. And remember - a smaller refund isn't necessarily bad! It just means you got to keep more of your money in your paychecks throughout the year instead of giving the government an interest-free loan.

Hey Ethan! I totally understand your confusion - this is one of the most common tax surprises people face when filing for the first time with multiple jobs. Everyone's already given you great explanations about why this happens (the tax bracket issue is spot on), but I wanted to add a practical tip that might help you feel better about the situation. Even though your refund dropped from $1,850 to $740, you're still getting money back! That $740 refund means you actually overpaid your taxes by that amount throughout the year. If you think about it, you essentially got to use that extra $1,100 in your paychecks all year long instead of lending it to the government interest-free. For next year, definitely use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator tool after you start any new job. It'll help you figure out exactly how to fill out your W-4s so you don't get surprised again. You can access it at irs.gov - just search for "Tax Withholding Estimator." This way you can decide whether you want a bigger refund (by having more taxes withheld) or more money in each paycheck (by having less withheld, but potentially owing at tax time). And definitely don't leave off that second W-2 - the IRS will definitely catch it and the penalties aren't worth it!