Andy | Saving to Invest

IRS Code 806 Explained: What Your Withholding Credit Means for Your 2026-2027 Refund

Code 806 on your IRS transcript is the total federal income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) tax withheld on your behalf for the year. It isn't your refund — it's the credit the IRS weighs against your actual tax liability to figure out whether you're getting money back…

IRS Business Tax Account in 2026: C Corporations and Nonprofits Can Now Register — Here’s Who’s Still Left Out

The IRS has quietly widened who can use Business Tax Account since it first opened to partnerships and S corporations in late 2023. As of mid-2026, C corporations, tax-exempt organizations, federal/state/local government entities, and Indian Tribal governments can all register for full online access to their tax records. That's a…

Should You Buy a House If the Mortgage Is Double Your Rent? Here’s the Actual Math

"Our mortgage would be almost double what we pay in rent right now — is that insane?" I get a version of this question constantly, and the honest answer is: that comparison is almost never the right one to make. Rent versus a future mortgage payment feels like the natural…

When Can I File My Taxes in 2027? Key IRS Tax Dates, Deadlines, and Refund Payment Timelines

The 2026 tax season is officially in the books — the IRS began accepting 2025 returns on January 26, 2026, and the April 15 filing deadline has passed. If you filed on time (or on extension), you're done until next year. We now look ahead to the 2027 tax season…

Remote Work Tax Issues in 2026: State Taxes, Reciprocity, and the Home Office Deduction

Remote work didn't just change where people do their jobs — it created a genuinely more complicated tax picture for millions of workers who now live in a different state (or country) than their employer. Here's what actually matters when you file. Which State Actually Taxes Your Income? When you…

How Car Rental Companies Sneak Extra Fees Onto Your Bill — and How to Fight Back

This post started with my own Avis rental years ago, where the final bill came in noticeably higher than the quote — charges I only discovered after returning the car. The dollar amount wasn't huge; the way it was disclosed felt deliberately buried. Judging by the comments this post has…

Never Received the IRS Letter Holding Up Your Refund? What to Do in 2026

Every filing season I hear from readers who call the IRS after weeks of waiting, only to learn their refund has been frozen because they never responded to a letter — a letter they never actually received. The IRS considers the clock started the day the notice was mailed, whether…

SNAP Minimum Benefit 2026: Why Some Seniors and Veterans Get Just $24 a Month

The federal minimum benefit for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is $24 a month for a one- or two-person household in fiscal year 2026, which runs from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. That's up $1 from the $23 minimum that held steady for the previous three years,…

Still Waiting on “Your Tax Return Has Not Been Processed”? Here’s What Actually Happens Next

Seeing "Your tax return has not yet been processed" on the IRS's Where's My Refund (WMR) tool is unsettling, but it's also one of the most common status messages during filing season. It simply means the IRS hasn't finished working through your return yet — not that something is wrong.…

Code 846 and the PATH Act Refund Hold: What EITC and ACTC Filers Should Expect in 2027

Code 846 is the line on your IRS transcript that actually confirms your refund — not the "processing date" near the top, which is just the IRS's internal estimate of its next update on your account. That distinction matters most if you're waiting on a refund that includes the Earned…

IRS Tax Transcript Code 826 Credit Transferred Out – IRS Debt Offset and Smaller Refund

Transaction codes are used on IRS tax transcripts to show filers what has happened with their return processing, reasons for potential delays, when a refund will be paid, or why it's delayed. Given ongoing challenges getting through to a live IRS agent, many taxpayers turn to their free IRS transcript…

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) 2026: Income Limits and How to Get Free Senior Food Boxes

Under the broader umbrella of USDA nutrition assistance programs sits a smaller, less-known one: the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which helps roughly 600,000 low-income seniors a year supplement their diets with free groceries. Unlike SNAP, which provides a monthly benefit card to spend at grocery stores, CSFP works differently:…

Refund Approved But Lower Than Expected? Code 846, Offsets, and Where the Missing Money Went

Your refund finally hits "Refund Sent" on WMR or IRS2Go, code 846 shows up on your transcript with a payment date — and then the deposit lands smaller than the refund you filed for. No warning, no explanation on the payment itself. This surprises thousands of filers every season. Here's…

IRS Offer in Compromise 2026: How to Actually Settle Tax Debt for Less Than You Owe

An Offer in Compromise (OIC) is an IRS program that lets you settle tax debt for less than the full amount owed — but it's not a shortcut for people who simply don't want to pay. The IRS only accepts offers that reflect what it believes it could realistically collect…