Check if these are actually from the IRS or Department of Treasury, or if they might be scams. Real IRS letters have a notice number (usually CP followed by numbers) in the upper right corner. If the letter just says "Department of Treasury" without specific IRS markings, be suspicious!

This is definitely a serious situation that needs immediate attention. Given the amounts involved ($22K and $123K) versus your actual income during college years, this screams either identity theft or a major IRS error. The fact that the letters cut off mid-sentence is also a red flag that something went wrong in their system. Here's what I'd do right away: 1. Call the IRS immediately using the number on the notices to get complete information 2. Request your tax transcripts for 2010-2011 online at irs.gov or by calling 1-800-908-9946 3. Pull your credit reports to check for any accounts or employment you don't recognize 4. Gather all your tax documents from those years (W-2s, 1099s, tax returns) Don't panic, but also don't delay. Even if this is completely wrong, ignoring it will only make things worse. The IRS has powerful collection tools, but they also have procedures to fix errors when they happen. You have rights as a taxpayer, and if this is identity theft or their mistake, it can be resolved - it just takes persistence and proper documentation.

Make sure you keep track of when you're contributing! For 2024, you can actually contribute up until the tax filing deadline in April 2025. But if you start a new job in a few months and get a different health plan that's not HSA-eligible, you'll need to prorate your contribution limit based on the number of months you were eligible. The IRS uses the "last-month rule" where if you're eligible on Dec 1, you can contribute the full annual amount, but you need to remain eligible through the end of the following year (testing period). Otherwise, you'd need to calculate your limit as 1/12 of the annual limit for each month you had eligible coverage.

One thing to keep in mind is that since you're unemployed, your income might be lower this year, which could actually make the HSA tax deduction even more valuable. If you drop into a lower tax bracket, you'll still get the deduction, but you might also qualify for certain tax credits or benefits that phase out at higher income levels. Also, don't forget that HSAs can be used for COBRA premiums if you end up needing to switch to COBRA coverage at some point during your job search. This is one of the few insurance premiums that's an eligible HSA expense. Given that your employer is covering your insurance for 2 years, this might not apply to you, but it's good to know the option exists. Best of luck with your job search! It sounds like you're being really smart about managing your finances during this transition.

I've been operating from a mixed-use property for about 18 months now and wanted to share a few additional considerations that might help with your decision. One thing that really caught me off guard was the utility allocation complexity. While the square footage method works for rent, utilities can be trickier because business operations often use disproportionately more electricity, heating/cooling, etc. I ended up installing separate meters for my office area, which made the deduction calculation much cleaner and gave me better audit protection. Also, if you're planning to have clients visit your space, make sure to factor in the "principal place of business" rules. The IRS has specific requirements about whether your home office qualifies as your main business location, which can affect your deduction eligibility. One unexpected benefit I discovered: having a legitimate mixed-use setup actually helped me qualify for certain small business grants and programs that required a physical business address. Some programs don't accept P.O. boxes or virtual offices, so having a documented business space was really valuable. My recommendation would be to start simple - personal lease, clear physical separation of spaces, meticulous record keeping from day one. You can always optimize the structure later as your business grows and you better understand your actual usage patterns. Good luck with the new venture!

I've been in a similar mixed-use situation for about 2 years now and wanted to add a few thoughts based on my experience. One thing I discovered that might be helpful: if you're planning to deduct vehicle expenses for business trips that start from your mixed-use location, the IRS treats your home office as your "business location" for mileage deduction purposes. This means trips from your office to client meetings, supply runs, etc. can be fully deductible business miles rather than commuting miles. Also, regarding the lease structure question - I initially signed personally but later had my LLC assume the lease when my landlord was willing to do a lease assignment. This gave me the flexibility to start simple but transition to cleaner business accounting as my operations grew. Not all landlords will allow this, but it's worth asking about when negotiating. One record-keeping tip that's saved me time: I use a simple smartphone app to log my office usage and take timestamped photos of my workspace setup monthly. It takes about 5 minutes but creates a consistent documentation trail that shows exclusive business use over time. The CPA meeting you mentioned is definitely the right move - they can help you model out the tax implications of both lease structures based on your specific business projections and personal tax situation.

Just wanted to add that if you still don't receive your W-2 by February 15th, you should definitely call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. Have the following info ready: - Your name, address, phone number, and SSN - Your employer's name, address, phone number - Dates of employment - An estimate of your wages and tax withheld (from your last pay stub) They'll send a notice to your employer, and they'll also give you a Form 4852 (substitute W-2) to file with your return if needed.

They legally have to mail your W-2 if you're not still employed there. Not only that, but they have to have them postmarked by January 31st or they face penalties. If your employer is refusing, they're breaking the law.

H&R Block really screwed up my taxes last year. Double check everything! They entered my husband's SSN wrong and we got a rejection but they insisted everything was fine. Had to go through weeks of headaches to get it fixed.

I had the exact same thing happen to me with H&R Block about 2 years ago! The anxiety was killing me for days. Here's what I learned - their consumer app/website and their professional software are completely separate systems, and the app is notoriously unreliable. What likely happened is the IRS initially accepted your return, then did a second-level validation check that temporarily flagged something minor (could be as simple as a formatting issue or timing mismatch). The professional system your preparer uses gets real-time updates from the actual IRS processing system, while their consumer app seems to lag behind or sometimes shows outdated status information. In my case, it took about 4 days for the app to finally show "accepted" to match what the preparer was seeing. My refund came through exactly on schedule as if nothing had happened. I'd give it until early next week, then check the official IRS "Where's My Refund" tool. If that shows accepted, you're golden regardless of what the H&R Block app says. The IRS website is the ultimate source of truth for your return status.