Hey Jessica! I totally understand the anxiety - I had the exact same panic when I first saw that message on my account a few weeks ago. What you're seeing is completely normal for this time of year. The "Information Not Available" for 2024 is just the IRS system's way of saying they don't have any processed information for the current tax year yet, which makes perfect sense since most people haven't filed their 2024 returns. The adjustment message is just a standard disclaimer that covers all scenarios where info might be temporarily unavailable. Your 2023 showing $0.00 is actually great news - it means you're all caught up with no outstanding balance from last year. I checked with my accountant about this same thing and they confirmed it's totally routine. The 2024 info will populate once you file your return or if there are any processing updates throughout the year. No need to stress at all!

I can definitely relate to that panic feeling when you see unfamiliar messages on your IRS account! What you're experiencing is totally normal - I had the exact same "Information Not Available" message for 2024 on my account just last week. The IRS system basically uses this as a default placeholder for the current tax year before any returns are filed or processed. Since we're still in early 2025 and most people haven't filed their 2024 taxes yet, there's simply no information for the system to display. The fact that your 2023 shows $0.00 is actually perfect - it confirms you have no outstanding balance and are in good standing with the IRS. That adjustment message is just standard language that appears whenever the system doesn't have current data to show. I've been checking my account periodically and seeing the same thing, so you're definitely not alone! Once tax season gets into full swing and people start filing, you'll likely see this update with actual information. Until then, no need to worry at all - this is just how the IRS system handles the current tax year.

Thanks for bringing this up! I just checked and you're absolutely right - there's definitely a discrepancy between what the IRS site shows and what Pay1040 is actually charging. I've been dealing with similar fee confusion lately. It's really frustrating when you're trying to plan your payment strategy and the official IRS page isn't current. From what I've seen in other tax forums, these processor fee changes happen pretty regularly, but the IRS website updates can lag behind by weeks or even months. For anyone else running into this, I'd recommend always double-checking the actual processor website before making your payment. The fees listed there are what you'll actually be charged, regardless of what the IRS page says. Learned this the hard way last year when I budgeted based on outdated fee info! Also worth noting that if you're making a large payment, even a 0.12% difference (1.87% vs 1.75%) can add up to real money. On a $10k tax bill, that's an extra $12 - not huge, but still annoying when you thought you were getting a better rate.

This is exactly why I always recommend checking multiple sources before making tax payments! I've been burned by outdated fee information before too. One thing that might help everyone here - the IRS actually has a disclaimer (though it's buried in small print) that says the payment processor fees are subject to change and to verify current rates on the processor's website. I only noticed this after getting hit with a higher fee than expected last year. For what it's worth, I've found that Pay1040's fees tend to fluctuate more than some of the other processors. If you're planning ahead for next year, it might be worth keeping an eye on their rates throughout the year to see if there's a pattern to when they increase or decrease fees. Also, don't forget that some credit cards offer bonus categories that might change the math on whether the fee is worth it. My Discover card had 5% back on "government services" one quarter last year, which made even higher processing fees totally worth it for the rewards.

Something to consider - if your daughter is primarily saving for college, having those FICA taxes withheld might actually be better in the long run. My daughter had a similar situation and we learned that having documented Social Security contributions, even small ones during high school, can help establish her work history for future Social Security benefits.

Just wanted to add another perspective on this - I'm a CPA and see this confusion a lot during tax season. The key thing most people miss is that the FICA exemption for minors is primarily about WHO they work for, not how old they are. Your daughter's situation is actually pretty common - having one employer that's a regular business (pool/city) correctly withhold FICA, and another that's a family business correctly NOT withhold FICA. Both employers were following the rules properly. One tip for parents: when your teen starts working, ask about the business structure. If it's a regular employer (corporation, partnership with non-parent partners, government entity), expect FICA withholding. If it's truly a parent-owned sole proprietorship and the child is under 18, then no FICA should be withheld. The $270 your daughter paid in FICA taxes will count toward her future Social Security benefits, so it's not completely "lost" money - it's an investment in her retirement that started early!

If your total itemized deductions are close to the standard deduction amount, sometimes it's not even worth the hassle of tracking all those charitable donations. For 2024 taxes, the standard deduction is $14,600 for singles and $29,200 for married filing jointly. Unless your total itemized deductions (including charitable donations, mortgage interest, state taxes, etc.) exceed those amounts, you're better off just taking the standard deduction. I used to meticulously track every $5 and $10 donation until I realized I wasn't even close to exceeding the standard deduction threshold.

Great question! Beyond what others have mentioned about statistical flagging and documentation requirements, there are a few additional deterrents worth noting. The IRS has access to third-party data that many people don't realize. For example, if you claim large donations but your bank records (which they can access during an audit) don't show corresponding withdrawals or checks, that's a red flag. Credit card companies also report certain transaction data that can be cross-referenced. There's also the "lifestyle audit" aspect - if you're claiming $5,000 in charitable donations but your reported income and other financial behaviors suggest you're living paycheck to paycheck, that inconsistency might trigger scrutiny. The penalties for understating your tax liability can be steep too. If they determine you knowingly inflated deductions, you could face accuracy-related penalties of 20% of the underpayment, plus interest, and in severe cases even fraud penalties of 75%. For most people, the risk just isn't worth the relatively small tax savings from inflating donations. That said, don't let paranoia stop you from claiming legitimate donations! Just keep good records and be honest about amounts.

Pro tip: screenshot everything. These glitches happen all the time but at least you'll have proof of any changes

I work in IT and can explain what's likely happening here. The IRS systems undergo scheduled maintenance windows, usually between 12 AM - 6 AM EST. During these periods, the database temporarily displays default values (like $0.00) while background processes run updates and reconciliations. What you experienced is called a "maintenance state display" - the system shows zeroed balances as placeholders while the actual data is being processed or updated. The "Information Not Available" message that followed is the system's way of saying "we're still working on your account data." The fact that it affected multiple tax years (2021-2023) simultaneously is actually a good indicator that this was system-wide maintenance rather than an individual account issue. If there were actual adjustments being processed, you'd typically see activity on just one tax year at a time. Your screenshots are smart documentation, but don't read too much into these temporary displays. The system will revert to showing your actual account status once maintenance completes.