Can't reach IRS? Claimyr connects you to a live IRS agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the IRS
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the IRS drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls ā which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
This whole system is so backwards! My son has a wrestling scholarship and we're dealing with the exact same frustration. He's literally risking injury every single day, maintaining strict weight requirements, following intense training schedules, and could lose everything if his performance drops - but somehow that's "unearned" income according to the IRS. What really gets me is that if he had a regular part-time job making the same amount, it would be considered earned income and taxed at his lower rate instead of ours through the kiddie tax. But because it's tied to his athletic performance and scholarship requirements, suddenly it's "unearned." The logic makes zero sense. We ended up having to pay significantly more in taxes because of this classification, even though he's working harder than most adults I know. Has anyone found any workarounds or ways to minimize the tax impact beyond the equipment reclassification strategies mentioned above?
Emma Olsen
ā¢I completely understand your frustration! We went through the same thing with my daughter's track scholarship. One strategy that helped us was maximizing her qualified educational expenses by working with the school's financial aid office to reallocate some scholarship funds toward books, supplies, and required technology instead of room and board where possible. We also made sure to track every penny of qualified expenses she paid for out of pocket (lab fees, course materials, etc.) since those can offset some of the taxable scholarship income. Another thing we discovered is that if your son has any work-study income or part-time job earnings, those count as earned income and can help reduce the kiddie tax impact. It's still an unfair system, but these small adjustments helped reduce our tax burden by a few hundred dollars. Every little bit counts when dealing with this ridiculous classification system!
QuantumLeap
I feel your pain on this issue! My daughter has a soccer scholarship and we've been battling this same "unearned income" classification for two years now. It's absolutely maddening that the IRS considers 25+ hours of weekly training, strict academic requirements, and constant performance pressure as "unearned." One thing that helped us significantly was getting really granular with the athletic department about expense categorization. Beyond just equipment, we were able to get training supplements that were mandatory for the team (protein powders, recovery drinks provided by the athletic department) classified as educational expenses since they were required for her program participation. We also discovered that some fees we thought were just "athletic fees" were actually tied to specific courses - like her sports medicine class that was required for her major had associated lab fees that were covered by the scholarship. Getting these properly categorized as qualified educational expenses rather than general room/board saved us about $800 in kiddie tax. The system is still broken, but documenting everything and pushing for detailed expense breakdowns from the school can help minimize the damage. Hang in there - hopefully Congress will eventually fix this ridiculous classification system!
Rachel Clark
ā¢This is exactly the kind of detailed breakdown I needed to see! I'm just getting started with my son's basketball scholarship tax situation and had no idea you could get that granular with expense categorization. The supplement classification is particularly interesting - our athletic department provides mandatory nutrition products too, but I never thought to ask about getting those classified as educational expenses. Can you share any tips on how you approached the athletic department to get them to provide these detailed breakdowns? Did you have to escalate to someone specific, or were they pretty cooperative once you explained the tax implications? I'm worried about seeming difficult, but with the kiddie tax hitting us so hard, every dollar of reclassification really matters for our family. Also, did you run into any resistance from the school about changing how they categorize these expenses, or were they understanding about the tax benefits for student athletes?
Join the conversation
Does anyone know if the same rules apply to 401ks? My company's plan administrator told me something different about the taxation year and now I'm confused.
The same basic rules apply to 401ks - distributions are taxed in the calendar year received. However, there's one important difference with 401ks: if you're still working at the company where you have the 401k, you might be able to delay RMDs from that specific 401k until you retire (doesn't apply to IRAs or old 401ks from previous employers). This is called the "still working exception.
Lucas Turner
Just wanted to add another perspective here - I went through this exact situation last year with my first RMD. The key thing to remember is that even though you have until April 15, 2025 to take your 2024 RMD, taking it in early 2025 means you'll potentially have TWO RMDs taxed in the same year (your delayed 2024 RMD plus your regular 2025 RMD). This could push you into a higher tax bracket. I ended up taking my first RMD in December 2024 instead of waiting until the following year specifically to avoid this "bunching" problem. Something to consider when planning - the April 15th extension is allowed but not always optimal from a tax perspective. You might want to run the numbers both ways to see which scenario works better for your overall tax situation.
This is such an important point that I wish more people knew about! I made the mistake of delaying my first RMD and ended up with both distributions hitting the same tax year. It bumped me up a bracket and cost me way more than I expected. For anyone reading this who's approaching their first RMD - definitely run the math on taking it in December of the actual RMD year versus waiting until the following April. The "bunching" effect Lucas mentions is real and can be expensive. Even though the IRS gives you that extra time, it's not always the smart financial move to use it.
Join the conversation
Anyone know if the IRS actually cross-references the 1095-C info with your tax return? Like if the 1095-C says I had coverage but I accidentally clicked "no coverage" on my tax form, will that trigger something?
They potentially could since employers submit this info to the IRS, but currently the IRS isn't enforcing the individual mandate penalties at the federal level. Some states still have their own penalties though (CA, MA, NJ, RI, and DC I think?). If you're in one of those states, you might want to correct that.
Just want to echo what everyone else is saying to put your mind at ease - you're totally fine! I had the exact same panic last year when I found my 1095-C after filing. Called my tax preparer in a frenzy and she laughed and said "that's just a receipt, honey." The 1095-C is basically proof that you had employer health insurance coverage, but your employer already reported that info to the IRS separately. Think of it like keeping a receipt for a purchase - it's good to have for your records, but you don't send the receipt back to the store. Since your return was already accepted, that's actually a good sign that everything matched up correctly on the IRS end. If there had been a discrepancy, you likely would have heard about it during processing. Keep that 1095-C with your tax documents for this year, but no need to do anything else. Your refund should come through just fine!
Thank you so much for this reassurance! The "receipt" analogy really helps me understand it better. I was spiraling thinking I'd messed up my first year filing with employer insurance, but hearing from someone who went through the exact same thing makes me feel so much better. I'll definitely keep the 1095-C with my other tax docs for this year. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this - this community is awesome for newcomers like me who are still learning the ropes!
Join the conversation
One strategy some people use is to adjust their withholding so they don't get a big refund in the first place. If you claim more allowances on your W-4, you'll get more in each paycheck throughout the year instead of a lump sum refund that can be offset. Too late for this year obviously, but something to consider for 2025.
Sorry to hear about your situation, Lucas. Based on what others have shared, it sounds like you're likely facing an offset. Here's what I'd suggest doing right now: 1. Call that Treasury Offset Program number (800-304-3107) that Layla mentioned to find out exactly what you owe and to whom 2. Contact your child support agency - they might be willing to work out a payment plan that could reduce the offset amount 3. For the student loans, reach out to your loan servicer ASAP about rehabilitation options like Kaylee suggested The frustrating thing is that offsets happen automatically when your return processes, so time is critical. Even if you can't prevent it entirely, knowing the exact amounts ahead of time will help you plan for the car repairs. You might also want to consider filing your taxes earlier rather than later - sometimes there are administrative delays that could give you a small window to address the debts before the offset kicks in. Good luck, and definitely make those calls tomorrow if you can!
Zara Malik
Great thread everyone! As someone who's been through this exact situation, I want to emphasize a few key points: 1. **Federal taxes**: No business license needed for rental income - you'll use Schedule E on your personal return. The IRS treats most rental activity as passive investment income. 2. **Local requirements**: This is where it gets tricky. Even if you don't need anything for taxes, you may still need: - Rental permits/licenses from your city/county - Zoning compliance (as Emma mentioned - this is HUGE!) - Safety inspections for rental units - Business registration if your area requires it 3. **Insurance**: Definitely get landlord insurance before your first tenant moves in. Regular homeowners won't cover rental activities. 4. **Record keeping**: Start tracking everything NOW - receipts, mileage for property visits, renovation costs, etc. Good records will save you headaches at tax time. Since you mentioned the unit is currently vacant while renovating, this is actually perfect timing to get all your ducks in a row before you start actively renting again. I'd recommend calling your city's planning department first to confirm zoning, then checking on any local rental requirements. The tax stuff is actually the easier part!
0 coins
Sebastian Scott
ā¢This is exactly the kind of comprehensive advice I was looking for! Thank you so much for breaking it down step by step. I'm definitely going to call our city planning department first thing Monday to check on zoning - that $5000 fine Emma mentioned scared me straight! One quick follow-up question - when you say "start tracking everything NOW" for the renovation expenses, can those be deducted immediately or do they need to be depreciated over time? We're putting in new flooring, painting, and updating the kitchen in the rental unit. I want to make sure I'm categorizing these expenses correctly from the beginning. Also really appreciate the reminder about landlord insurance. I had no idea regular homeowners insurance wouldn't cover rental activities. Adding that to my to-do list right after the zoning check!
0 coins
Amina Sy
ā¢Great question about the renovation expenses! This is where it gets a bit complicated, and the distinction is really important for tax purposes. Generally, repairs and maintenance can be deducted immediately (like fixing a broken faucet, painting to maintain the property, or replacing a few broken tiles). But improvements that add value, extend the property's life, or adapt it for new use typically need to be capitalized and depreciated over 27.5 years for residential rental property. For your specific renovations: - **New flooring**: Usually considered an improvement ā depreciate over time - **Painting**: If it's just refreshing existing paint ā immediate deduction. If it's part of a major renovation ā might need to capitalize - **Kitchen updates**: Depends on scope. Replacing a broken cabinet door = repair. Full kitchen renovation = improvement The tricky part is when multiple repairs/improvements happen at once as part of a larger renovation project - sometimes the whole thing gets treated as an improvement even if individual items might normally be repairs. I'd really recommend documenting each expense separately and consulting with a tax professional for your specific situation. The IRS has gotten stricter about this distinction in recent years, and getting it wrong can be costly if you're audited. Also, don't forget that even capitalized improvements reduce your taxable income through depreciation, so it's still a tax benefit - just spread out over many years instead of all at once!
0 coins
Freya Larsen
One additional consideration that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're planning to claim the home office deduction for any property management activities (like using part of your home for rental bookkeeping, tenant communications, etc.), you'll want to be extra careful about documentation. The IRS allows home office deductions for rental property management, but the space needs to be used regularly and exclusively for the rental business. Since your rental unit is on the same property as your primary residence, you'll need to clearly separate which spaces and expenses relate to your personal residence, the rental unit, and any home office space used for managing the rental. Also, don't forget about the potential for depreciation recapture when you eventually sell the property. Any depreciation you claim on the rental portion will need to be "recaptured" (taxed at up to 25%) when you sell, even if you qualify for the primary residence capital gains exclusion on the rest of the property. It's still usually worth taking the depreciation, but good to plan ahead! Keep detailed records of the square footage breakdown between personal and rental use - this will be crucial for properly allocating shared expenses like property taxes, utilities, and insurance between the deductible rental portion and non-deductible personal portion.
0 coins