Going through a divorce myself, so I totally feel you on wanting to avoid financial surprises! One thing that helped me was requesting my account transcripts directly from the IRS (you can get them online instantly at irs.gov). The transcripts will show transaction codes that might indicate pending offsets even when the TOP portal doesn't reflect them yet. Look specifically for TC codes in the 700-800 range - those often show offset activity before it hits the main systems. Also, since you mentioned divorce, make sure to check if there are any joint debts (student loans, back taxes, etc.) that could still affect your refund even if they're assigned to your ex in the divorce decree. The IRS doesn't care about divorce agreements when it comes to joint tax liabilities. Hang in there - the uncertainty is the worst part! 🤞

I've been through this exact situation during my own divorce proceedings last year. The offset portal lag is frustrating, but there are a few things you can do to get a clearer picture. First, call the Treasury Offset Program directly at 800-304-3107 - they often have more current information than the online portal shows. Second, request your IRS account transcripts online and look for any TC (Transaction Code) entries in the 700s or 800s, which can indicate offset activity before it shows up elsewhere. One crucial thing for your divorce situation: even if your divorce decree assigns certain debts to your ex, the IRS and other federal agencies don't recognize those agreements. If your name is still on joint tax liabilities, student loans, or other federal debts, they can still offset your refund regardless of what your divorce paperwork says. I learned this the hard way when an old joint student loan that was "assigned" to my ex in our decree still hit my refund. Consider contacting any creditors you're aware of to check your current status directly. The uncertainty is awful, especially when you're trying to rebuild financially after a divorce, but getting proactive about checking these sources should give you a much clearer picture. Good luck! 🤞

Just adding that besides SSNs, there are other types of TINs too: - EIN (Employer Identification Number) for businesses - ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) for non-citizens - PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number) for tax preparers - ATIN (Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number) for pending adoptions So while most people's TIN is just their SSN, not everyone's is!

Yes, you can definitely have multiple TINs! As an individual with a business, you'd have your SSN for personal tax matters and an EIN for your business. Many people have both - your SSN identifies you as an individual taxpayer, while your EIN identifies your business entity. You'll use your SSN on your personal tax return (Form 1040) and your EIN for business-related forms and transactions. Just make sure to use the correct number for the right purpose - SSN for personal stuff, EIN for business stuff.

Has anyone dealt with the IRS matching notice issue for missing K1s? I ignored including a zero-income K1 last year and got a CP2000 notice six months later. Huge headache to resolve, even though it ultimately didn't change my tax owed.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year with my LLC that had zero income but startup expenses. Here's what I learned the hard way - you definitely need to amend your return to include the K1, even with zero income. The IRS automated matching system will flag the discrepancy once they receive your business return with the K1. I tried to "wait and see" and ended up getting a CP2000 notice months later asking me to explain the missing K1. Even though it didn't change my tax liability, I had to spend time responding to the notice and dealing with the paperwork. The good news is that those startup expenses on your S-corp K1 will likely be deductible against your other income on your personal return. In my case, I actually ended up getting a small refund from the amendment because the business expenses reduced my overall tax liability. File the amendment sooner rather than later - it shows good faith effort to correct the error, and you'll avoid the potential hassle of dealing with IRS notices down the road. The 1040-X form isn't too complicated, especially if you use tax software that has an amendment feature.

Has anyone actually gotten audited over Zelle transfers? My brother's been sending me rent money through Zelle for like 3 years and I've never reported it since he's just paying his share of our apartment.

Just want to add some reassurance here - I was in a very similar situation last year with about $20k in transfers from my parents over 18 months. I was absolutely panicking about tax implications too! After doing a ton of research and even consulting with a tax professional, I learned that family support like this is completely normal and not taxable to you as the recipient. The key thing is that these were clearly gifts to help with your living expenses, not payments for work or services. Keep any text messages or documentation that shows the intent (like your mom saying "here's money for rent" or similar), but you really don't need to stress about this. The IRS understands that parents help their adult children financially, especially during school. You're good!

Has anyone used Tax1099? My accountant recommended it but I'm wondering how it compares to the other services mentioned here. I'm in the same boat - first time doing this and have about 15 contractors.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Just got thrown into handling 1099s this year with zero experience. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - I had no idea about the corporation vs LLC distinctions or that state filings might be required. Quick question for everyone who's used these third-party services: do they also help with backup withholding situations? We have a couple contractors who never returned their W-9s despite multiple requests, and I'm not sure how to handle those payments when filing. Also, for the original poster - definitely get those W-9s from all your contractors ASAP if you haven't already. I learned the hard way that missing or incorrect TIN information can cause major headaches during filing. Most of these services will flag bad TINs but it's better to have everything correct upfront.