Sometimes the best approach is to contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They have authority to cut through red tape when you're experiencing hardship due to IRS delays.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! Filed in March, got the identity verification hold, and waited 8 weeks for a letter that never came. Finally used Claimyr to get through to someone and discovered they had my address wrong in their system. The agent was able to verify my identity right there on the phone and released my refund within days. Before that call though, I used taxr.ai to analyze my transcript and it showed me exactly what codes were on my account - turned out I had the 570/971 combo which confirmed the identity verification hold. Really helped me understand what was happening instead of just guessing. My advice: don't wait much longer for that letter. If you're already at 5 weeks, there's probably an issue. Either the letter got lost, went to wrong address, or there's some other problem. Getting a human on the phone is really your best bet at this point. The verification process itself only takes a few minutes once you actually talk to someone who can help!

Wait, could this actually be a case of the Recovery Rebate Credit affecting your refund amount? The missing $1000-ish sounds suspiciously like it could be related to one of the stimulus payments. Did you get all your stimulus payments directly in 2021/2022, or were you claiming any of them on your 2023 return?

This is a really serious situation and I'm sorry you're dealing with this. The fact that she's refusing to give you copies of your own tax returns is absolutely unacceptable and highly suspicious - that's literally YOUR property that you paid for. Beyond the excellent advice already given about getting your tax transcripts and filing Form 14157-A, I'd strongly recommend documenting everything in writing. Create a timeline of all your interactions, save screenshots of any texts or emails where she refused to provide your returns, and keep records of all payments you made to her. You should also consider filing a police report for potential theft/fraud. If she did divert your refund money to another account, that's criminal behavior, not just a civil matter. Having a police report number can also strengthen your case with the IRS. One more thing - check your credit reports immediately. If she has access to your personal information and is willing to steal refund money, she might be using your identity for other fraudulent activities. You can get free credit reports from annualcreditreport.com. Don't let this slide - tax preparer fraud is unfortunately becoming more common, and the only way to stop these people is to pursue every available avenue to hold them accountable.

I'm so sorry for your losses and the additional stress this tax preparer has caused during an already difficult time. What she did is completely unacceptable - claiming to file taxes when she didn't and then refusing to return your parents' documents. The advice about Form 4506-T is excellent, but I wanted to add that you should also request "Return Transcripts" (box 6) in addition to the wage and income transcripts. These will show if any returns were actually filed for 2020, which can help confirm that the preparer truly never submitted anything. Since you mentioned your parents always owed taxes because they were retired, they likely had pension distributions, Social Security, and possibly investment income. Make sure to contact their former employers' HR departments for W-2 reissues and any pension administrators for 1099-R forms. Many retirees forget about required minimum distributions from retirement accounts, which can create significant tax liability if missed. Given the complexity of dealing with two deceased taxpayers and potential penalties, I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional who has experience with estate returns once you gather the documents. They can help ensure you don't miss any deductions or credits that might be available to reduce the tax burden. Document every attempt you make to resolve this - it will be crucial if you need to request penalty abatement from the IRS later. You're doing everything right by being so persistent in trying to get this resolved properly.

I'm so sorry for the loss of both your parents and the additional stress this dishonest tax preparer has caused during such a difficult time. This situation is unfortunately more common than it should be. Based on the excellent advice already shared here, I'd recommend a multi-pronged approach: 1. **Immediate action**: File Form 56 (Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship) with the IRS if you haven't already - this establishes your legal authority as executor for all tax matters. 2. **Document retrieval**: Submit Form 4506-T requesting both wage/income transcripts AND account transcripts. The account transcripts will show any estimated tax payments your parents made, which could significantly reduce what's owed. 3. **Direct contact**: Reach out to all income sources directly - state pension system, IRA custodians, banks, and any former employers. As executor, you have the right to request duplicate tax documents, and most institutions keep records for 7+ years. 4. **Professional help**: Consider an initial consultation with a CPA or Enrolled Agent experienced in deceased taxpayer returns. They can ensure you're requesting all necessary documents and help navigate the penalty abatement process. 5. **State board complaint**: Definitely file a complaint against this tax preparer with your state's board of accountancy. Her conduct is highly unethical and the investigation may pressure her to return documents or at least officially acknowledge she lost them. Document every step you take - this persistence and good faith effort will be crucial if you need to request penalty relief later. The IRS has reasonable cause provisions specifically for situations like yours where the delay was caused by circumstances beyond your control.

I actually just went through this process myself a few weeks ago! I had about $600 in Visa gift cards from the holidays and was able to use them successfully. Here's what worked for me: First, I registered each gift card online with my exact name and address that matches my tax return - this step is absolutely critical. Then I used PayUSAtax as my payment processor since they had slightly lower fees than the others (around 1.99% for my payment amount). One thing I learned the hard way - if you have multiple small gift cards, it might actually be more cost-effective to combine some purchases first to reduce the number of transactions and processing fees. I had five $100 cards and ended up paying the fee five separate times, which added up to about $60 in total fees. Also, make sure to do this well before your tax deadline. My first payment got held up for verification and took 3 business days to process, which would have been stressful if I'd waited until the last minute. The whole process is definitely doable, just plan ahead and budget for those processing fees when calculating how much you can actually put toward your tax bill!

I've used gift cards for tax payments a couple times and it's definitely doable! One thing I'd add that I don't think anyone mentioned yet - check the expiration dates on your gift cards before you start the registration process. I had one card that was about to expire and almost lost the money because I waited too long to use it. Also, when you register the cards, make sure you're doing it on the official Visa gift card website, not some third-party site. I almost got scammed by a fake registration site that looked legit but was just trying to steal card info. For your $500 in gift cards toward a $2,300 bill, that's a solid chunk! Just remember to factor in the processing fees when budgeting - so if you're paying 2% fees, your $500 will actually cost you about $510 total. Still better than scrambling for cash though. Good luck!

Hey Avery! I totally get how overwhelming the W4 can feel when you're looking at it for the first time - I had the exact same panic when I started my first job at a local restaurant! Everyone here has given you excellent advice, and I want to echo that you're actually in the simplest possible situation. As a 16-year-old with just one part-time job, you literally only need to worry about Step 1 (your basic info and "Single" filing status) and then skip straight to Step 5 to sign it. That's it! One thing that really helped me was realizing that the W4 isn't some high-stakes permanent decision. If you realize later that you want to adjust anything (like maybe claiming exempt status once you see how much you're actually earning), you can always fill out a new one. Your employer expects that first-time workers might need to make changes as they figure things out. Also, don't be embarrassed to ask your manager or HR person for help if you get stuck on the online system - they've definitely walked other new hires through this before and would much rather help you get it right than deal with payroll issues later. Take a deep breath, follow the simple approach everyone's outlined, and then get excited about your new job! Mall work can be really fun, especially during busy seasons. You've got this! 🎉

Hey Avery! I completely understand the stress - I remember feeling exactly the same way when I got my first job at a bookstore last year and saw that W4 form! It looked like it was designed by aliens who spoke only in tax code 😅 Everyone here has given you absolutely perfect advice, so I just want to add my voice to reassure you that you're going to be totally fine. The beauty of being 16 with your first part-time job is that you get to use the "super easy mode" version of the W4: **Step 1**: Your name, address, SSN, and check "Single" (even though you're a dependent - that's completely separate) **Steps 2-4**: Completely ignore these - they're for complex situations that don't apply to you **Step 5**: Sign and date That's literally it! The system will handle everything else automatically based on your pay level. One thing that really helped calm my nerves was remembering that your employer's payroll team processes W4s from nervous teenagers all the time - you're definitely not the first person to feel overwhelmed by this! And if something did go wrong (which it won't), they'd help you fix it. Take those screenshots when you submit it, breathe easy knowing you can always update it later if needed, and get excited about earning your first paycheck! Congratulations on the job - mall work during the holidays is going to be such a great experience! 🎉