in the same boat rn... my preparer messed up my kids bday and now im stuck in verification hell

Wow, this is exactly why I'm nervous about using a tax preparer! The fact that they just brushed off your concerns is really unprofessional. I'd definitely listen to Giovanni's advice about filing the 1040X - better safe than sorry. Have you considered switching to a different preparer for next year? This kind of carelessness with basic info like names and addresses would make me lose trust completely.

Quick question - does anyone know if you need to file Schedule A with Form 990-EZ when doing a retroactive reinstatement for a 501(c)(5) labor organization? I'm in a similar situation but getting conflicting info.

Just wanted to add another perspective on the liability reporting question. I went through a similar reinstatement process for our trade association (also 501(c)(5)) last year, and one thing that tripped me up initially was understanding what constitutes a "liability" in this context. Beyond the obvious ones like unpaid bills and loans that others mentioned, don't forget about accrued payroll taxes, deferred membership dues (if you collect dues in advance), and any accrued vacation pay for employees. These are all liabilities that need to be reported on Line 26 even under cash accounting. Also, since you're doing 10 years of back filings, make sure you're consistent in how you report liabilities across all years. The IRS will notice if your methodology changes dramatically between years without explanation. Good luck with your reinstatement - the process is tedious but definitely doable!

Has anyone dealt with state taxes in this situation too? I'm 3 years behind on both federal and state, and I'm wondering if I need to handle them differently or if the process is similar.

I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here. As someone who's been in a similar dark place, I want to emphasize something that might get lost in all the technical advice: you're being incredibly brave by facing this now. The guilt and fear around unfiled taxes can be paralyzing, especially when you're already dealing with grief and mental health struggles. But the IRS really is more interested in compliance than punishment, particularly when life circumstances were genuinely difficult. A few practical points from my experience helping others in similar situations: 1) Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Even if you can't find every single document, file with what you have. You can always amend later if needed. 2) The statute of limitations works in your favor too - after 3 years, you can't claim refunds, but after 10 years (6 in some cases), they generally can't collect either. 3) Consider reaching out to a local VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program or Low Income Taxpayer Clinic. Many offer free or low-cost help specifically for situations like yours. 4) Document your hardship circumstances. The IRS has provisions for reasonable cause that can reduce or eliminate penalties when taxpayers faced genuine hardship. You've already taken the hardest step by deciding to address this. The path forward exists, and you're going to get through it.

22 Just a practical tip - make sure whatever name you put on your W-9 matches what you want on your payment checks! I made the mistake of only putting my legal name on my W-9 for an art fair, but all my booth signage and materials had my brand name. The fair made checks out to my legal name, which created issues depositing them since my bank account was in my brand name.

14 Don't overthink this too much! I've been selling art at shows for years. I use my brand name on my W-9, but I've never formally registered it. The main thing is that you report all your income on your taxes. If you're a sole proprietor, it all goes on your Schedule C anyway.

Has anyone had this happen but with state taxes? I filed both my 2023 and 2024 MI state returns together but only got my 2024 refund. It's been 12 weeks now and nothing for 2023.

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! Filed my 2023 and 2024 returns together in March, got my 2024 refund within 3 weeks, but my 2023 return seems to have vanished. The "Where's My Refund" tool for 2023 gives me the same error message you're getting. What I've learned from calling around is that late-filed returns (like our 2023 taxes) go into a completely different processing queue that's mostly manual. They prioritize current year returns during tax season, so prior year returns can take 3-6 months to process. The automated tracking systems often don't work properly for these returns until they're fully processed. For penalties, if you owed money for 2023, you'll definitely get hit with late filing penalties (5% per month up to 25% max) plus interest from the original April 2024 due date. If you're getting a refund, they might still charge a late filing penalty but will just deduct it from your refund. My advice: try to create an account on IRS.gov to view your tax transcripts - this sometimes shows more info than the refund tracker. And honestly, don't stress too much about the lack of communication yet. It sounds like your return is just sitting in the manual processing queue, which is totally normal for late-filed returns.