what tax software r u using? Some are better than others at catching these things before submission

Have you tried checking your IRS account transcript online? Sometimes there are discrepancies between what you think your prior year AGI was and what the IRS actually has on file. Also make sure you're using the EXACT amounts from your W-2 boxes - even a penny difference will cause rejection. The system is super picky about matching data precisely.

I've been tracking TPG outages for the past three tax seasons using downdetector.com and their reddit community. This appears to be their third major outage this season, with previous ones on February 2-3 and February 28-March 1. According to several online resources, they're experiencing higher than normal volume this year due to increased e-filing rates. In my experience, their system usually updates overnight between 12am-4am EST. I've had success accessing the portal around 5:30am when most users aren't active. If you're using TurboTax, you can also check your order details page which sometimes shows refund status independent of the TPG system.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Been trying to access TPG since yesterday morning and getting nothing but loading screens. What's really frustrating is that my refund was supposed to be deposited this week according to the timeline my tax preparer gave me. I ended up calling my tax prep office and they said they're getting calls about this all day. Apparently TPG is having widespread system issues but hasn't posted any official notice about it. They suggested checking the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool instead, which is working fine and shows my refund is still being processed. For what it's worth, my neighbor had the same TPG outage issue two weeks ago and her money still came on the expected date even though she couldn't track it online. Seems like their tracking system goes down but the actual payment processing keeps working behind the scenes.

One thing nobody mentioned - did you set up your HSA yourself or through your employer? If you set it up through your employer, they might have a cafeteria plan (Section 125 plan) where your contributions are considered employer contributions for tax purposes, even though they're deducted from your pay.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I'm a tax preparer and see this HSA confusion ALL the time during tax season. The key thing to remember is that Box 12 Code W on your W-2 shows the TOTAL amount that went into your HSA through payroll deduction, regardless of whether you think of it as "your" money or "employer" money. When contributions are made pre-tax through payroll (which yours were), the IRS considers them "employer contributions" for Form 8889 purposes. This is actually BETTER for you tax-wise because you're avoiding both income tax AND the 7.65% FICA taxes (Social Security + Medicare). Your TurboTax is handling this correctly. Don't second-guess it or you might end up double-claiming deductions. The fact that your HSA provider statement matches your W-2 Box 12W amount ($3,600) confirms everything is being reported properly. You're getting the full tax benefit - just in a different way than you initially expected!

Don't overthink this! The IRS processes millions of paper returns. As long as you: 1) Sign the return 2) Include all required forms 3) Attach your W2 to the front 4) Keep related forms together You'll be fine. I've been filing paper returns for 20+ years (yeah I know, I should e-file) and never had an issue even when I'm not 100% sure about the exact ordering.

I can confirm that form assembly order definitely matters! I learned this the hard way when my return got kicked back last year for "improper sequencing." Here's what I've found works consistently: 1. Form 1040 with W2(s) stapled to the FRONT (there's usually a designated attachment area) 2. Schedules 1, 2, 3 (if needed) - these go right after the 1040 3. Other schedules and forms in the order they're referenced in the 1040 instructions 4. For your Form 8949 situation - attach your bank statement pages directly behind Form 8949, not at the end of the return The key thing about supporting documents like your bank statement is they should be "married" to the form they support. Don't put all attachments at the end - that's what caused my delay last year. Also, only include the relevant pages of your bank statement that show the transactions reported on Form 8949. No need to send pages of unrelated account activity. One staple in the upper left corner for the whole package, make sure you sign the return, and you should be good to go. The IRS really does care about proper assembly - it helps their processing workflow.

This is exactly the kind of confusing contractor situation that makes tax season a nightmare! I've been dealing with similar reimbursement issues for years. What really helped me was getting everything documented properly - not just keeping receipts, but also creating a paper trail showing that these were legitimate business expenses being reimbursed, not additional income. One thing I learned the hard way: make sure you're consistent about how you handle these expenses year over year. The IRS doesn't like it when contractors flip-flop between claiming expenses as deductions versus treating reimbursements as income. Pick a method and stick with it. In your case, since they're already issuing the 1099-NEC with the reimbursements included, you're pretty much locked into reporting it as income and then deducting the expenses. Also, consider having a conversation with your client about setting up a proper accountable plan for next year. If they require you to submit receipts and reimburse exact amounts, those shouldn't be appearing on your 1099 at all. It might save both of you some headaches down the road.

I've been in this exact situation as a contractor and can confirm what others have said - you're essentially stuck reporting the reimbursements as income since they're on your 1099-NEC, but you can deduct the same amounts as business expenses on Schedule C. One thing I'd add is to make sure you're tracking the business purpose for each parking expense. The IRS wants to see that these were legitimate business travel expenses, so I keep a simple log with dates, client visits, and parking costs. It's also worth noting that if you're parking at the airport for business travel, that's generally considered a fully deductible business expense rather than just partial like commuting would be. The frustrating part is that your client should really be handling this differently - reimbursements for documented business expenses shouldn't be showing up on your 1099 at all. But changing their accounting practices mid-year is probably more hassle than it's worth. I'd definitely continue getting reimbursed rather than eating those costs yourself - just make sure you have solid documentation for the deductions.