Been through this exact situation last year! Had the 810 freeze for about 3 weeks before I figured out what was going on. The key is to call the IRS identity verification line at 800-830-5084 first thing in the morning (like 7am sharp) to avoid the crazy hold times. If they say you don't need to verify identity, then it's probably a document matching issue. Check if your W2s match exactly what your employer reported to the IRS. Even small differences in wages or withholdings can trigger the 810. Also seconding what others said about taxr.ai - used it myself and it's actually legit. Breaks down your whole transcript situation and gives you a realistic timeline. Way better than just stressing and refreshing WMR every day lol. Good luck! 🤞

Ugh, I feel your pain! I'm dealing with the same 810 freeze right now - going on 5 weeks and I'm losing my mind waiting for this refund. 😩 From what I've gathered lurking in these forums, the timeline is all over the place. Some people get cleared in a month, others are waiting 3+ months. It really depends on what's actually causing the freeze. I called that 800-830-5084 number everyone mentions and they told me I wasn't selected for ID verification either. So now I'm trying to figure out if it's a wage mismatch or something else. Might have to bite the bullet and try one of those transcript analysis tools people keep mentioning. The waiting is honestly the worst part - especially when you really need that money. Hang in there! 🤞

Consider joining some FB groups for tax pros too. I'm in "Tax Professionals" and "AFSP & EA Study Group" and they've been super helpful for specific questions. Just be careful not to give client details when asking questions!

Congratulations on getting your AFSP! That's a huge accomplishment. I'm about 3 years into my practice now and wanted to add a few things that really helped me in the beginning: Marketing-wise, start building relationships early. Join your local chamber of commerce, attend small business networking events, and consider offering friends/family discounted rates your first year in exchange for honest reviews and referrals. Word of mouth is everything in this business. For client management, invest in a simple CRM system early - even something basic like HubSpot's free tier. Track where your clients come from so you know what marketing efforts are working. I wish I had done this from day one instead of trying to remember everything. One expense I didn't anticipate was continuing education. Even with AFSP, you'll want to stay current on tax law changes. Budget for webinars, courses, and maybe a professional conference. The investment pays off when you can confidently handle more complex situations. And don't underestimate the importance of setting boundaries early - define your busy season hours, response times for client questions, and stick to them. It's much harder to change client expectations after you've already set them too high. Best of luck with your new venture! Feel free to reach out if you have specific questions as you get started.

Thanks for all the helpful responses, everyone! I went ahead and started the EFTPS enrollment process yesterday after reading through these comments. @Abby Marshall - that 8PM deadline tip is super important, I had no idea about that! I was planning to pay on the actual due date which would have been a disaster. I'm also going to look into taxr.ai since a few people mentioned it helped clarify the process. It sounds like it could save me from making mistakes in the future. For now, since I'm cutting it close to my deadline, I might use the credit card payment option through one of those third-party processors just to be safe, even with the fee. One more question - does anyone know if EFTPS sends email confirmations for payments, or do I need to print/save something from their website when I make the payment?

New business owner here too! I just went through this exact same confusion with my freelance consulting LLC a few months ago. What really helped me was understanding that the IRS website is mainly for information and forms, while EFTPS is where you actually make the payments - they work together, not separately. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: when you're enrolling in EFTPS, you can actually start the process online but they'll mail you a PIN to your business address (not your home address if they're different). Make sure your business address is correct in all your IRS paperwork or it can delay the whole process. Also, once you get set up with EFTPS, you can schedule payments in advance for all your quarterly dates at once, which is really convenient. I set up all four of my 2024 quarterly payments back in January and it's one less thing to worry about each quarter. Good luck with your photography business! The tax stuff gets easier once you get through the initial setup confusion.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with a small firm (3 preparers) and have been putting off the WISP requirements because it felt so daunting. Reading everyone's experiences makes it seem much more manageable. I especially appreciate the practical breakdown from Edward about the 5 key elements to focus on. We're already doing some of these things but not consistently documenting them. The reminder about actually implementing versus just documenting really resonates - I can see how easy it would be to create a beautiful plan that sits in a drawer unused. One question for the group: how often should we be reviewing and updating our WISP? Is this something that needs annual updates, or only when we make significant changes to our practices? Also, @Marilyn Dixon, I feel your pain about the email attachments - we've been doing the same thing for years without thinking twice about it. Definitely time to move to a secure portal system!

This whole discussion has been a wake-up call for me! I've been procrastinating on the WISP requirements for months, thinking it was some massive undertaking that would take weeks to complete. Reading through everyone's experiences here makes it clear that the biggest hurdle is just getting started. What strikes me most is how many practical solutions people have shared - from the IRS template that Louisa mentioned, to the various tools and services that actually worked for folks who were initially skeptical. It's reassuring to know that even small firms like ours can get this done without hiring expensive consultants. I'm particularly grateful for Edward's reality check about implementation versus documentation. It's easy to fall into the trap of creating a perfect document that doesn't actually improve our security practices. The five key elements he listed are things we can start implementing immediately while we work on the formal documentation. One thing I'd add for other small firms: don't let perfect be the enemy of good. It sounds like the IRS is more interested in seeing that we're taking data security seriously and making reasonable efforts to protect client information, rather than having a flawless document that checks every possible box. Time to stop making excuses and actually tackle this WISP. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's made what felt impossible seem totally doable!

Also consider HOW you file when married. You can do married filing jointly or married filing separately. Most of the time joint is better but sometimes separate makes sense. Like if one of you has lots of medical expenses or other itemized deductions that have AGI thresholds, sometimes filing separately can help. Just another thing to think about!

Great question! Based on your situation, getting married in December would very likely benefit you tax-wise. With one income of $95K, three kids, and a new home purchase, you'd probably see significant savings filing jointly vs. separately. A few quick things to consider: You'd get the larger married filing jointly standard deduction ($27,700 vs. $20,800 for head of household), your income would be in lower tax brackets when filing jointly, and you can fully utilize that mortgage interest deduction. The Child Tax Credit would also be more secure at your income level when married. However, definitely run the actual numbers first - either through one of the calculators mentioned here or by speaking with a tax professional. Every situation is unique, and you want to be sure before making such an important decision. The marriage itself should be about more than just taxes, but it sounds like the financial benefits would be a nice bonus to your existing plans!