Don't forget that there's also Form 8027 (Employer's Annual Information Return of Tip Income) if your business is a "large food or beverage establishment" - basically if you have more than 10 employees. That form has specific tip reporting requirements beyond just the regular payroll forms.

One thing to keep in mind is the timing of when you actually pay out the tips to employees. If you're holding onto credit card tips for a few days before including them in payroll, you need to be careful about the IRS requirement that tips be paid out by the next regular payday after the tip was received. The IRS considers tips to be wages when they're received by the employee, not when you collect them through your credit card system. So if you batch tips weekly with payroll, that's usually fine, but holding them for longer periods could create compliance issues. Also, make sure you're keeping detailed records of daily tip amounts by employee - the IRS may want to see this documentation if they ever audit your payroll tax returns. A simple daily tip log showing date, employee, and tip amount received can save you a lot of headaches down the road.

According to several threads on r/tax and the official IRS.gov updates (https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions), the disappearing ID.me prompt is typically a GOOD sign. The IRS has enhanced their backend verification systems for 2024 filing season. Many people are reporting normal processing resuming within 7-14 days after the prompt disappears. Keep checking your transcript daily for updates!

This happened to me just last week! I was panicking when I first saw the ID.me verification message because I'd never dealt with it before. It stayed there for about 4 days, then completely vanished. I was worried I had somehow missed a deadline or that my return got rejected. But after reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like this is actually pretty normal for 2024. My transcript still shows "processing" but no error codes, so I'm hoping it means they cleared whatever triggered the initial flag. Thanks for posting this question - it's reassuring to know others have gone through the same thing and gotten their refunds processed normally afterward!

Don't forget to also check with your employer about their specific policies! My company actually grosses up my pay to cover the extra taxes I have to pay on my domestic partner's health benefits. It's not required by law, but some employers do this as an extra benefit to create equality between married and unmarried couples. Might be worth asking your HR if they have a policy like this - could save you hundreds in taxes!

This is exactly why I wish more people knew about these tax implications before signing up for domestic partner benefits! The $375 imputed income you're seeing is pretty typical - it represents the fair market value of the health insurance coverage for your partner and her son that the IRS considers taxable income to you. One thing to keep in mind is that this amount might change throughout the year based on your employer's insurance costs. Also, make sure your payroll department is calculating this correctly - I've seen cases where they include coverage that shouldn't be taxable (like certain wellness benefits) or use the wrong valuation method. Since you're getting married in August, definitely give HR a heads up a few weeks before your wedding so they can process the change quickly. The sooner you can get your marriage certificate to them, the sooner that imputed income will stop appearing on your paystubs. Congratulations on the engagement, by the way!

These codes are super common this time of year! 570 means they've temporarily held your refund for additional review, and 971 means they're sending you a notice explaining why. It's usually something simple like verifying income or checking for duplicate filings. The good news is that most of these resolve pretty quickly once you get the letter and respond if needed. Try not to stress too much - you should hear from them within 2-3 weeks with next steps!

Don't worry too much! I had the exact same codes appear on my transcript back in December. The 570 just means they've put a temporary hold on your refund while they do some kind of review - could be anything from verifying your identity to double-checking some numbers on your return. The 971 means you'll get a letter in the mail explaining exactly what they need from you. In my case, it was just confirming my address and some income info. Once I sent back the requested documents, my refund was released about 3 weeks later. The waiting is the worst part but try to stay patient!

This exact thing happened to me too! Such a frustrating situation but you're definitely not alone. The video verification route that others mentioned is absolutely your best bet - I just did it myself about a month ago and while it was annoying to wait, the actual process was pretty smooth. Make sure you're in a really well-lit area and have your physical driver's license ready (not the mobile version). Also keep a utility bill nearby just in case they need address verification. The whole thing took maybe 20 minutes including wait time. Once you get back in, seriously don't skip setting up those backup codes and maybe add a secondary email too - learned that lesson the hard way! The ID.me system is such a pain but unfortunately we're all stuck with it for IRS access. Hang in there, you'll get through this! 🙂

Ugh, I've been in this exact situation before! Lost my phone during a move and couldn't get into ID.me for weeks. The video verification is definitely your quickest solution - I know it seems like a hassle but it's actually pretty straightforward once you get connected. Make sure you have your physical driver's license (they won't accept digital versions), good lighting is crucial, and maybe have a recent utility bill ready just in case they ask for address verification. The wait time can vary but it's usually around 15-20 minutes. Once you're back in, immediately download those backup codes and save them somewhere secure - I keep mine in both a password manager and written down in a safe place. Also consider setting up multiple authentication methods so you never get locked out like this again. The whole ID.me system is honestly terrible but unfortunately it's what we're stuck with. You'll get through this! In the meantime, you can also request your transcript by mail as backup - takes longer but at least you'll have it coming while you sort out the ID.me mess.