To all those having trouble reaching a human at IRS. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

Hang in there! The 151 code after ID verification is actually pretty normal - it just means they're doing their final review now that they've confirmed you are who you say you are. The fact that you got the 766 code on the same day is actually a good sign that things are moving along. From what I've seen in this community, most people with your timeline (ID verification on 3/06) are seeing their refunds release within 2-4 weeks after the 151 appears. Keep checking your transcripts for updates and try not to stress too much - you're in the final stretch!

This is really helpful info everyone! I'm definitely going to wait for those 1099-B forms from Cashapp before filing. One follow-up question - if I only made like $200 in gains total from both stocks and crypto, do I still need to report all of this? I know there are minimums for some tax forms, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since this is all new to me. Better safe than sorry with the IRS!

Great thread everyone! As someone who works with tax prep, I want to emphasize a few key points for anyone new to reporting investment income: 1. **Keep detailed records** - Don't rely solely on what Cashapp provides. Track your own purchase dates, amounts, and any fees. This is especially important for crypto where cost basis issues are common. 2. **Understand the difference between short-term and long-term gains** - If you held investments for more than a year, you'll get more favorable tax treatment (long-term capital gains rates vs. ordinary income rates). 3. **Don't forget about losses** - If you had any losing trades, those losses can offset your gains and reduce your tax liability. Make sure to report both gains AND losses. 4. **Filing deadline reminder** - Even though Cashapp should get you those 1099-B forms by January 31st, don't wait until the last minute to review them. Give yourself time to gather any missing information or resolve discrepancies. The most important thing is to report everything accurately. The IRS already knows about your transactions from the 1099s they receive, so it's much better to be thorough and correct than to leave anything out!

I'm so sorry your mom is dealing with this - what a frustrating and stressful situation! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. I wanted to add one more angle that might be helpful. Since your mom is dealing with a school district 401k, you should also consider reaching out to the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) or whatever state retirement system oversees public education employees in your state. Even though this was a separate 401k account, these agencies often have experience with similar issues affecting educators and may have established relationships with major financial institutions like Merrill Lynch. Also, many states have a specific "Senior Protection" unit within their Attorney General's office that handles financial exploitation cases involving older adults. While this wasn't technically fraud, the unauthorized liquidation of a retirement account without proper notification could fall under their jurisdiction, especially given your mom's age and the significant financial impact. One thing I'd emphasize from all the great advice here - document every single interaction going forward, including the names and employee ID numbers of everyone you speak with at Merrill Lynch. Create a timeline of events and keep copies of everything. This documentation will be crucial when dealing with regulators and potentially in any legal proceedings. The fact that multiple people in this thread have successfully resolved similar situations gives me hope that your mom can get this reversed. Don't let Merrill Lynch's initial "nothing can be done" response discourage you - that's often just their first line of defense before proper pressure is applied.

This is an absolutely outrageous situation, and I'm furious on your mom's behalf! As a fellow government employee (federal side), I've seen how financial institutions sometimes take advantage of retirees and try to hide behind regulatory excuses. The advice about filing complaints with multiple agencies simultaneously is spot-on. I'd also suggest contacting your Congressional representative's office - they have dedicated staff who handle constituent services and can often cut through bureaucratic red tape that individual complaints can't penetrate. When a member of Congress inquires about a case, financial institutions tend to respond much more quickly and thoroughly. Also, since this involves a school district 401k, check if your mom was part of a union during her employment. Many teacher and public employee unions have legal assistance programs for retirees dealing with benefit issues, and they may have encountered this exact problem with Merrill Lynch before. The fact that she's lived at the same address for 20+ years and never received ANY of their supposed correspondence is a huge red flag. That's not address verification failure - that's institutional negligence. Make sure to emphasize this point in every complaint you file. Don't let them gaslight your mom into thinking this is somehow normal or acceptable. Retirement accounts have special protections precisely because they're so critical to people's financial security. Keep fighting this!

I went through this exact same situation last year with multiple employers and can confirm that you'll get your $58 back without any hassle! The key thing to understand is that this happens because each employer operates independently when calculating Social Security withholding - they don't know what your other employer has already withheld. One thing I'd recommend is keeping your final W-2s and a copy of your completed tax return for your records. When TaxSlayer processes the excess Social Security withholding, it should show up as a credit on your return, but having documentation helps if you ever need to reference it later. Also, don't be surprised if your refund takes the standard processing time even with this credit included - it doesn't slow things down at all. The IRS handles excess Social Security withholding as a routine part of tax processing, so it's one of the smoother parts of the whole system. You're absolutely right to pursue this - $58 is real money and it's legally yours. The fact that TaxSlayer already flagged it means you're in good shape to get it back!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation where I had three different employers this year (one part-time job that overlapped with my main job, then I switched to a new full-time position). My tax software is showing that I overpaid Social Security by about $142, which is definitely money I want back! Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should double-check that the excess amount actually gets included in my final refund calculation before I submit. Has anyone dealt with this when you have MORE than two W-2s? I'm wondering if having three employers makes the calculation more complex or if it's still just as straightforward as what everyone's describing here. Also appreciate all the mentions of the specific forms and line numbers - that gives me confidence I can verify everything is calculated correctly before filing!

Something nobody mentioned yet - what kind of 1099 work are you doing? If the supplies are directly related to your specific work, you're in better shape even with limited documentation. Like if you're a tutor and buy educational materials, that's clearly business-related. But if you're a delivery driver buying office supplies, that might get more scrutiny.

Since you're doing online tutoring, your office supplies are clearly legitimate business expenses! The fact that you can directly tie each type of supply to your tutoring activities (notebooks for student organization, printer supplies for worksheets, pens for visual aids) actually strengthens your position significantly. For the $375 in supplies you've already purchased, your spreadsheet tracking combined with bank/credit card statements should provide adequate documentation for most of those expenses. The IRS understands that small, frequent purchases don't always come with perfect receipt management. Going forward, I'd suggest implementing a simple system: take quick phone photos of receipts when you remember, and don't stress about the ones you miss. Your spreadsheet plus electronic payment records create a reasonable paper trail. The key is showing a clear business purpose for the expenses, which you definitely have as a tutor. One tip: consider setting up a dedicated business checking account or credit card for 2025 - it makes tracking so much cleaner and gives you automatic documentation for every purchase.