I've been dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! Filed back in February and have been getting that useless "still processing" message for months now. Reading through all these success stories has given me so much hope - I had no idea about the payment line strategy! I'm definitely going to try calling 800-829-1040 tomorrow morning at 7am Eastern and selecting the payment options instead of the refund inquiry. The fact that multiple people are getting through in 15-25 minutes versus hours on the regular line is incredible. I've got my SSN, last year's AGI, and expected refund amount ($2,100) all organized and ready to go. What really strikes me is how many of these delays seem to be simple verification issues that get resolved quickly once you actually reach a human being. My return included the Child Tax Credit too, so I'm wondering if that might be what's holding mine up as well. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share what actually worked for them - this community has been more helpful than anything on the official IRS website! I'll definitely report back with how the call goes. It's so encouraging to know there are real solutions out there instead of just waiting indefinitely and hoping something changes.

I've been struggling with this exact same issue for over two months now! Filed in February and still stuck with that maddening "still processing" message. After reading through all these incredibly helpful success stories, I'm feeling more hopeful than I have in weeks. The payment line strategy at 800-829-1040 seems to be the clear winner here - so many people getting through in 15-25 minutes versus the endless holds on regular refund lines. I'm definitely going to try the 7am Eastern approach on Thursday morning with all my documentation ready (SSN, last year's AGI, and expected refund amount of $3,800). What really gives me confidence is seeing how many of these delays turn out to be simple verification issues that get resolved immediately once you reach an actual human. My return included both the Child Tax Credit and American Opportunity Tax Credit, so based on other stories here, that might be exactly what's triggering the hold. Thanks to everyone for sharing what actually works instead of just the generic "keep waiting" advice you get everywhere else. This community has been more helpful than months of trying to figure this out on my own! I'll definitely update with results - hopefully adding another success story to this amazing thread. The fact that we all have to jump through these hoops just to get information about our own money is ridiculous, but at least we're not alone in this fight!

Has anyone used TaxAct instead of TurboTax for this? I have a similar situation with a 1099-S but I'm using TaxAct this year to save money, and I can't find where to input this form.

I dealt with this exact situation two years ago when my father-in-law sold his rental property and we received proceeds as beneficiaries. The substitute 1099-S can be tricky in TurboTax, but here's what worked for me: First, make sure you're treating this correctly - since it was his father's vacation property (not primary residence), this is likely investment property for tax purposes. You'll need to determine if your husband's portion was received as a gift during his father's lifetime or through inheritance. For the basis calculation that's giving you trouble, you'll need the original purchase price of the property plus any major improvements made over the years. Your husband's basis would be his percentage share of that total amount. If you can't find exact records from 30 years ago, county assessor records often have historical sale data, or you can research comparable sales from that time period. One tip: if the field TurboTax is asking about seems confusing, try clicking the "?" or help icon next to it - sometimes it explains exactly what information they need. Also, don't forget to account for any selling expenses (realtor fees, closing costs, etc.) as these can reduce the taxable gain. The most important thing is to be as accurate as possible with the basis calculation since that determines how much of the proceeds are taxable. When in doubt, it's worth consulting a tax professional for this type of transaction.

Am I the only one who thinks it's completely ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to save for retirement? Like why does the backdoor Roth even exist? Why not just let people contribute directly to Roth IRAs without income limits? And then on top of that, every state has different rules?! I moved from Washington (no state income tax) to Oregon last year and suddenly my backdoor Roth conversion cost me an extra $600 in state taxes. Absolute madness.

This is exactly why I always recommend double-checking your state's specific rules each year, even if nothing seems to have changed in your situation. State tax laws around retirement accounts are constantly evolving, and sometimes the changes aren't well-publicized. One thing that might help is to pull your Form 8606 from both years and compare them line by line. Look specifically at Part I (lines 1-18) which deals with nondeductible contributions and conversions. If there's a difference in how your basis was calculated or reported between years, that could explain the state tax discrepancy. Also worth noting - some states have "conformity" issues where they don't automatically adopt federal tax changes or interpretations. So even if the federal treatment of your backdoor Roth was identical both years, your state might have changed how they handle it independently. The fact that others in this thread found actual policy changes in their states suggests this might be more common than we realize.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago as a 1099 contractor! The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but Andre's advice is spot on - don't rush to amend anything yet. In my case, the review was triggered because I had claimed home office expenses for the first time, and their system flagged it as unusual compared to my previous years. After the 60-day review period, they just asked for documentation proving my home office setup (photos, utility bills showing the space was dedicated to work, etc.). No penalties, no amendments needed - just verification. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet while I waited, listing all my major deductions with the supporting documents I had for each one. That way when they did contact me, I could respond immediately instead of scrambling to find paperwork. The whole process ended up being much less scary than that initial letter made it seem! Keep your chin up - most of these reviews are just routine verification, especially for us 1099 folks who have more complex returns than regular employees.

I've been through this exact scenario twice now as a 1099 contractor, and I completely understand that initial panic when you see that letter! Here's what I learned from my experiences: First time was for unusually high business expenses (I had bought a lot of equipment that year). Second time was because I had income from three different states. Both times, I followed the "wait and see" approach everyone's recommending here, and it was absolutely the right call. What really helped me was not just organizing documents, but also creating a brief written explanation for anything that might look unusual on my return. For example, if you claimed significantly higher expenses this year, write a simple note explaining why (new equipment, office setup, expanded business, etc.). Having those explanations ready made my responses much clearer when they did reach out. The 60-day timeline is usually conservative - both of my reviews were resolved in about 30-45 days. And in both cases, they just needed verification documents, no amendments or penalties. The comptroller offices deal with tons of 1099 filers, so they're pretty familiar with our more complex situations. Try to stay busy with other things during the waiting period. The anxiety is normal, but these reviews are much more routine than they feel when you're going through them!

This thread has been so helpful - I'm dealing with the exact same situation as a new teacher! My husband and I are both first-year educators in Texas and we're already worried about next tax season after hearing horror stories from other teachers about owing money. We both currently have "Married" selected on our W-4s because that's what HR recommended during orientation. Based on what everyone is saying here, it sounds like we should change this immediately before we get too far into the school year? Also, does anyone know if the withholding issues are the same in Texas since we don't have state income tax? I'm wondering if that actually makes it easier or if the federal withholding problems are just as bad regardless of the state. We're both making around $45,000 each, so very similar salaries. Should we be proactive and start having extra withheld now, or wait to see how our first tax season goes? I really don't want to be surprised with a big bill next April!

This is such great advice for new teachers! I'm a tax preparer who specializes in educator tax situations, and I see this dual-teacher withholding problem constantly during tax season. A few additional tips for Dylan and other new teacher couples: 1. Make sure to track ANY teaching-related expenses beyond the $250 educator deduction - while you can't deduct more than $250 federally, some states allow larger deductions, and keeping good records helps if you ever need to itemize. 2. If either of you coaches, tutors, or does any supplemental work, ask your payroll department about the withholding rate on those payments. Often they withhold at a flat rate that may not be sufficient for your actual tax bracket. 3. Consider opening a tax-advantaged retirement account (like a Roth IRA) if your district's pension plan allows it. This won't help with current year withholding but can reduce future tax issues and help you save more effectively on a teacher's salary. 4. Don't forget about the American Opportunity Tax Credit if either of you are still working on education-related degrees. It's more generous than the Lifetime Learning Credit for undergraduate work and can provide up to $2,500 per student per year. The withholding calculator approach mentioned throughout this thread really is your best bet for getting the numbers right. Good luck!