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Does anyone know if foreign dividend stocks have different reinvestment tax rules? I have some Canadian dividend stocks and I'm not sure if the tax treaty affects how reinvested dividends are taxed.
Foreign dividends have an extra wrinkle - they're often subject to foreign tax withholding (typically 15% for Canadian stocks if held in a regular account). The good news is you can claim a foreign tax credit for those withheld amounts on your US return. When the dividends are reinvested, the same basic rules apply - you pay US tax on the gross dividend amount in the year received, and those reinvested shares have a cost basis equal to the amount invested (after any foreign withholding).
Just wanted to add a quick tip for anyone dealing with this - make sure you keep good records of your dividend reinvestment transactions! I learned this lesson after scrambling during tax season when I couldn't figure out which shares were purchased with cash vs. dividends. Most brokerages will show this on your monthly statements, but I started keeping a simple spreadsheet tracking: date, stock symbol, dividend amount, number of shares purchased, and price per share. Takes literally 2 minutes each quarter when dividends hit, but it's been a lifesaver for tax prep. Also, if you're using tax software like TurboTax, they can usually import your 1099-DIV directly from most major brokerages, which automatically includes your reinvested dividends. Just double-check that the amounts match what you actually received!
This is such great advice about record keeping! I wish I had started doing this from the beginning. I'm a complete newcomer to dividend investing and just set up DRIP on a few stocks last month. Your spreadsheet idea sounds perfect - simple but comprehensive. Quick question though - when you say "price per share" in your tracking, do you mean the price on the dividend payment date when the shares were actually purchased? I want to make sure I'm recording the right cost basis information from the start so I don't run into problems later when I sell. Also, has anyone had issues with TurboTax importing the 1099-DIV correctly? I'm using Schwab and want to know if their integration typically works smoothly.
I'm going through something similar right now. Did you write your Social Security number on your check when you sent the payment? I found out that if you don't include your SSN and tax year on the check, sometimes they have trouble applying it correctly.
This is exactly what happened to me last year! The CP503 is definitely more serious than the CP14, so you're right not to ignore it. Here's what I learned from my experience: First, gather ALL your payment documentation - the canceled check, bank statements showing it was cashed, and any payment confirmations you have. The IRS will need specific details like the exact date the check was processed and the check number. When you do reach someone at the IRS, ask specifically for a "payment tracer" - this is their internal process for tracking down misapplied payments. In my case, they had applied my payment to a different tax year because of a processing error on their end. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed notes of every call - date, time, agent's ID number, and what they told me. If you get disconnected or need to call back, this information can help the next agent pick up where you left off. Also, if they do find the payment was misapplied due to their error, make sure to request that any penalties and interest be removed since it wasn't your fault. They can do this, but you have to specifically ask for it. Don't panic - this is fixable, it just takes persistence to get through to the right person who can trace your payment!
This is really helpful advice! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and had no idea about asking for a "payment tracer" specifically. Quick question - when they removed the penalties and interest for you, did that happen automatically once they found their error, or did you have to push for it? I'm worried about getting stuck with extra charges for something that wasn't my fault.
Just wondering - did the state notify you when they applied your overpayment to a different year? We had something similar happen but never received any communication. Only discovered it when preparing for this year's filing.
Nope, they never notified us either! I only found out when I was reconciling our tax accounts and couldn't figure out why we still had this receivable on our books but never received the refund. Had to call them to figure out what happened. The state agent told me they had applied it to an underpayment from three years ago that we weren't even aware of. Would have been nice to get a heads up!
This is a common issue that many businesses face! Since you're on cash basis accounting, the journal entry suggested by others is correct - you'll want to debit your tax expense account and credit the franchise tax receivable to remove it from your balance sheet. One additional tip: consider setting up a monthly or quarterly reconciliation process for your tax accounts to catch these situations earlier. States often apply credits and make adjustments without notification, so regular review of your receivables against actual refunds received can help identify discrepancies before they become bigger accounting headaches. Also, make sure to keep detailed documentation of the state's communication about where they applied your overpayment. This kind of supporting documentation is invaluable if you ever face questions about the adjustment during an audit or review.
Great advice on the reconciliation process! I'm definitely going to implement that going forward. Quick question - when you mention reconciling tax accounts monthly/quarterly, do you have a specific checklist or process you follow? I'm thinking I should be comparing our recorded receivables against actual payments received, but I'm wondering if there are other key items I should be checking to catch these issues early. Any tips on setting up an efficient review process would be really helpful!
I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - sold my consulting business in January and the new owners have been completely unresponsive about filing Form 8822-B. I've been getting IRS notices for their quarterly payroll taxes and it's been keeping me up at night worrying about potential liability. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. It's clear this is a common problem and there are established ways to resolve it even when the new owners won't cooperate. I'm particularly encouraged by the success stories from @StarSurfer and @Adriana Cohn with sending comprehensive documentation packages directly to the IRS. One thing I want to add based on my research - if anyone is dealing with this situation, make sure to keep copies of ALL correspondence you receive from the IRS, even if it's meant for the new owners. This creates a paper trail showing when you started receiving notices for periods after your sale date, which helps establish the timeline and your proactive efforts to resolve the issue. I'm going to follow the approach several people have outlined: gather my Asset Purchase Agreement, final tax returns, state transfer documentation, and send it all via certified mail with a detailed cover letter explaining the ownership change. It's reassuring to know that even without the 8822-B being filed, the IRS has procedures to handle these situations when you provide proper documentation. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made what felt like an impossible situation seem much more manageable!
@Anastasia Fedorov Your approach sounds solid! I m'actually in the early stages of dealing with a similar situation myself - sold my small IT services business last fall and just started getting IRS notices this month for the new owners tax' obligations. What s'been most helpful from reading everyone s'experiences is understanding that this is really about creating an unambiguous paper trail showing when your responsibility ended, rather than trying to force the new owners to do what they should have done with the 8822-B. I m'curious - have you had any luck at all getting responses from your new owners, or have they been completely silent? I m'debating whether to try one more certified letter to them before I focus entirely on the IRS documentation route. Part of me thinks it might be useful to have documented proof that I attempted to get them to file the 8822-B properly, but I don t'want to waste time if they re'just going to ignore it anyway. The anxiety aspect of this whole situation is so real - there s'something particularly stressful about getting official IRS notices with your name on them for obligations that aren t'actually yours. Thanks for sharing your experience and research!
I'm going through this exact nightmare right now - sold my digital marketing agency in September and the buyers completely ghosted me when I asked about filing Form 8822-B. I've been getting IRS notices for their employment taxes and business income tax obligations, and honestly it's been one of the most stressful experiences of my life. What's really helped me sleep better after reading everyone's advice here is understanding that this is actually a procedural issue with established solutions, not some unique disaster. The consistent theme seems to be that comprehensive documentation sent directly to the IRS can resolve this even when the new owners are uncooperative. I'm putting together my documentation package this weekend - Asset Purchase Agreement with transfer dates highlighted, my final business tax returns, state registration transfer proof, and a detailed cover letter explaining the timeline. Planning to send it certified mail and also fax a copy to create multiple touchpoints with the IRS. One thing I learned from my CPA is to include a specific statement in the cover letter requesting that all future correspondence related to post-sale periods be directed to the new responsible party, and to provide their business address from the sale agreement. This gives the IRS an alternative address to use even without the 8822-B being filed. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - knowing that others have successfully resolved this exact situation makes it feel manageable rather than hopeless. Will definitely update this thread once I hear back from the IRS!
Emily Parker
I'm completely new to dealing with tax transcripts and just discovered I have a 570 code too! Filed my return on February 22nd and the code showed up about a week ago. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea this was so common! It sounds like most people's situations resolved within 2-3 weeks without needing to take any action, which is such a relief. I was worried I'd made some major error on my return. Quick question for those who've been through this - did anyone's "Where's My Refund" tool change at all while you had the 570 code, or did it just stay on "still processing" the entire time until it resolved? Also, when it did resolve, did your refund come pretty quickly after the code disappeared? Thanks so much to everyone sharing their experiences - this community is amazing for helping newcomers like me understand what's going on!
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Javier Torres
ā¢Hi Emily! I'm super new to this whole tax transcript thing too, so I can totally relate to the confusion and worry! From what I've been reading in this thread, it sounds like the "Where's My Refund" tool typically just stays stuck on "still processing" the entire time you have a 570 code - it's like the system pauses your status updates until the hold gets resolved. I filed around the same time as you (February 25th) and just noticed my 570 code a few days ago, so we're probably on very similar timelines! It's so reassuring to see that most people here had their codes clear up automatically within 2-3 weeks. I'm definitely going to try to be patient and not check obsessively (though let's be honest, I'll probably still check way too often!). Really hoping both of our situations resolve soon - the waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when you're new to all this!
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Mateo Perez
I'm also completely new to understanding tax transcripts and just found out I have a 570 code! Filed on February 20th and noticed the code appeared on my transcript just two days ago. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I was honestly panicking thinking I'd made some huge mistake on my return. It's incredibly reassuring to read that this is actually pretty common and that most people's codes resolve automatically within a few weeks without any action needed. I keep wanting to call the IRS immediately, but based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like patience really is the best approach (even though the waiting is torture when you're counting on that refund!). For those of you who had your 570 codes resolve - did you notice any pattern in terms of what day of the week your transcript updated? I've been checking randomly but wondering if there's a better strategy. Thanks so much to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is amazing for helping us newcomers navigate this confusing process!
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Mikayla Brown
ā¢Hey Mateo! I'm brand new to all this tax stuff too and just discovered my 570 code yesterday - filed February 24th so we're right in the same timeframe! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief. I was also ready to panic-call the IRS until I saw how many people said theirs resolved automatically. From what I've been picking up in this thread, it sounds like transcripts typically update weekly based on your cycle code (that last digit thing people mentioned), but I'm still trying to figure out exactly how that works. The waiting is definitely killing me since I really need that refund, but it's so comforting to know we're not alone in this! Fingers crossed both of ours clear up soon - seems like most people here had good outcomes within 2-3 weeks!
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Mae Bennett
ā¢Hi Mateo! I'm also really new to this whole tax transcript thing and just found my 570 code yesterday too! Filed on February 26th, so we're all pretty much in the same boat timing-wise. This entire thread has been such a godsend - I was literally googling "is my refund gone forever" before I found this discussion! š From what I'm gathering from everyone's experiences, it really does seem like most of these resolve on their own within that 2-3 week window. I've been trying to figure out the whole cycle code thing too - apparently that last digit tells you what day of the week your account updates, but I'm still confused about how to actually use that information. The hardest part is definitely just sitting and waiting when you really need that money! But seeing all these success stories is keeping me sane. Really hoping all of us February filers see some movement soon!
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