When my grandpa died last year, I had to get his IRS records too. One thing that helped was going to my local Taxpayer Advocate Service office in person. They were WAY more helpful than trying to call. They helped me fill out all the forms correctly right there and told me exactly where to send everything.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Annabel. I went through this same process when my father passed away two years ago, and I know how overwhelming it can feel on top of everything else you're dealing with. The advice about Form 56 and Form 4506-T is spot on. One thing I'd add is to be very specific about what tax years you need when filling out Form 4506-T - you can request multiple years on one form, which saves time. Also, make sure to check the box for "Account Transcript" rather than just "Return Transcript" if you need to see payment history and any correspondence. Another tip: when you call the IRS, have your dad's Social Security number, date of birth, and date of death ready right away. They'll ask for these immediately to verify you're calling about the right person. And yes, the wait times are brutal, but if you can call first thing in the morning (around 7 AM) you'll usually get through faster. The whole process took about 5 weeks for me from start to finish, but having all the documentation in order made a huge difference. Hang in there - it does get easier once you have the right paperwork submitted.

Something else to consider - you need to be careful about how assistance is distributed within your organization. If all the travel funds go to one coach's team or to board members' kids, it could raise red flags about private benefit. Our lacrosse organization ran into trouble because assistance wasn't being offered program-wide.

This is exactly what our youth tennis organization does, and it's completely legitimate! We've been running a travel assistance program for three years now with no issues. The key is treating it like any other charitable program - establish clear eligibility criteria, document everything, and ensure fair distribution across all your programs. We use a simple application process where families provide proof of financial hardship (we accept free/reduced lunch status, unemployment documentation, or medical bills). Our board reviews applications quarterly and approves assistance based on available funds and tournament importance. One tip: cap your assistance at a reasonable percentage of total expenses (we do 75% max) so families still have some investment in the process. This helps prevent abuse and shows the IRS that you're supplementing, not replacing, family responsibility. Also make sure to get receipts for everything and have families submit expense reports after tournaments. The IRS has consistently supported youth sports organizations providing this type of assistance as long as it advances your charitable purpose and serves the broader community rather than just benefiting insiders.

This waiting game is killing me fr fr 🤡

Still nothing here either! I'm in CA with Chime and DDD 2/14. Usually get mine 3-5 days early but radio silence so far. At least it sounds like they're starting to roll out since some people are getting theirs. Fingers crossed we see something tomorrow! 🤞

FWIW, the Chime subreddit has a whole megathread about tax refunds rn. Seems like most ppl with DDDs between 2/20-2/24 are getting them 1-2 days early. But there's always exceptions. Some banks (esp credit unions) don't process on weekends, but Chime does. IMO it's better to assume it'll come on the actual DDD and then be pleasantly surprised if it shows up early. Don't make any financial commitments based on getting it early!

I'm in the exact same situation! My transcript shows DDD 2/24/2025 and this is also my first year with Chime. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like there's a good chance we'll see it tomorrow or Friday, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. I've been checking my account way too often already 😅 One thing I learned from reading through these comments is that it really depends on when the IRS actually sends the payment file to the banks. The transcript just shows the "official" date, but the actual timing can vary. I'm going to follow the advice about not planning any expenses around getting it early - better to be surprised than disappointed! Thanks for starting this thread, it's been super helpful to see everyone's experiences with Chime and tax refunds!

I had success using the IRS's callback feature through their online appointment system at irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance. You schedule a callback appointment and they actually call you back within the timeframe they specify - usually within 24-48 hours. I was skeptical at first but it worked perfectly for my refund status inquiry. You'll need to create an account and verify your identity, but it beats sitting on hold for hours. The downside is limited appointment slots, so check early in the morning when they release new time slots.

I work for a tax preparation service and deal with IRS calls daily. Here are a few additional tips that might help: 1. **Try the Practitioner Priority Line at 1-866-860-4259** - even though you're not a tax pro, sometimes they'll transfer you to general assistance if you explain you've been unable to get through the main line 2. **Use the "Where's My Refund" callback option** - go to irs.gov/refunds, click "Get Your Refund Status by Phone" and it sometimes offers callback appointments even for non-refund issues 3. **Call during lunch hours (12-2 PM)** - counterintuitive but many people avoid calling during lunch, so hold times can be shorter 4. **Have your Social Security card physically in hand** - not just memorized. Some verification processes require you to read specific text from the card The most important thing is persistence. I've seen people give up after 2-3 attempts, but the ones who succeed typically make 5-10 calls over several days using different strategies. It's exhausting but unfortunately necessary with the current system.