Same exact issue here! Been getting that 428 error since around 9 AM this morning. Really appreciate this thread - was starting to panic thinking there was something wrong with my specific return. @Vanessa Chang thanks for the detailed explanation about it being system-wide, that's such a relief to know! Definitely going to try accessing my transcript while waiting for WMR to come back online. Has anyone noticed if there's a pattern to when these outages usually happen? Seems like a few people mentioned this happening around the same time last year too.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in IT - the 428 error code specifically means "Precondition Required" which in the IRS context usually indicates their load balancing system is temporarily blocking requests to prevent server overload. This is actually a good sign that their infrastructure is working as intended to prevent a complete crash! The system automatically throttles traffic when too many people are trying to access WMR simultaneously. Usually resolves within a few hours once the traffic dies down. In the meantime, definitely second the transcript recommendation - it's hosted on different servers so it stays accessible during WMR outages.

I just went through this exact situation about 2 months ago! Got my 86C letter and immediately thought I had messed something up on my taxes. After reading tons of forums and talking to a tax preparer friend, I learned it's actually super routine - they send these out when they need extra processing time to verify your return against their records. In my case, it took about 10 weeks total but I eventually got my full refund with no issues whatsoever. The hardest part is definitely the uncertainty and waiting, but based on all these responses it sounds like you're in really good company! Just try to stay patient and don't stress too much - the IRS will definitely reach out if they actually need anything specific from you. Until then, no news really is good news with these letters! 🙂

Just wanted to chime in since I've been through this too! Got an 86C letter about 5 months ago and had the exact same reaction - complete panic and confusion. Turns out it's basically their standard "we're working on it" notice when they need extra time to process your return. In my case, it was because they were cross-referencing some investment income from a 1099 that got filed late. The whole process took about 7 weeks but everything worked out fine and I got my full refund. The waiting is brutal but honestly after reading all these responses, it sounds like you're totally normal and this happens to tons of people! Just hang tight and try not to overthink it - they'll definitely contact you if they actually need anything else from you. 👍

I just went through this exact situation with my 2023 eBay sales and wanted to share what worked for me. After reading through all these helpful comments, I realized I was making it way more complicated than it needed to be. Here's the simplified approach that saved my sanity: I treated my eBay 1099-K like gross business income, then systematically subtracted every legitimate expense I could document. This included eBay fees (easy to find in your seller reports), PayPal fees, shipping costs I paid, and most importantly, my cost basis for items sold. For items where I couldn't find exact purchase receipts, I used a combination of methods mentioned here - old credit card statements, Amazon order history, and reasonable estimates based on what similar items cost when I originally bought them. The key was being conservative and documenting my reasoning. What really helped was creating that spreadsheet someone mentioned earlier. I had columns for: Item Description, Sale Price, Original Cost, eBay Fees, Actual Shipping Cost, and Net Profit/Loss. When I added it all up, my $8,200 1099-K turned into only about $300 in actual taxable income. One last tip: if you're still confused about any specific transactions, don't hesitate to consult a tax professional. I spent $150 for a one-hour consultation with a CPA who deals with online sellers, and it was worth every penny for the peace of mind. Sometimes having a professional review your approach is cheaper than making mistakes.

I'm in almost the exact same situation as the original poster - got my first 1099-K from eBay this year for about $9,800 in sales and I've been panicking about it for weeks! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and honestly a huge relief. I think the key insight that finally clicked for me is what several people mentioned - the 1099-K is just reporting payment transactions, not profit. I was looking at that $9,800 number thinking I owed taxes on all of it, but when I actually break it down like everyone suggested, most of my sales were old electronics and household items I sold for way less than I originally paid. I'm definitely going to try that spreadsheet approach and look through my old Amazon orders and credit card statements. I know I have records somewhere since most of what I sold was stuff I bought in the last 3-4 years during the pandemic when I was upgrading my home office setup. Has anyone dealt with selling items that were gifts? I sold a few electronics that were Christmas gifts from family members. I'm not sure how to handle the cost basis for those since I didn't personally pay for them, but I definitely didn't make any "profit" since they were just gifts I didn't need. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's making this whole process feel much less overwhelming!

I've been following this thread with great interest because I'm experiencing something very similar - this is my second year getting these verification letters and I was starting to worry there was something seriously wrong with my returns. Based on all the helpful responses here, it sounds like the most common culprits are: • Name/SSN mismatches between employer records and SSA • Name changes from marriage not properly synced between SSA and IRS • Employer EIN discrepancies on W-2 forms • Certain income thresholds or expense amounts that trigger automatic reviews What I find most valuable about this discussion is that multiple people have shared the same experience - getting these letters for 2-3 consecutive years before finally identifying and fixing the root cause. It's reassuring to know this isn't necessarily an audit or indication of wrongdoing, just a frustrating bureaucratic issue that needs to be systematically addressed. I'm definitely going to follow Emma's advice about calling SSA first to verify my information, then checking with my employer's HR department. The suggestion about requesting tax transcripts to identify recurring transaction codes also seems really smart for understanding exactly why this keeps happening. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this thread is going to save a lot of people from just passively waiting 120 days every year!

I'm experiencing something very similar and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in my second year of getting these verification letters and was starting to panic that there was something fundamentally wrong with my returns. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing this is likely a systematic data mismatch issue rather than anything I'm doing wrong in my filing. The pattern you described - same letter, same 120-day timeline, same process for three consecutive years - really suggests there's an underlying trigger that hasn't been identified and resolved. Based on all the advice shared here, I'm going to take a proactive approach this year instead of just waiting it out again: 1. Call SSA to verify my information is correct in their system 2. Check with my employer's HR to ensure they have my exact legal name/SSN on file 3. Request my tax transcript to look for recurring transaction codes 4. Consider contacting the Taxpayer Advocate Service if I need my refund sooner What really resonates with me is Emma's point about addressing the root cause rather than just enduring the 120-day wait every year. It seems like once people actually identify and fix the underlying mismatch (whether it's name changes, employer reporting errors, or other data discrepancies), the verification cycle finally breaks. Thank you for sharing your situation - it's helping so many of us realize we're not alone in dealing with this frustrating but apparently common issue!

Quick heads up - I work in state revenue collections and wanted to clarify something important that might help you out. When agencies tell you they're "starting the offset process," they're usually talking about internal paperwork, not actual submission to TOP or state systems. The real submission often doesn't happen until right before tax season (like December/January). That's probably why you're not seeing anything on TOP yet. Also, each state handles SNAP overpayment offsets differently - some go through their revenue department, others through human services directly. I'd suggest calling your state's main tax refund line and asking specifically if they show any pending offsets under your SSN. They can usually tell you immediately if something's in the pipeline, even if it hasn't hit the federal TOP system yet. Keep making those payment plan payments though - being current definitely helps your case if you need to negotiate!

Just wanted to share my experience from last year - I had a similar situation where they told me in summer they'd offset my refund, but nothing showed on TOP until literally January. Turns out my state (Ohio) processes SNAP overpayment offsets through a completely different system than federal offsets. What saved me was calling my state's Department of Commerce - they have a separate debt collection unit that handles all state agency overpayments. They were able to tell me exactly what was pending and even worked out a deal where they'd reduce the offset amount since I was current on my payment plan. Definitely worth checking if your state has something similar! The waiting and uncertainty is the worst part, but sounds like you're doing everything right by staying current on payments.