Another option to consider - I found my S Corp accountant through the Enrolled Agent directory on the NAEA website. Many EAs specialize in small business and S Corps and are much more affordable than larger CPA firms. Plus they're licensed by the IRS and can represent you in case of audit. Most now work virtually so location doesn't matter. Mine is in a different state but handles everything perfectly through secure document sharing. Way better service than I ever got from retail tax chains.

As someone who went through this exact transition last year when my longtime CPA retired, I'd recommend being very cautious with H&R Block for S Corp work. Their retail locations often lack the specialized knowledge needed for proper S Corp tax preparation. I initially tried their Small Business Services (which is separate from their retail offices) and while the preparer was more knowledgeable than the seasonal staff, they still made some concerning errors with my reasonable compensation calculations that I caught during review. What worked for me was using the IRS's "Find a Tax Professional" tool on their website - you can filter specifically for Enrolled Agents and CPAs who work with S Corps. I found three candidates in my price range within a week, all willing to work remotely. The EA I ultimately chose has been fantastic and actually costs less than what H&R Block quoted me. My advice: get quotes from both H&R Block's business division AND a few independent professionals before deciding. Don't let the big name fool you into thinking they're automatically better - often the opposite is true for specialized work like S Corp returns.

Something similar happened to me. What I did was create an ID.me account which the IRS uses for verification. Even if you don't remember your exact address, the ID.me verification includes other methods like uploading your ID and doing a video chat verification. Once verified there, I could access my IRS account and see/update my address info.

I went through this exact same nightmare about 6 months ago! What finally worked for me was a combination approach. First, I called the IRS transcript line at 1-800-908-9946 early in the morning (like 7:30 AM) when wait times are shorter. When they couldn't verify me with the addresses I provided, the agent actually told me I could visit a local Taxpayer Assistance Center with two forms of ID and they could help me access my account records and update my address. I scheduled an appointment at the TAC office, brought my driver's license and passport, and they were able to pull up my account and show me what address they had on file (turns out it was an address from 2019 that I had completely forgotten about). They updated it on the spot and printed my transcripts right there. The whole visit took about 45 minutes. If you have a TAC office nearby, I'd definitely recommend this route over trying to guess addresses online. You can find locations and schedule appointments at irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office. Good luck with your mortgage application!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my first RSU sale and was panicking about double taxation. One thing I learned from my tax preparer that might help others - if you use tax software like TurboTax or FreeTaxUSA, there's usually a specific section for "Employee Stock Plans" or "RSUs" that walks you through this exact scenario. It automatically handles the basis adjustments and generates the right forms. The software asks for your vesting date, number of shares, and the values from your W2 and 1099-B, then does all the calculations. Much easier than trying to figure out Form 8949 manually! Just make sure you select "RSU" specifically rather than regular stock sales, since the tax treatment is different.

This thread has been so educational! I'm dealing with my first RSU situation and had no idea about the basis adjustment requirement. Just to make sure I understand correctly - when I file Schedule D and Form 8949, I need to: 1. Report the sale proceeds from my 1099-B 2. Use the amount that was included in my W2 as the cost basis (not whatever the brokerage might have reported) 3. The difference between these two is my actual taxable gain/loss Is that right? And if I sold immediately after vesting, that gain/loss should be relatively small since there wasn't much time for the stock price to change? Also, for anyone who mentioned tax software - does it matter which year's version I use, or do they all handle RSUs the same way? I have an older version of TurboTax from a couple years ago that I never used.

As someone who works in payroll administration, I see this confusion constantly! Let me add one more angle that might help: when you look at your paystub, there are typically two key numbers - "Gross Pay" and "Taxable Wages." The FSA contribution gets subtracted from Gross Pay to arrive at Taxable Wages, and that Taxable Wages amount is what flows to Box 1 of your W-2. So the tax benefit isn't hidden or missing - it's literally built into the foundation of how your taxable income is calculated. Every pay period, your FSA contribution reduces the amount that federal, state, and FICA taxes are calculated on. Here's a quick way to verify everything is working: Look at any recent paystub and find your "Federal Taxable Wages" or similar line item. That amount should be your gross pay minus ALL pre-tax deductions (401k, FSA, health insurance, etc.). When you get your W-2, that same amount should appear in Box 1. If those numbers match up, you're getting all your pre-tax benefits correctly! The "tax benefit" for FSA is the difference between what your federal tax withholding WOULD have been on your full gross pay versus what it actually was on the reduced taxable amount. You've been receiving that benefit automatically all year long.

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you all for such thorough explanations! I've been contributing to an FSA for three years and never fully understood where the tax benefit was happening until now. The key insight that finally made it click for me was understanding that FSA contributions aren't a "deduction" at all - they're money that never becomes taxable income in the first place. It's like that money is invisible to the tax system from the moment it leaves my paycheck. I just did the paystub-to-W2 comparison that several people suggested, and wow - seeing that my gross wages ($58,000) minus all pre-tax deductions ($4,200 for 401k + $2,400 for FSA + $1,800 for health insurance) equals exactly my W-2 Box 1 amount ($49,600) was such a lightbulb moment. The FSA benefit isn't missing - it's baked right into that calculation! What I love about this explanation is how it shows that I've been getting my FSA tax savings delivered to me automatically with every single paycheck through reduced withholdings. Instead of having to wait until tax season for a benefit, I was receiving it in real-time all year long. That's actually way better than a traditional tax deduction! For anyone else confused about this: your FSA is working exactly as intended. The benefit is "invisible" because it happens before your taxable income is even calculated, not because something is wrong with your taxes.

This is exactly the kind of confusion I had when I started my LLC! The good news is that you're overthinking this - the IRS has pretty clear default rules that work in your favor. Since you have a single-member LLC and never filed any election forms, you automatically have what's called "disregarded entity" status. This means for tax purposes, your LLC doesn't exist as a separate entity - all income and expenses flow directly through to your personal tax return via Schedule C. No Form 8832 needed unless you want to change this default classification. Most small business owners stick with disregarded entity status because it's simpler and avoids the complexity of corporate tax filings. Just make sure you're keeping good records of all business income and expenses throughout the year, and don't forget about self-employment taxes on your profits (Schedule SE). The IRS treats your LLC income as self-employment income, so you'll owe both income tax and SE tax on your net profit. You're definitely on the right track - just report everything on your personal return and you'll be fine!

Great question! This is actually one of the most common points of confusion for new LLC owners. The default tax classification system is designed to be simple, but the IRS doesn't always do a great job of explaining it upfront. Since you formed a single-member LLC and never filed any election forms (like Form 8832 or Form 2553), your LLC is automatically classified as a "disregarded entity" for federal tax purposes. This means the IRS essentially ignores your LLC as a separate tax entity and treats all business activity as if you're operating as a sole proprietorship. What this means practically: - Report all business income and expenses on Schedule C with your Form 1040 - Pay self-employment taxes on your net profit (Schedule SE) - No separate business tax return required - Much simpler record-keeping compared to corporate taxation The beauty of this default system is that it gives you time to focus on growing your business without getting bogged down in complex tax elections. If your business grows significantly, you can always elect S-Corp status later to potentially save on self-employment taxes, but there's no rush to make that decision right away. You're definitely not behind on anything - you've been doing exactly what you should be doing!