Could also be worth asking if she's part of a larger firm with specific policies or if she's independent. Different firms have different document retention policies. I've worked with H&R Block before and they never asked for copies of my SSN card, just needed to see it once to verify.

I'm a CPA and I can confirm that requesting copies of SSN cards is NOT standard practice in our industry. We need your SSN to prepare your return, but we don't need physical copies of the cards themselves. The IRS Due Diligence requirements for tax preparers focus on verifying identity through government-issued photo ID (like driver's license) and ensuring the SSN matches the taxpayer, but keeping copies of SSN cards isn't part of these requirements. Her explanation about "security issues" doesn't make sense from a professional standpoint. If someone tries to fraudulently use your SSN, having a copy of your card won't help prevent or resolve that situation. What WOULD help is proper data security practices on her end - encrypted storage, secure client portals, and following IRS Publication 4557 guidelines for data protection. I'd recommend asking her to provide written documentation of her firm's document retention policy and why specifically she needs copies rather than just verification. A legitimate tax professional should be able to explain their practices clearly and provide documentation of their security protocols.

I've been dealing with S Corp filings for my consulting business for a few years now, and I totally feel your pain on the pricing! One thing that helped me was checking if your sister's S Corp qualifies for any simplified filing options first. If her business has gross receipts under $250,000 and total assets under $250,000, she might be able to use some of the simplified reporting methods which can make the return easier to prepare. This could potentially make the cheaper software options more viable. Also, since you mentioned her business is straightforward, you might want to double-check if S Corp election even makes sense for her situation anymore. Depending on her income level and business expenses, sometimes switching back to a sole proprietorship or single-member LLC (taxed as disregarded entity) can be simpler and cheaper to file, though obviously that's a bigger decision that would need careful consideration of the tax implications. Have you looked into whether any local CPAs offer reasonably priced S Corp preparation? Sometimes small local firms can be competitive with software prices, especially for simple returns, and you get the peace of mind of professional review.

I actually went through a similar situation last year with my small S Corp! After researching all the options mentioned here, I ended up using a combination approach that worked really well. First, I used FreeTaxUSA (as Mei mentioned) to prepare the return since it was only around $75 for the 1120-S e-filing. The interface was straightforward enough for my single-member S Corp. But before I submitted it, I had a few specific questions about some depreciation issues and reasonable compensation requirements. That's where the Claimyr service that Andre mentioned came in handy. Instead of paying a CPA $200+ just to answer a couple questions, I used their system to get connected to an IRS agent who clarified the specific issues I was unsure about. Cost me like $25 but gave me confidence that I was filing correctly. So my total cost was under $100 instead of the $200+ I was quoted by local CPAs or the major tax software companies. The return was accepted without issues, and I felt good knowing I had gotten official guidance on the tricky parts. For your sister's straightforward situation, this combo might work well - use affordable software for preparation, but have the IRS callback service available if any questions come up during the process.

I'm in almost the exact same situation - gave my daughter $95k for her house down payment last year and completely missed filing Form 709. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and honestly a huge relief. The key takeaway for me is that this is really about documentation rather than owing actual tax. Since we're nowhere near the lifetime exemption limit (around $13.61 million), we won't owe gift tax, but we still need to officially report it to "use up" that portion of our lifetime allowance. What's really concerning me now is the point someone made about banks reporting large transactions. I did a wire transfer directly from my account to hers, so there's definitely a paper trail the IRS could discover. I'd rather file the late return proactively than wait for them to find it and then have to explain why I never reported it. From what I'm gathering here, the penalties for late filing when no tax is actually owed should be minimal, but the peace of mind and proper documentation will be worth it. Definitely planning to get this sorted out ASAP.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation as the original poster. I gave my son $110k last year to help with his first home purchase - direct bank transfer just like you described. I also handled my own taxes since my usual CPA was dealing with health issues, and I completely overlooked the Form 709 requirement. What really helped me understand the situation better was realizing this isn't about owing tax (since we're nowhere near that $13+ million lifetime limit), but about proper documentation. The IRS needs an official record that we've used that portion of our lifetime exemption, even when no actual tax is due. I ended up filing the late Form 709 about two months ago. The process wasn't as scary as I thought it would be - I included a reasonable cause statement explaining the circumstances (CPA unavailable, first-time large gift situation), and I haven't heard anything back from the IRS yet. From what I understand, when there's no actual tax owed, they're typically pretty reasonable about late filings, especially with documented reasonable cause. The peace of mind has been worth it. Better to be proactive and get it properly documented than worry about the IRS discovering that large wire transfer later and having to explain why it was never reported. Your situation with the accountant being on medical leave sounds like solid reasonable cause to me.

I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to IRS website headaches! I've been experiencing this exact same "partial outage" since last Saturday and it's incredibly frustrating. Like everyone else, I can't access my account balance or payment history to check if my recent payment plan installment went through, but naturally that bright green "MAKE A PAYMENT" button is working flawlessly - really shows their priorities! I've tried all the standard fixes (different browsers, clearing cache, mobile access, even tried my friend's computer) with zero success. What's really stressing me out is that I need to verify my payment plan is current to avoid any penalties, but I'm completely locked out of that information. Thanks to everyone for sharing these workarounds! I'm definitely going to try requesting my account transcript tomorrow morning and check out taxr.ai to help decode those confusing IRS codes that look like they're written in a foreign language. The Claimyr service also sounds worth considering if I need to actually speak with someone who can access my account. It's both comforting and maddening to see how widespread this issue is. We really shouldn't need creative solutions and third-party tools just to access our own tax information in 2025, but here we are dealing with systems that seem stuck in the stone age! Hopefully their "maintenance" wraps up soon, though based on everyone's experiences here, I'm not optimistic about a quick resolution.

I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with this exact same frustrating outage! Been locked out since last Thursday and like everyone else, I can't access my account balance or payment history while that "MAKE A PAYMENT" button works perfectly - classic government priorities right there! I actually tried the early morning access trick around 2:30 AM last night (yes, I was that desperate!) but still got the same error message. Also spent 90 minutes on hold with their main line before giving up in frustration. Based on all the helpful advice shared here, I'm definitely going to request my account transcript tomorrow and check out taxr.ai to decode those cryptic IRS codes. The Claimyr service also sounds promising if I need to actually speak with a human who can access my account. It's both reassuring and maddening to see so many people dealing with this same broken system. We really shouldn't need workarounds and third-party tools just to access our own tax information in 2025, but here we are dealing with technology that seems stuck in the 1960s! Thanks everyone for sharing solutions - at least we're all suffering through this bureaucratic nightmare together.

I just went through this exact same situation last month! ADP had a data entry error where they processed my Step 3 tax credits as per-paycheck amounts instead of annual. With a $180k salary, I was seeing only about $200 in federal withholding per paycheck when it should have been over $1,000. Here's what worked for me: I contacted HR and asked them to pull up the "Employee Tax Setup" screen in ADP so we could compare what I submitted versus what was actually entered. Sure enough, my $8,000 in annual tax credits had been divided by 26 pay periods and was being applied as $307 per paycheck, which completely threw off the calculation. HR was able to fix it within one pay cycle and set up additional withholding to catch up on what I'd missed. The key was being specific about wanting to see the actual ADP screen where the W4 data gets entered - that made the error immediately obvious. Don't let this drag on because the catch-up withholding gets more painful the longer you wait! Also keep all your documentation (original W4, paystubs showing zero withholding) in case you need to prove to the IRS this was an employer error. Good luck!

I'm a newcomer here but this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm starting a new job next month that uses ADP payroll, and after reading through all these experiences, I'm definitely going to be proactive about checking my W4 processing. The pattern everyone's describing - where Step 3 tax credits get processed as per-paycheck amounts instead of annual - seems like a serious systematic issue with ADP's system. It's concerning that so many people are experiencing nearly identical problems. I'm planning to follow the advice here about requesting that "Employee Tax Setup" screen comparison during my onboarding, and I'll definitely keep copies of my original W4 for documentation. The idea of requesting a test calculation before my first official paycheck is brilliant too. One question for those who've successfully resolved this - when you had the catch-up withholding calculated, did you find HR was generally knowledgeable about how to handle it properly, or did you need to guide them through the process? I want to be prepared with the right questions and resources when I start. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this community is incredibly helpful for navigating these complex payroll issues!