I work with tax processing systems and can confirm this is normal behavior for Michigan's eServices portal. The "You do not have access to view 2024 Tax Year information" message is their standard response during the processing window, regardless of what you select for filing status. Since you e-filed through TurboTax last Thursday, you're right in that 5-7 business day processing window where Michigan validates and integrates your return into their system. The estimated payments section will automatically become accessible once your return clears their processing queue - usually by end of this week for e-filed returns. If you're still blocked by Friday, then I'd recommend calling their support line at that point.

I ran into this exact same issue with Michigan Treasury's eServices portal a few months ago! The frustrating part is that their system doesn't clearly communicate what's happening during the processing period. From my experience, even though you answered "Yes" to filing your 2024 return, their backend system hasn't fully synchronized your filing status yet. Since you e-filed through TurboTax last Thursday, you're probably looking at another 1-2 business days before the portal grants you full access. The estimated tax payments section is particularly sensitive to this processing delay because it requires complete validation of your return before showing payment history. I'd suggest checking again Wednesday morning - that's typically when I've seen Michigan's system refresh with newly processed returns. If you're still locked out by then, their customer service line (517-636-4486) is usually pretty helpful with account access issues.

Has anyone used TurboTax to compare filing jointly vs separately? Is there an easy way to see both scenarios without doing the whole return twice?

The IRS absolutely does not care if you switch filing statuses from year to year - it's your right as a taxpayer to choose the status that works best for your situation each year. Many married couples switch back and forth between joint and separate filing depending on their circumstances. However, before you make the switch, definitely run the numbers both ways. Filing separately usually results in higher total taxes because you lose access to several valuable credits and deductions. You'll also both be required to either itemize or take the standard deduction - you can't mix and match. The main situations where separate filing makes sense are: significant medical expenses for one spouse, income-driven student loan repayments, concerns about liability for your spouse's tax issues, or if one spouse has a lot of miscellaneous deductions that get limited by AGI thresholds. I'd strongly recommend using tax software to model both scenarios with your actual numbers before deciding. The difference can be substantial either way depending on your specific situation.

I had this exact same issue last year! The IRS transcript showing ending digits 9830 had me completely stumped too. After calling around, I discovered that the 9830 ending actually corresponds to Prudential's Group Insurance division (TIN 13-1832830), which handles certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. However, like others mentioned, the best approach is definitely calling Prudential directly. What helped me was having my account statement handy when I called - it made the process much faster since they could immediately identify which division handled my account. One thing to watch out for: if you received multiple distributions from Prudential in the same year (like I did), you might actually have 1099-Rs from different divisions with different TINs. Each one needs to be reported with its specific TIN. The tax software will definitely reject mismatched numbers, so it's worth taking the time to get it right rather than guessing. @Derek Olson - definitely don't try to wing it with an incorrect TIN. The rejection and reprocessing headaches aren't worth it when you're this close to the deadline!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and wanted to share what I learned from my tax preparer. If you're still having trouble getting through to Prudential or the IRS, there's actually a form you can file with the IRS called Form 4506-T to request a transcript that shows the complete TIN information. However, this takes 5-10 business days to process, so it might not help if you're up against the deadline. In that case, you can file for an automatic extension using Form 4868, which gives you until October 15th to file your return (though you still need to pay any taxes owed by the original deadline). The key thing I learned is that each type of Prudential account really does use a different TIN, so don't assume they're all the same. My 403(b) rollover had a completely different TIN than my colleague's pension distribution, even though they were both from Prudential. If you end up needing to file an extension, at least you'll have time to get the correct information without the stress of the approaching deadline!

Has anyone tried requesting records directly from the Social Security Administration? They keep track of your earnings history and might be able to provide verification of your income for that year.

I went through almost the exact same situation a few years ago! My former employer was being completely unhelpful and I was panicking about my audit deadline. Here's what worked for me: First, definitely try the IRS Wage and Income Transcript that others mentioned - it's free and contains everything from your W-2. But if you're having trouble accessing it online (their identity verification can be tricky), you have another option. Contact your state's Department of Labor or Employment Security office. They often have records of wages reported by employers for unemployment insurance purposes. While this isn't a perfect substitute for a W-2, it can provide additional documentation to support your case with the auditor. Also, don't be afraid to push back a little with the auditor about your employer's non-cooperation. Document every attempt you've made to contact them (dates, methods, responses) and present this to the auditor. Sometimes they can issue a formal request to the employer on your behalf, which carries more weight than your individual requests. The key is showing good faith effort to obtain the documents. Most auditors are reasonable when they see you're genuinely trying to comply but facing obstacles beyond your control.

This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding the multi-generational wealth transfer potential of 529 plans! I'm curious about one aspect that hasn't been fully explored yet - the investment growth implications over long time horizons. If you're truly using 529 plans as a multi-generational strategy, you could potentially have funds growing tax-free for 50+ years before they're needed for education expenses. The compounding effect could be massive, but I'm wondering about the practical considerations: 1. How do you balance aggressive growth investments (appropriate for long time horizons) with the need for more conservative allocations as beneficiaries approach college age? 2. Do most 529 plans offer age-based portfolios that automatically adjust, or do you need to actively manage the asset allocation as beneficiaries age and new ones are added? 3. If you're changing beneficiaries frequently across generations, how do you handle the fact that different beneficiaries might be at very different life stages and need different investment approaches? I'm thinking about setting up 529s for my newborn grandchildren, but I want to make sure I'm not just focusing on the tax benefits while ignoring the investment strategy that will actually determine how much wealth gets transferred. Anyone have experience managing 529 investments across multiple generations with varying time horizons?

The investment management aspect is crucial and often overlooked when people get excited about the tax benefits of 529s for wealth transfer. I've been managing a multi-generational 529 strategy for about 8 years now, and here's what I've learned: Most age-based portfolios are designed around a single beneficiary's timeline, so they don't work well when you're planning to change beneficiaries across generations. I ended up using static allocation portfolios instead - maintaining separate 529 accounts with different investment strategies based on likely usage timelines. For example, I have one account with aggressive growth investments for my youngest grandchildren (won't need funds for 15+ years), another with moderate allocation for kids who are 10-12 years from college, and a third with conservative investments for near-term education expenses. When I need to change beneficiaries, I can move them between accounts based on their timeline rather than trying to manage one account with conflicting investment needs. The key insight: treat it like a family of 529 accounts rather than trying to make one account serve multiple generations. Yes, it's more administrative work, but it lets you optimize the investment strategy for each time horizon while maintaining the beneficiary flexibility that makes this wealth transfer strategy work. One tip: Vanguard and Fidelity both offer good static allocation options and make it relatively easy to transfer funds between accounts when changing beneficiaries. The investment growth potential over 20-50 year horizons really is substantial if you can stay appropriately aggressive in the early years.