I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! The uncertainty is the worst part. I went through something similar last year - got my 846 code and was celebrating, then found out about offsets I had no idea existed. Here's what I learned that might help: The Treasury Offset Program is required to send you a notice within 30 days explaining each offset, but you don't have to wait for that letter. When you call 800-304-3107, ask them to email you a detailed breakdown if possible - some agents will do this to speed things up. Also, don't assume all four offsets are valid. I had one that turned out to be for a debt that was already satisfied through a previous payment plan, but the systems hadn't communicated with each other. It took some paperwork, but I got that portion back. The math is simple but painful: Your refund amount minus total valid offsets = what you'll eventually receive. Even if it's just a small amount, it's still coming to you - just delayed by a few extra weeks. One last thing - if any of those offsets are related to your business (like payroll taxes or SBA loans), there might be more flexible payment options available than for personal debts. Worth asking about when you call each agency directly. Hang in there! This situation forced me to get organized about my old debts, and honestly I'm in better shape financially now because of it.

I'm dealing with a similar situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! Just wanted to share what I learned when I called the Treasury Offset Program this morning - they can actually tell you the specific dates when each offset will be processed, which helps with planning. What really caught me off guard was finding out that one of my offsets was for an old overpayment of unemployment benefits from 2020 that I had completely forgotten about. The agent explained that these debts can sit dormant for years and then suddenly get activated when you file a return with a refund. For anyone else in this boat - when you call 800-304-3107, make sure to ask for the "offset priority order" too. Apparently they don't take all the offsets at once - they process them in a specific sequence based on debt type and age. This means you might get partial payments as they work through the list, rather than waiting for everything to be calculated at once. The whole process is definitely frustrating, but at least understanding the timeline helps manage expectations. Still keeping my fingers crossed that my business situation qualifies for some kind of hardship consideration!

I've been dealing with IRS entity classification issues for years as a tax professional, and this thread has some excellent advice. I want to emphasize a few critical points for your situation: First, the fact that your original 1120-S was accepted is huge evidence in your favor. The IRS has internal controls that should have rejected it immediately if there was truly no S-corp election on file. This acceptance creates what we call "administrative estoppel" - they can't now claim they never recognized your status when they previously processed returns based on that status. Second, since your company is dissolved, you're working against some strict deadlines. The IRS generally allows 3 years and 75 days from the original due date to correct entity elections, but dissolution can complicate this. I'd strongly recommend filing Form 9100 (Application for Extension of Time) immediately while you gather your documentation. This preserves your rights to retroactive relief even if the standard deadlines have passed. Third, beyond the excellent suggestions about transcripts and callback services, consider requesting a copy of your complete IRS file using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Sometimes documents exist in the system but aren't showing up in standard searches. A FOIA request forces them to do a comprehensive search. The combination approach mentioned by others is spot-on - use the systematic documentation requests to build your case while using callback services to get to the right people who can actually resolve it. Time is your enemy here, so parallel processing is essential.

I've been following this discussion and there are some really solid strategies being shared here. One additional angle I'd suggest considering is reaching out to your congressional representative's office for assistance with the IRS. They have dedicated staff who handle constituent services and can often cut through IRS bureaucracy much faster than going through normal channels. My small business had a similar entity classification nightmare that dragged on for months through normal IRS channels. Within two weeks of contacting my congressman's office, they had arranged a three-way call with an IRS supervisor who was able to locate the "missing" forms and correct the classification errors immediately. The key is presenting it as a clear case of IRS processing errors rather than a complex tax dispute. Based on what you've described - having fax confirmations, the original 1120-S acceptance, and the inconsistent responses from different IRS departments - this fits perfectly into the type of systemic processing issue that congressional offices can effectively advocate for. You'll need to provide them with a timeline of your interactions with the IRS, copies of all relevant documentation, and a clear summary of what you're asking for (recognition of your S-corp election for 2021). They can't give tax advice, but they can absolutely advocate for proper processing of correctly filed forms. Given your tight timeline with the dissolved entity, this might be worth pursuing alongside the other excellent suggestions in this thread.

This blank screen issue has been driving everyone crazy lately! I've been having the same problem on and off for about a week now. What worked for me (besides incognito mode) was actually disabling my ad blocker temporarily - apparently some ad blockers interfere with the IRS site's security scripts. Also, if you're using any VPN, try turning it off since the IRS blocks some VPN IP ranges. The fact that you got it working with incognito is a good sign though - means your return is probably processing normally and it's just their website being glitchy as usual. With a $3,789 refund pending, definitely worth checking every few days to catch any updates early. Their system should show movement soon since you're at the 3-week mark! 🤞

Glad to see incognito mode worked for you! That's actually one of the most reliable fixes for the IRS website issues. For future reference, you can also try clearing your browser's cache and cookies specifically for irs.gov - sometimes old session data gets corrupted and causes these blank screen errors. Since you're at the 3-week mark with a $3,789 refund, you should start seeing some movement on your transcript soon. Pro tip: check your transcript in the early morning hours (6-8 AM) when their servers are less congested - you'll have much better luck avoiding these technical glitches. The IRS typically updates transcripts overnight, so morning checks often catch the freshest status changes. Keep us posted on what you find! 🤞

2 Honestly, I'd just go with two different tax prep services and compare. Do FreeTaxUSA and then also run the numbers in CreditKarma Tax (now Cash App Taxes) which is completely free for both federal and state. If you get the same numbers in both places, you can be pretty confident your preparer did it right.

I've been using FreeTaxUSA for verification purposes for the past few years and it works great for what you're describing. You can definitely go through the entire process without filing or paying anything for federal returns. Here's exactly how it works: You enter all your tax information just like you're preparing to file, and FreeTaxUSA will calculate everything and show you your refund or amount owed on their summary page. For federal, this is completely free. For state returns, they'll show you the calculated amount in the summary, but if you want to actually prepare the state forms, that's when they charge the $14.99. The key thing is that there are very clear steps between "preparing" and "filing." You won't accidentally submit anything - they make you enter payment information and go through multiple confirmation screens before anything gets filed to the IRS. I'd recommend also double-checking with a second free service like Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax) since it's completely free for both federal and state. If both services give you the same numbers as your preparer, you can feel confident everything is correct.

Just an outside-the-box thought - have you looked into carpooling with coworkers to split the parking cost? I was paying $175/month until I found two colleagues who live near me. Now we rotate driving each week and my parking cost is effectively $58/month. Not a tax solution but definitely helps the budget!

Another angle to consider - if you ever work from multiple locations or have a home office setup, keep detailed records of your travel patterns. While your regular commute to the downtown office isn't deductible, the IRS has specific rules about what constitutes your "regular workplace" vs. temporary work locations. For example, if you sometimes work from home and then travel directly to client meetings (bypassing your regular office), those miles could potentially be deductible business travel. The key is documentation - keep a mileage log showing the business purpose of each trip. Also worth noting: if your company ever asks you to work at a different location temporarily (like a satellite office or client site), parking expenses for those locations may be deductible if your employer doesn't reimburse you. The IRS considers temporary work assignments (typically under 1 year) as business travel rather than commuting.