I'm dealing with the exact same issue - filed 1/23 and absolutely nothing showing up anywhere! After reading through all these suggestions, I think I'm going to try the 866-682-7451 ext 569 number first thing Monday morning around 8 AM. The paid callback services sound tempting when you're this desperate, but like others mentioned, it feels wrong having to pay extra just to reach a government agency we're required to deal with. Has anyone tried the Spanish language line? I've heard sometimes those have shorter wait times even if you speak English - the agents are usually bilingual anyway. At this point I'm willing to try anything! The lack of updates after filing over 6 weeks ago is really starting to worry me that something went wrong with my return.

I've been through this exact same frustrating experience! Filed 1/25 and had zero movement for weeks. What finally worked for me was calling 877-777-4778 (Taxpayer Advocate Service) around 7:45 AM on a Tuesday morning. I explained that I'd been trying the main lines for over two weeks with no success and that my return had been in processing since late January with no updates on transcripts or WMR. They were actually really helpful and assigned me a case advocate who followed up within 3 business days. Turns out my return was stuck in a verification queue that just needed a simple identity confirmation. The whole thing was resolved within a week of that call. I know it's one more number to try, but TAS is specifically designed for situations like this where normal IRS channels aren't working. Don't give up - there are people there who actually want to help!

One thing nobody's mentioned - what type of business entity are you? Is it an LLC, an S-Corp, a C-Corp? This makes a HUGE difference for how you can be classified! If you're a C-Corp, you're definitely an employee regardless of being a co-founder. If you're an LLC, you could be treated as a partner for tax purposes. S-Corps are somewhere in between. Also, does your employment agreement include anything about being "at will"? If so, that's another strong indicator you're an employee, not a partner.

This is a classic case of worker misclassification that I see way too often in startups. Your CEO doesn't get to unilaterally decide you're a "partner" just because it's more convenient for payroll taxes. The IRS has very specific criteria for determining worker classification, and having equity doesn't automatically make you a partner. Key factors include: - Do you have a written employment agreement? ✓ (You do) - Are you paid a regular salary vs. profit distributions? ✓ (You get $125k salary) - Does the company control how you do your work? ✓ (Likely as CTO) - Have you been receiving W-2s? ✓ (You mentioned you have one) All of these point strongly toward employee status. Your equity is just additional compensation, not a change in your fundamental relationship with the company. I'd strongly recommend pushing back on this change. If your CEO insists on reclassifying you, demand that he consult with both a tax attorney and accountant first. Improper worker classification can result in significant penalties for the business - back taxes, interest, and fines that could seriously hurt your startup. Don't let him shift the tax burden to you without proper legal justification. You signed an employment agreement for a reason!

Has anyone dealt with state sales tax for physical books sold directly to readers? Amazon handles online sales tax but I'm confused about books I sell at local events and writing conferences.

I'm in a very similar situation - just started self-publishing this year and also operating at a loss with all the upfront costs! One thing I learned recently is to keep detailed records of EVERYTHING, even small expenses like stock photos or promotional bookmarks. The IRS allows you to deduct ordinary and necessary business expenses, and for authors that can include a lot more than you'd think - research books for your genre, writing software subscriptions, even a portion of your internet bill if you use it for publishing activities. Also, don't stress too much about the business entity question right now. You can absolutely file as a sole proprietor on Schedule C without forming an LLC or corporation. That said, once you start turning a profit consistently, it might be worth consulting a tax professional about whether forming an entity would benefit you. For now, focus on good record-keeping and remember that your current losses can actually help reduce your overall tax burden from your day job!

Are you sure you calculated your excess SS tax correctly? The limit is only on the amount of wages subject to SS tax, not the actual tax amount itself. For 2024, the wage base limit was $168,600. If your combined wages from both jobs exceeded that amount, then you would be entitled to a refund of the excess SS tax. But if your total wages were under that limit, you wouldn't be entitled to any excess SS tax refund.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago with multiple employers. The IRS verification process for excess Social Security tax claims is pretty standard - they just want to make sure the math checks out. Your calculation looks spot on. The key thing to remember is that each employer withholds Social Security tax independently without knowing what other employers have withheld from you during the year. So even though your total wages might be well below the $168,600 limit, you can still end up with excess withholding. When you respond to their letter, make sure to include: 1. Copies of both W-2s (not originals) 2. A simple calculation showing the excess like you did here 3. Your SSN written on every page 4. A copy of their letter Send it certified mail so you have proof of delivery. In my experience, once they see the W-2s, they process the refund pretty quickly. This is definitely not audit territory - just routine verification. Don't stress about it!

I had this exact same problem and figured out what was happening. On the W-4, there are basically 3 ways extra withholding happens: 1. Checking the "Multiple Jobs/Spouse Works" box 2. The dollar amount you put on line 4(c) for extra withholding 3. The worksheet calculations for multiple jobs (the detailed one) If you check the box AND put an extra amount, some payroll systems get confused and essentially double-dip on the withholding. When I removed my extra withholding amount and ONLY checked the box, my withholding was much closer to accurate. Check your paystub to see if the federal withholding jumped way more than just the extra $50 you added.

I feel your frustration - this is such a common issue that drives people crazy! The dramatic paycheck drop you experienced is likely due to one of two things: 1. **Catch-up withholding**: Since you made the change in April (about 1/3 through the year), your payroll system probably calculated that you were already under-withheld for the first few months and is now "catching up" by taking extra to compensate. This is actually pretty standard for mid-year W-4 changes. 2. **Payroll confusion**: Your HR department might have misunderstood your intent and stacked the new $225 on top of your existing $175, giving you $400 total extra withholding per paycheck instead of replacing it. I'd definitely recommend checking your pay stub line by line - compare the federal tax withholding amount to your previous check. If it looks like they're taking way more than the $50 increase you intended, contact payroll immediately. Also, for someone with your straightforward situation (two W-2s, standard deduction, child tax credits), the fact that you're consistently owing $2000-4700 suggests there might be a systematic issue with how your payroll systems are calculating withholding. The IRS withholding estimator should work well for your situation - have you tried running it with both of your most recent pay stubs? Hang in there - once you get this sorted out, it should be much smoother going forward!