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4 Has anyone dealt with the failure-to-file penalty for Form 1065 specifically? I'm in a similar situation but with a multi-member LLC, and we're getting hit with $2,100 per partner per month for late filing! It's absolutely crushing us.
16 Yes! Form 1065 penalties are brutal - $220 per partner per month for up to 12 months (as of 2025 tax year). I was able to get them completely abated by demonstrating reasonable cause. Document any issues with previous tax preparers, health problems, or natural disasters that contributed to late filing. The key is being extremely specific about why each year was late.
I've been through this exact nightmare with my LLC! Here's what I learned that might help: First, don't panic - you have options. The IRS penalty system is harsh but there are legitimate ways to get relief. Since you're a single-member LLC filing Schedule C, you're likely dealing with failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties on your personal return. Your current accountant sounds unreliable if they've consistently filed late despite claiming to file extensions. Extensions only give you time to file, not to pay - so if you owed taxes, you'd still get hit with penalties even with valid extensions. Here's my action plan that worked: 1) Get your IRS transcripts immediately to see what was actually filed and when 2) Fire your current accountant - they're clearly not handling your situation properly 3) Look into First Time Penalty Abatement for at least one tax year 4) Document everything about your previous accountant retiring and the chaos that caused 5) Consider "reasonable cause" arguments for the other years The key is being proactive. I waited too long hoping my accountant would fix things, and it just got worse. You might be surprised how much penalty relief is available if you approach it systematically. Don't let the intimidating notices paralyze you - there's definitely a path forward here.
This is really helpful advice! I'm curious about the "reasonable cause" arguments you mentioned - what kind of documentation did you need to provide to the IRS? I have emails from my first accountant's office saying they were closing, but I'm not sure if that's enough proof. Also, how long did the whole penalty abatement process take once you submitted everything?
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Military spouse here too! I completely understand the stress of needing that refund before deployment. I went through the exact same thing two years ago when my husband was getting ready to leave. The 4883C letter actually means you're on the right track - it's their way of saying "we just need to make sure it's really you before we send your money." Here's what worked for me: I did the online verification through ID.me (much faster than calling), and it took about 20 minutes. Make sure you have your Social Security card, driver's license, and a copy of your tax return handy before you start. After I verified, my refund came in exactly 18 days. The TC 810 will stay on your transcript until they complete the verification process, then it should update pretty quickly. Since you're dealing with a deployment timeline, I'd definitely recommend doing the online verification ASAP rather than trying to call. The phone lines are brutal right now. You WILL get your refund - this is just a speed bump, not a roadblock. Hang in there! 💪
Military families definitely get hit with these identity verification requests more often - I think it's because of the frequent moves and address changes that trigger their fraud detection systems. The good news is that the 4883C letter with a control number means they have a specific process set up for you, which is much better than some of the other freeze codes that have no clear resolution path. Since your husband deploys soon, I'd prioritize getting this done this week if possible. The online ID.me verification is definitely your fastest option - have your Social Security card, driver's license, and a copy of your 2023 tax return ready before you start. Some people also need a utility bill or bank statement, so grab those too just in case. After you verify, your transcript should update within a few days to show progress, and then refunds typically issue within 2-3 weeks. The timing should work out for you if you act quickly. Once you're verified in their system, future years should be smoother. Good luck, and thank you both for your service! 🇺🇸
This is really helpful, thank you! I'm also military and just got a similar letter last week. Quick question - when you say have your tax return ready, do you mean just the first two pages or the entire return? And did you need to upload any documents during the ID.me process, or was it more like answering verification questions? Want to make sure I have everything prepared before I start.
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Something nobody mentioned - check if any of those investments could be considered qualified education expenses in the coming year. If your daughter is starting college, you might be able to time selling some investments with paying tuition and have them count toward education tax benefits like the American Opportunity Credit.
That's not quite right. The capital gains themselves would still be taxable. You can't directly use appreciated securities for qualified education expenses without triggering capital gains. You'd need to sell the investments, pay any applicable capital gains tax, and then use the proceeds for education expenses.
One thing to consider that might help with timing - if your daughter will be 18 during 2025 and truly providing more than half of her own support through work/internships, you could potentially avoid kiddie tax entirely by waiting. But be careful about the "more than half support" test - it includes tuition, room, board, everything. Also, don't forget about gift tax implications if you're funding her investment account. The annual exclusion is $18,000 for 2024, but if this account has grown from gifts over the years, make sure you're tracking that properly. Another strategy: if she has any investments that are currently at a loss, consider harvesting those losses this year to offset some of the gains. Even though she's subject to kiddie tax, capital losses can still offset capital gains dollar-for-dollar before the kiddie tax calculation even comes into play.
Great point about tax loss harvesting! I hadn't thought about that strategy. Since my daughter's account has grown significantly over the years, there are probably some individual positions that are at a loss even though the overall account is up. Would those losses offset the gains before the kiddie tax calculation kicks in, or does the kiddie tax apply to the gross gains regardless of any losses in the same year? Also, regarding the gift tax tracking - we've been contributing about $12,000 per year to her account since she was young, so we should be well under the annual exclusion limits. But should we be keeping formal records of these contributions in case it ever comes up?
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As someone who went through a similar situation with my cousin a couple years ago, I'd strongly recommend documenting your ownership split ASAP if you haven't already. We made the mistake of waiting until tax season to figure out who owned what, and it was a nightmare trying to reconstruct 10 months of trades and dividends. One thing that really helped us was setting up a simple tracking system where we noted the purpose of each deposit - "John's contribution," "Sarah's birthday gift shares," etc. This made it crystal clear when tax time came around how to allocate the income. Also, don't overlook the potential impact on financial aid if either of you are students. Joint accounts can affect FAFSA calculations in ways that might not be obvious. My cousin ended up having to explain our joint account setup to his school's financial aid office because it looked like he had more assets than he actually controlled. The separate account approach mentioned by others is definitely worth considering, especially since this started as a gift situation. It might seem like more work upfront, but it eliminates so many potential complications down the road.
The FAFSA impact is such an important point that I don't think gets discussed enough! My brother is actually starting college next year, so this could definitely affect his financial aid eligibility if it looks like he has access to more assets than he really does. That's another really strong argument for moving to separate accounts sooner rather than later. We definitely don't want him to lose out on potential aid because of our joint account setup when the money was meant to be a gift to help him get started with investing, not to create financial complications. Thanks for bringing up the documentation timing too - you're absolutely right that trying to reconstruct months of activity after the fact would be a nightmare. I'm going to start tracking everything properly right now while it's still manageable, regardless of whether we end up keeping the joint account or splitting into separate ones. This thread has really opened my eyes to how many ripple effects these seemingly simple financial decisions can have!
This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation with my sister! We opened a joint account about 6 months ago when she graduated college, and I've been putting off thinking about the tax implications. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm now leaning heavily toward the separate account approach. The FAFSA complications that Mei mentioned really hit home since my sister might go back for grad school in a couple years. I don't want our joint account to mess up her financial aid eligibility. One question for those who've done the gift transfer route - how long did the process typically take with your brokerage? I'm hoping to get this sorted before year-end like others have suggested, but I want to make sure I allow enough time for all the paperwork to go through properly. Also, has anyone dealt with transferring partial positions? Some of our holdings are individual stocks where I'd want to gift her a portion but keep some for myself. I'm wondering if that complicates the transfer process or if brokerages handle partial share transfers smoothly. Thanks again to everyone who's shared their real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice you can't get from generic tax websites!
Great question about timing! When I did a similar transfer with Fidelity last year, the whole process took about 10-14 business days from when I submitted the paperwork to when the shares showed up in my brother's new account. Most of that time was just processing - the actual transfer happened pretty quickly once they had all the documentation. For partial positions, it's definitely doable but you're right that it adds some complexity. You'll need to specify exactly how many shares you want to transfer for each holding. Some brokers can handle fractional shares in transfers, others will round down to whole shares and leave the fractional portion in the original account. I'd recommend calling your brokerage first to ask about their specific process for partial transfers. One tip: if you have any holdings that are close to long-term vs short-term capital gains timing, you might want to factor that into which specific shares you transfer. The gift transfer preserves the original purchase dates, so you want to make sure you're not accidentally messing up anyone's tax planning for potential future sales. Definitely start the process soon though - even if it takes a couple weeks, getting it done before year-end will save you so much hassle come tax season!
Liam O'Sullivan
This whole thread is so reassuring to read - I'm literally in this exact situation right now! Got my 846 code on Monday and immediately saw that "may be reduced" warning on WMR. I've been obsessively checking the offset hotline multiple times a day and it's still showing the same old information from a debt I paid off months ago. What's really helpful from everyone's experiences here is understanding that there's this weird lag between the IRS systems and the Treasury Offset Program database. It makes sense that the IRS would know about an offset before the TOP system updates - they're probably different databases that sync on different schedules. I think I'm going to follow the advice here and budget for a smaller refund amount. The uncertainty is killing me, but it sounds like most people who got that warning message did end up having something taken out, even if it was smaller than they feared. At least if I prepare for the worst case scenario, I won't be scrambling if they do reduce my refund. Has anyone tried calling their state tax agency directly to check for any outstanding debts? That seems like it might be a proactive way to get some answers instead of just waiting and wondering.
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ApolloJackson
•@Liam O'Sullivan Yes, calling the state tax agency directly is definitely worth doing! I actually did this when I was in a similar situation and it was super helpful. Most state tax departments have a separate hotline for checking outstanding balances and they can tell you right away if there's anything pending. What I found out is that even small amounts can trigger offsets - in my case it was like a $180 balance from an amended return that I never got a notice about (probably got lost in the mail). The state was able to give me the exact amount and even let me pay it over the phone, though by that point it was too late to stop the offset process. One other thing to try - if you've ever had unemployment benefits, some states are clawing back overpayments from the pandemic era. That's been catching people off guard too. But calling your state directly is definitely your best bet for getting real answers instead of just waiting and wondering!
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Scarlett Forster
I'm going through this EXACT same nightmare right now! Got my 846 code yesterday and was so excited until I saw that "may be reduced" message on WMR. It's such a cruel rollercoaster - first the joy of seeing your refund approved, then the panic of not knowing how much you'll actually get. What's really frustrating is how these different systems don't talk to each other properly. Like everyone's saying, the offset hotline is basically useless because it updates so slowly. I've been calling it obsessively and it's still showing old information from last year that's already been resolved. I think the worst part is just not knowing HOW MUCH might get taken. Like, are we talking about $50 or $5,000? The uncertainty makes it impossible to plan anything. I'm definitely taking the advice here to budget for less and hope for more, but man, this process really needs to be more transparent. Why can't they just tell us exactly what's happening instead of these vague "may be reduced" warnings? Anyway, thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it helps knowing I'm not alone in this stressful waiting game! 🤞
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Yuki Kobayashi
•@Scarlett Forster I totally feel your frustration! I m'completely new to dealing with tax stuff and this whole situation has been so confusing and stressful. Reading through everyone s'experiences here has been really eye-opening though - it sounds like this may "be reduced message" with delayed offset information is actually pretty common. What I m'taking away from all these stories is that the IRS internal systems seem to be ahead of the public-facing offset hotline, which explains why we re'getting these scary warnings without any details. It s'like they know something s'coming but the system that would tell us what it is hasn t'caught up yet. I m'definitely going with the expect "less, hope for more approach" that everyone s'recommending. Better to be prepared for a smaller amount than to get blindsided when bills are due. The uncertainty really is the worst part - I wish there was just a way to get a straight answer about what s'actually happening instead of playing this guessing game!
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