As someone who's been through this exact situation, I completely understand your frustration! The TDS access issue for tax professionals working at firms is surprisingly common and often poorly explained in the IRS documentation. Here's what I learned from my own experience: Even with an active CAF number, you need your firm to specifically grant you TDS access through their organizational account. This is separate from your individual practitioner credentials. Since your manager is out, try reaching out to whoever handles the firm's administrative functions or IT support. They should be able to identify who has e-Services administrator rights for your firm's IRS accounts. That person can add you to the TDS user list using your PTIN - it's usually a pretty straightforward process once you know who to ask. If you're really stuck and have urgent client deadlines, you might also consider calling the IRS Practitioner Priority Service at 1-866-860-4259. While the wait times can be long, they can sometimes provide immediate guidance or even resolve the access issue over the phone if there's a technical problem with your account linkage. The good news is that once this gets sorted out, you'll have seamless access going forward. It's definitely worth getting properly set up rather than trying to work around it. Hope this helps and you get it resolved quickly!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share another potential solution that worked for me when I had TDS access issues last year. Sometimes the problem isn't with authorization at all, but with how your accounts are synced in the IRS system. What happened in my case was that my Tax Pro Account was created with slightly different information than what was on file with my CAF number - specifically, my business address had changed between when I first registered and when I got my current position. Even though both accounts were technically "active," they weren't properly linked in the backend. The fix was to call the e-Services Help Desk at 1-877-777-4778 and specifically ask them to verify that your Tax Pro Account information matches your CAF registration exactly. They can see both systems and identify mismatches that might not be obvious to you. In my case, they found that my ZIP code was different between the two systems (I had moved offices), and once they updated it, my TDS access worked immediately. It's worth checking this before going through all the organizational authorization steps, especially if you've moved or changed jobs recently. The call took about 45 minutes total including hold time, but it saved me weeks of trying other solutions. Hope this helps someone else avoid the same frustration!

This is such a common issue with Airbnb hosts! I went through the same confusion last year. Here's what I learned after consulting with my CPA: You definitely need to report the full gross amount from your 1099-K on your Schedule C - this is what the IRS will be expecting to see since they receive a copy of that form from Airbnb. The key is then deducting all those Airbnb fees as legitimate business expenses. Look for these line items on Schedule C: - Line 10 for commissions and fees (this covers Airbnb's service fees) - Line 27a for other expenses (you can itemize things like payment processing fees) Also don't forget about other deductible expenses like cleaning supplies, repairs, utilities for the rental space, and depreciation on furniture/appliances used exclusively for the rental. I found it helpful to download all my transaction history from Airbnb for the year and create a simple spreadsheet tracking gross bookings vs. net deposits. This gives you a clear paper trail in case of any IRS questions later. The bottom line is your net rental income should end up being the same whether you report gross and deduct fees, or just report net - but matching the 1099-K is important for avoiding any red flags.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in my second year of Airbnb hosting and just received my first 1099-K this year since my earnings crossed the $600 threshold. One thing I'm still confused about - if I use the standard mileage deduction for trips to my rental property for maintenance, cleaning, or guest issues, do I need to keep a detailed log of each trip? And can I deduct mileage for trips to buy supplies like toilet paper, towels, or cleaning products specifically for the rental? Also, for those who mentioned getting annual summaries from Airbnb - is there a specific place in the host dashboard where this is located? I've been digging around but can't seem to find anything that gives me a clean year-end breakdown that matches the 1099-K format. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with the various tools and services - definitely going to look into some of these options to make next year's filing easier!

I've been battling this exact same issue for over a month now with my 2023 return! Reading through all these strategies gives me so much hope - I had no idea about the 7am Wednesday timing or the international line trick. It's absolutely insane that we need to strategize like we're planning a military operation just to talk to our own tax agency. I'm definitely going to try calling at exactly 7:00am tomorrow (setting multiple alarms for 6:55am) and if that doesn't work, I'll try the international line approach. The congressional representative option is something I never knew existed either - crazy that our elected officials can actually help cut through this bureaucratic nightmare. Thanks to everyone sharing their war stories and tips! This thread has been more helpful than anything else I've found online. It's both comforting and depressing to know so many of us are stuck in this same phone system purgatory, but at least we're all fighting it together. Will definitely report back if I manage to break through the fortress tomorrow! 🤞

I've been following this thread and wow, I'm going through the EXACT same nightmare with my 2023 return! Three weeks of that soul-crushing "call volume too high" message and I was starting to lose my mind. Reading everyone's strategies here is giving me actual hope though - especially Oliver's success story proving the 7am Wednesday timing really works! I'm definitely setting my alarm for 6:55am tomorrow to try the precise 7:00am approach. Also going to bookmark that international line number someone mentioned as a backup plan. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need a whole battle strategy just to talk to our own government agency about our taxes, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing all these tips and war stories. The congressional rep option blew my mind too - never knew that was even a thing! If the phone strategies don't work, I'm definitely looking into that route. This thread has been more helpful than hours of googling "how to reach IRS." Thanks everyone for turning this into a support group for phone system survivors! Will report back if I break through tomorrow 🤞

I went through something very similar when my grandfather passed and left behind a huge collection of vintage postcards and military memorabilia. One thing I learned that might help - keep detailed records of everything you research for values, even if you don't sell certain items right away. Take photos of the items with any identifying marks, serial numbers, or condition details. Save screenshots of comparable sales from eBay "sold listings" or auction sites with dates. This documentation becomes crucial if you sell items later or if the IRS ever questions your valuations. Also, consider selling higher-value items in different tax years if it makes sense for your mom's overall tax situation. Since each sale is a separate taxable event, spreading them out might help manage the tax impact, especially with that higher collectibles rate that Sean mentioned. The most important thing is getting that fair market value established at the time of your father's passing - everything else flows from there. Sorry for your loss, and I hope this helps make the process a bit easier for your family.

I'm sorry for your family's loss. Dealing with inherited collections can feel overwhelming on top of everything else you're going through. One additional consideration that might help - if any items in the collection have significantly appreciated since your father's passing, you might want to prioritize selling those first while documenting their current values. The step-up basis everyone mentioned is locked in at the date of death, but if items continue to appreciate after that date, you'll owe taxes on gains from that stepped-up value forward. Also, keep in mind that if your mom is over 65 or has lower income, she might qualify for the 0% capital gains rate on regular investments, but unfortunately that doesn't apply to collectibles - they're still subject to the higher collectibles rate regardless of income level. For the items you're keeping for sentimental value, consider having those appraised too if they're valuable. If something happens to them later (theft, damage, etc.), having that post-death valuation documented could be important for insurance purposes. The suggestion about spreading sales across tax years is smart, especially since you mentioned this could total $3,000-5,000. Breaking that into smaller chunks annually might help manage the overall tax impact for your mom.

Just wanted to add another perspective from someone who made this exact switch two years ago. One thing that really caught me off guard was how the change affected our quarterly estimated tax payments. Since we moved from accrual (where income was recognized when billed) to cash method (income recognized when received), our cash flow timing changed significantly. Under accrual, we had steady quarterly income recognition even if payments came in irregularly. With cash method, our taxable income now fluctuates based on when customers actually pay, which made estimated tax planning much trickier. We had one quarter where we received several large payments and owed way more than expected, followed by a quarter with very little taxable income. My advice: once you make the switch, work with your accountant to develop a new estimated tax payment strategy that accounts for your actual collection patterns rather than your billing schedule. This is especially important for service businesses with longer payment cycles. Also, make sure your payroll processing company understands the change if you're taking distributions or salary adjustments based on "book" income versus "tax" income. The disconnect between the two can create confusion when planning compensation.

This has been an incredibly thorough discussion! As someone who just started managing our family S-Corp's finances, I'm grateful for all the detailed experiences shared here. One question I haven't seen addressed: if we make this accounting method change, how does it affect our ability to potentially convert to C-Corp status in the future? We're growing rapidly and might consider that option in a few years. Would having different book vs. tax accounting methods complicate a potential S-to-C conversion? Also, for those using services like TaxR.ai or getting professional help - what's a reasonable fee range for this type of Form 3115 preparation? I want to budget appropriately but don't want to overpay for something that might be more routine than I'm imagining. The cash flow management insights from @Miguel Silva and @Brady Clean are particularly valuable - I hadn't considered how this change would ripple through our quarterly planning and distribution decisions. Definitely going to set up that separate tax reserve account regardless of which direction we go!