Have you tried contacting your local SCORE office? They provide free mentoring to small businesses and sometimes have resources for tax filing. When I was starting out, they connected me with a retired CPA who helped me file my 1120S for just a small donation to their organization.

Another option to consider is reaching out to local accounting students or recent graduates. Many colleges with accounting programs have students who need practical experience and might help with your 1120S filing for a reasonable fee (often much less than established CPAs charge). You could contact the accounting department at nearby universities - they sometimes have programs where students work on real tax returns under professor supervision. Also, don't overlook the IRS Free File program completely. While it doesn't cover business returns directly, some of the participating software companies offer discounted rates on their business products if you qualify for their personal tax free filing. It's worth checking with companies like FreeTaxUSA or TaxAct to see if they have any promotions running. One last tip: if your S-Corp is relatively simple (single owner, no complex transactions), you might be able to use the fillable PDF forms from the IRS website and file by mail. It's more work but completely free except for postage.

I believe I can share some relevant experience here. I processed taxes for a client in a similar situation last year. They had Marketplace coverage for February only, then transitioned to employer coverage. We initially filed without the 1095-A because they couldn't locate it. The return was accepted and processed. However, approximately 45 days later, they received a notice requesting verification of the Marketplace coverage. By that point, they had located their 1095-A. They submitted it, and the matter was resolved without penalties. That said, I would recommend attempting to obtain the form first if possible. The Marketplace can typically provide a replacement fairly quickly if you contact them directly.

When comparing your situation to other tax scenarios I've seen, you're in a relatively low-risk category. Unlike taxpayers with full-year Marketplace coverage claiming substantial credits, your one-month situation is much simpler. Similar to how a missing 1099-INT for small interest income rarely triggers issues, a brief Marketplace coverage period without premium tax credits typically processes smoothly. In contrast, taxpayers with complex healthcare situations involving multiple family members or significant premium credits face much higher scrutiny. Your Medicare transition is a common life event the IRS routinely processes. While getting the 1095-A is ideal, your refund timing likely won't be affected if you file without it, especially compared to those with more complex healthcare situations.

Has anyone run into issues with clients not understanding the difference between a single-member LLC with C corp election vs an actual C corporation? I've had clients question my W9 because they expected to see the C Corporation box checked instead of the LLC box with "C" written in.

This is such a common source of confusion! I went through the exact same thing when I first set up my single-member LLC with C corp election. What really helped me was creating a simple checklist for W9 forms: 1. Check "Limited liability company" box (never the C Corporation box) 2. Write "C" in the tax classification field next to LLC 3. Use your EIN, not SSN 4. Business name should match exactly what's on your SS-4/EIN letter 5. Keep a copy of your election form (Form 8832) handy in case clients have questions The key thing to remember is that the W9 reflects your legal entity structure (LLC) plus your tax election (C corp treatment). Your clients are paying an LLC that happens to be taxed as a C corp, not an actual C corporation entity. I also recommend keeping a brief explanation document ready for clients who question why you didn't check the C Corp box - it saves a lot of back-and-forth emails!

bruh why do ppl stress about stuff that dont apply to them 💀

Just to add some reassurance - I've been doing taxes for 15 years and the Form 1095-A requirement only applies if you actually received advance premium tax credits through a marketplace plan. If you never enrolled in marketplace insurance, there's literally no way for you to have received these credits, so the IRS has no reason to expect that form from you. The rejections you're seeing are from people who DID have marketplace coverage but forgot to include their 1095-A. You're completely in the clear! 🙂

Want to add something important - check the coverage dates on both 1095-A forms! One might be for January-June and the other for July-December if you had a plan change mid-year. That's different from a corrected form. If that's the case, you need info from BOTH forms on your 8962.

Glad to hear you figured out the timeline issue with your two 1095-A forms! Just a heads up - when you're filling out Form 8962 for your amended return, make sure to enter the information from both forms in the correct months. The form has columns for each month, so you'll input the January-May data from the first form and the June-December data from the second form. Also, double-check that the policy numbers are different between the two forms - that's another way to confirm they're for different coverage periods rather than one being a correction. If you run into any issues with the math on the 8962 (it can get tricky with mid-year plan changes), don't hesitate to reach out here again. Good luck with your amendment!