Guides, checklists, and plain-language answers — from Avance.

The IRS "Where's My Refund" tool is the only official source for the status of your federal refund. Nothing else — not a bank, not a preparer, not a text message — knows more than that tool does. It updates once every 24 hours, usually overnight, so checking it five times in an afternoon will not change what it says.

To check, you need three things: your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status (single, married filing jointly, head of household, and so on), and the exact refund amount from your return. The amount has to match to the dollar.

1. 1Return ReceivedThe IRS has your return and is reviewing it. Nothing is wrong. This is the normal first stage and it can last a couple of weeks.
2. 2Refund ApprovedYour return cleared review and the refund amount is final. A payment date appears at this stage.
3. 3Refund SentThe money is on its way. Direct deposit can take up to five days to appear in your account. A mailed paper check can take several weeks to arrive.

Timing matters for when the tool can see you at all. If you e-filed, your return usually appears within 24 hours. If you mailed a paper return, it can take four weeks before anything shows up — that silence does not mean your return was lost.

If the tool tells you something you do not understand, or asks you to contact the IRS, call us. That is exactly the kind of thing we handle year-round.

A W-2 means you are an employee. Your employer withholds federal and state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare from every paycheck and sends that money to the government on your behalf. When you file, you are mostly reconciling what was already withheld — which is why many W-2 workers get a refund.

A 1099 means you are an independent contractor. Nothing is withheld. You receive the full amount and you are responsible for the income tax plus self-employment tax (15.3%), which covers both the employee and employer halves of Social Security and Medicare. This surprises people every year.

The upside of a 1099 is deductions: mileage, home office, supplies, phone, and other ordinary business expenses reduce the income you are taxed on. Good records are what make those deductions real. Many contractors should also make quarterly estimated payments to avoid penalties.

If you received both in the same year, you file one return that includes both — and we make sure the self-employment side is handled correctly.

1. 1Don't ignore itAlmost every IRS problem gets worse with silence. Interest and penalties keep running, and some notices become final if you do not respond.
2. 2Find the notice numberIt's in the top or bottom right corner — CP2000 (income mismatch), CP14 (balance due), CP501/CP503 (reminders), LT11 (intent to levy). The number tells you exactly what the IRS wants.
3. 3Check the deadlineMost notices give 30 days. Write the date on your calendar. If the deadline is close, call us the same day — response time matters more than a perfect response.
4. 4Respond — or get representationSome notices only need a document. Others need a written response, an amended return, or a payment plan. With a signed Power of Attorney (Form 2848) we speak to the IRS for you, so you never have to sit on hold.

Bring the letter — all pages, including the back — plus the tax return for the year in question. We read it with you, in English or Spanish, and tell you plainly what it means.

For most people opening a business in Connecticut, an LLC is the right first step: it separates your personal assets from the business, it is inexpensive to form, and the paperwork is manageable. An S-Corp is not a different company type — it is a tax election an LLC or corporation can make once profit is high enough that the payroll requirement pays for itself.

C-Corps make sense in a narrower set of cases, usually when you plan to raise investment or keep profits inside the company. The wrong structure costs real money every year, so the decision is worth one conversation before you file anything.

An EIN is a nine-digit Employer Identification Number issued by the IRS. Think of it as a Social Security number for your business: it identifies the entity on tax filings, payroll reports, and bank paperwork, and it lets you keep your personal SSN off business documents.

You need one if you form an LLC or corporation, elect S-Corp status, hire any employees, or want to open a business bank account — most banks in Connecticut will not open one without it. Sole proprietors with no employees can technically use their SSN, but we still recommend an EIN for privacy.

Applying is free on the IRS website and usually takes minutes. Never pay a third-party site that charges for it. The part people get wrong is the application itself — responsible party, entity type, and start date all affect your filings later, so it is worth getting right the first time.

A certified translation is a complete, word-for-word translation accompanied by a signed statement in which the translator attests that the translation is accurate and that they are competent to translate between the two languages. That signed certificate — not the translation itself — is what makes the document official.

You will be asked for one by USCIS for birth certificates, marriage certificates, and other immigration documents; by Connecticut courts; by universities evaluating foreign transcripts and diplomas; and by the DMV for foreign driver's licenses. A translation done by a family member or an online tool will be rejected.

Avance translates and certifies between English, Spanish, and Portuguese with a standard 48-hour turnaround, and we hold a separate DMV translator license for motor vehicle documents. You get the certificate, the translated document, and copies for your records.

Connecticut generally allows a visitor to drive on a valid foreign license for up to 90 days after establishing residency. Once you are a resident past that window, you need a Connecticut license — driving on an expired allowance can complicate insurance claims and immigration matters alike.

If your license is not in English, the DMV requires a translation prepared by a DMV-certified translator. This is a specific license, not the same as a general certified translation — Avance holds it, which is why people are often sent to us directly by the DMV office.

The path is usually: get the certified DMV translation, gather proof of identity, Social Security status, and two proofs of Connecticut residency, pass the knowledge and vision tests, and schedule the road test if it is required for your country. We prepare the document packet so you are not turned away at the counter.

The FAFSA — Free Application for Federal Student Aid — is the single form that determines eligibility for federal grants, work-study, and federal student loans. Most colleges and Connecticut state aid programs also use it to award their own scholarships, so skipping it means leaving money on the table.

US citizens and eligible non-citizens (including permanent residents) qualify. There is no income cutoff — families who assume they earn too much are frequently wrong, especially with more than one child in college. Students without eligible immigration status should still ask us about state and institutional alternatives.

The federal application opens each fall for the following school year and closes June 30 of that year, but Connecticut and individual colleges set much earlier priority deadlines — often February — and aid is first come, first served. File early.

You will need Social Security numbers for the student and parents, the relevant tax returns and W-2s, records of untaxed income and assets, and the school codes for each college. We sit with families, complete the application in English or Spanish, and make sure the tax figures match what was actually filed.