All Posts

The IRS does not require you to enter a drivers license or a state ID in order to e-file, but there are some very picky states that do.   If you are in one of the states that will not let you e-file without a state-issued ID you will need to print, sign and date your state return in ink, and file it by mail.

Schedule 1 State and Local Income Tax Refund Worksheet 2025 Line 1 State and local taxes paid in 2024 or prior years and refunded in 2025   Smart Worksheets From Form 1040: Individual Enter the following amounts from your 2024 Form 1040: H Line 11, Adjusted gross income I Line 12, Itemized deductions or standard deduction J Total number of boxes checked under Standard deduction for age and blindness K Line 15, Taxable income. Line K less line L (if less than zero, enter as negative)   Line K says “Line K less line L”. Should it not be “Line H less line I”?  

MY RETURN IS IN PENDING—what does that mean?   You will not get any information from the IRS refund site while your return is in pending.  The IRS does not have your return yet.   Did you e-file?  Did you click that big orange button that said “Transmit my returns now?”  If so, your return is now in “pending” on a server.  Do not try to change anything while your return is in pending.On January  26  the IRS will begin to accept/reject e-files.  The IRS accepts a FEW returns in test batches ahead of January 26—-but that is very random.   Watch your emails—including your spam folder—for the notice about whether your e-file has been accepted or rejected.  If your return is rejected you will be able to make corrections before re-filing.   If the return you e-filed is accepted you will have to wait until it has been fully processed and then amend it to fix any mistakes or omissions.  It has been taking the IRS four to six months—sometimes longer—to process amended returns.   If you e-filed your state return there will be another email later that tells you if the state was accepted or rejected.   WARNING:   Do not try to change anything on your return while it is pending.   https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-first-day-of-2026-filing-season-online-tools-and-  

Federal and state refunds come from completely separate entities.  There is no rule as to which one will come in first or how long it will be between their arrival in your account.   TurboTax gives you an estimated date for receiving your refund based on a 21 day average from your date of acceptance, but it can take longer.  “21 days”  is not a promise from TurboTax or the IRS.      First, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted:  https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/   Once your federal return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS has any control.  TurboTax does not receive any updates from the IRS. Your ONLY source of information about your refund now is the IRS.     You need your filing status, your Social Security number and the exact amount  (line 35a of your 2024 Form 1040) of your federal refund to track your Federal refund:    https://www.irs.gov/refunds   To track your state refund:     https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-refund/track-state-refund/L3jgO8PGs_US_en_US?uid=lt447ebr   If you chose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your federal refund, that will take some extra time, while the third party bank handles the refund processing     https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-refund/refunds-take-longer-others/L14YlqFrH_US_en_US?uid=lexdr7zh . https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-refund/irs-refund-taking-longer-21-days/L2vRAJbdU_US_en_US?uid=lexe7lst      

Most returns are still sitting on the servers in "pending"---- MY RETURN IS IN PENDING—what does that mean?   You will not get any information from the IRS refund site while your return is in pending.  The IRS does not have your return yet.   Did you e-file?  Did you click that big orange button that said “Transmit my returns now?”  If so, your return is now in “pending” on a server.  Do not try to change anything while your return is in pending.On January  26  the IRS will begin to accept/reject e-files.  The IRS accepts a FEW returns in test batches ahead of January 26—-but that is very random.   Watch your emails—including your spam folder—for the notice about whether your e-file has been accepted or rejected.  If your return is rejected you will be able to make corrections before re-filing.   If the return you e-filed is accepted you will have to wait until it has been fully processed and then amend it to fix any mistakes or omissions.  It has been taking the IRS four to six months—sometimes longer—to process amended returns.   If you e-filed your state return there will be another email later that tells you if the state was accepted or rejected.   WARNING:   Do not try to change anything on your return while it is pending.   https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-first-day-of-2026-filing-season-online-tools-and-    

There are two different events here: income to the estate (the 1099-R) income to the beneficiaries (K-1s)   I believe that the things you read about "no state taxes needed to be remitted for a 1099-R form for 401K distribution due to death" is referring to the recipient being an individual, as opposed to an estate. This may not be true if the recipient is an estate.   I believe that the estate views this distribution as just income, a transfer of an asset from the decedent to the estate. This is why the estate may have to pay tax on the transfer whereas you might not have to pay any tax had the 1099-R gone directly to you.   But there are other issues, like PA 401(k)s being different than most, because the taxpayers might not have been able to deduct contributions to the 401(k), so that when the distributions are made back to the taxpayers after the plan's retirement age, the distributions are not taxable.   The TurboTax software is usually correct, so long as you answered all the questions correctly. Perhaps you should return to the business software and go through the interview again and see if any question jumps out at you.

Did you click that big orange button that said “Transmit my return now?”  If you did that, you cannot do anything to fix it yet.  You have to wait for the email that tells you if your return was accepted or rejected.   Since the IRS will not begin to accept/reject returns until January 26, you are going to be waiting in “pending” for awhile.  Your return is sitting on a server, where you cannot fix  it or get it back.   You cannot change or add anything on the return that you just e-filed, nor can you stop it.  It is too late, just like when you put an envelope in a US mailbox on the corner.  The IRS does not allow you to take it back.   If you left out a W-2, a 1099G, or a dependent, or a 1099 etc…DO NOT change your return while it is “pending.”  The changes will go nowhere.   Now you have to wait until the IRS either rejects or accepts your return.  If your return is rejected, you will be able to go into your account and make the necessary changes to your tax return and re-submit your return.     If the IRS accepts your return, however, then you have to wait longer until it has been fully processed and you have received your refund.  THEN you can prepare an amended tax return and e-file or mail  it in. You have to be able to work from that return exactly the way it was when it was e-filed originally.  You will need to use a form called a 1040X.     Meanwhile, DO NOT go in and start changing anything on your return in the system, or you will make a mess for yourself.  Sit tight and wait until you see what the IRS does with the return you just e-filed   The Form 1040X you need becomes available in late February,  But wait until your return has been processed.  

You will start with a Standard Deduction of $34,700 if you are both over 65. You may ALSO get an Additional Deduction of 6,000 each if you fall into the required income limits.  If you are eligible for the Additional Deduction, that will be listed on your Schedule 1-A and carry to your 1040 line 13b. 

Yes, if you mean the sales tax on a new vehicle.  (However, you will need to choose between state sales tax and state income tax, you can't claim both)    Additionally, Yes for tags, if your state charges a tax for your registration, and not a fee. The way you can determine if it is a tax is if the amount paid for your annual tags is based on the value of the car.     

Thanks for the reply! Both of the options you mentioned state that they’re for expenses paid to the school (one for required expenses to the school and one for optional expenses to the school), with a message that there will be an option for expenses not paid to the school later on. 

The Education interview starts when you enter your Form 1098-T. That is entered under Deductions & Credits Education  Expenses and Scholarships (Form 1098-T)   START or UPDATE If you already entered Form 1098-T, it will be listed on the "Education summary" screen. Select the pencil icon to edit   The first screen should show "Let's get your education info" The next screen asks "Did you have any of these common situations in 2025?" Please select the first option "had education expenses other than tuition" and Continue past several screens  Go past the "Your schools" screen (it seems like that is the end of the education interview, but it is not) THE NEXT SCREEN is "Time to enter your education expenses".   The top box (REQUIRED) is for books and supplied that the school made you pay them directly for   The second box (Optional) are for books and supplied that were needed, but you could purchase by other ways than from the school. That seems to the the entry box you are looking for.   If you have not entered Form 1098-T (for example you entered a form 1099-Q and expenses relating to that form) you need to go to the Education section under Deductions & Credits to enter expenses not listed on Form 1098-T.