I'm dealing with this exact same frustrating issue right now! Filed in early February and set up my payment plan immediately, but I've been getting that "Your information is not available at this time" message for about 6 weeks now. It was causing me so much anxiety until I found this thread. Reading everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea this was such a widespread problem! I checked my bank account after seeing all the advice here, and sure enough, my scheduled payments have been processing perfectly despite the error message. It's such a relief to learn that the payment processing system works independently from their broken website display. I just tried the "Get Transcript" method that multiple people recommended and it actually shows my payment plan details clearly, even though the regular payment portal still gives that useless error. That automated phone line at 1-888-353-4537 was also super helpful - got my account information in just a few minutes without the usual IRS hold time nightmare. It's honestly outrageous that so many responsible taxpayers are dealing with this same technical glitch when we're genuinely trying to stay compliant and pay what we owe. But knowing this is a widespread IRS website failure rather than something we did wrong makes all the difference. Thanks to everyone for sharing their workarounds - this community support is invaluable when dealing with government system incompetence!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now and it's so frustrating! Filed my taxes in early February and set up my payment plan right away, but I've been staring at that "Your information is not available at this time" message for over a month. I was starting to panic thinking I'd messed something up with the setup. But reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief! I immediately checked my bank statements after seeing everyone's advice, and you're absolutely right - my payments have been coming out exactly on schedule despite that error message. I had no idea the payment processing and website display were separate systems, but that explains everything. I just tried the "Get Transcript" method that so many people recommended and it actually worked! Shows all my payment plan details clearly even though the regular payment portal is still completely broken. That automated phone line at 1-888-353-4537 was a lifesaver too - got my information in minutes without having to wait on hold forever. It's honestly ridiculous that the IRS website is this broken when we're all trying to do the right thing and stay current on our taxes. But knowing this is a widespread technical issue and not something we did wrong makes all the difference. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and workarounds - this community support is invaluable when dealing with government system failures!

Great point about the mileage implications! I'm actually dealing with this exact scenario and want to make sure I understand correctly. If my home office qualifies as my principal place of business, can I deduct mileage for trips like: 1) Home → Client A → Client B → Home (multiple clients in one day) 2) Home → Office supply store → Client → Home 3) Client A → Client B (driving between clients without going home first) I'm tracking everything in a mileage app but want to make sure I'm not missing any deductible trips or accidentally claiming something I shouldn't. The difference between "commuting" and "business travel" seems to hinge entirely on whether my home office truly qualifies as my principal place of business. Also, does anyone know if there are specific IRS guidelines on how to document this properly? I want to make sure my records would hold up if questioned.

One thing that helped me clarify this situation was understanding that the IRS uses a "facts and circumstances" test when you have multiple work locations. The key question isn't just about time spent, but about the nature and importance of the activities performed at each location. Since you're doing administrative work, calls, and presentations at your home office, this sounds like it meets the "administrative or management activities" test that others have mentioned. The fact that you spend more total hours at client sites doesn't disqualify your home office - those are considered temporary work locations since you're not doing substantial administrative work there. I'd recommend keeping a detailed log for at least a few months showing: - Time spent at home office and what activities you did - Time at each client location and nature of work performed - Any administrative tasks that could only be done at your home office This documentation will be invaluable both for determining if you qualify and for supporting your deduction if ever questioned. The "principal place of business" determination can save you thousands not just in home office deductions, but also in mileage deductions for all those client visits!

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! At 17, I was making similar amounts selling vintage finds on multiple platforms and felt completely overwhelmed by the tax side. A few things that really helped me: 1. **Complete your sole trader registration ASAP** - You can do this online through HMRC's website. It's actually quite straightforward once you start, and you don't need a fancy business name (you can just use your own name). 2. **Set up a simple spreadsheet** - Track every sale, every expense, and keep photos of receipts on your phone. I wish I'd done this from day one instead of trying to reconstruct everything later! 3. **Put aside 20-30% of your profits** - Open a separate savings account and transfer a portion of each sale into it. This way you won't be hit with a massive tax bill you can't afford. 4. **Consider getting help with your first Self Assessment** - Whether that's through one of the tools others mentioned, or even just having an accountant review it before you submit. The peace of mind is worth it. The key thing is not to panic - HMRC actually has pretty good resources for young entrepreneurs, and making £6k from reselling at 16 is genuinely impressive! You're already being responsible by asking these questions early.

As someone who's helped quite a few young sellers navigate this exact situation, I'd strongly recommend getting your sole trader registration completed as soon as possible. Since you already have a UTR, you're halfway there - you just need to finish the online registration process on the HMRC website. A few key points that might help: **On timing**: The sooner you complete your registration, the better. You technically have until October 5th following the end of the tax year to register (so October 2025 for income earned in the current tax year), but there's no benefit to waiting. **On record keeping**: Start documenting everything now if you haven't already. Every sale, every expense (packaging, postage, travel to post items, etc.), and keep digital copies of receipts. This will make your Self Assessment much easier when the time comes. **On business expenses**: Don't forget you can claim legitimate business expenses against your income. This includes things like packaging materials, postage costs, a reasonable portion of your internet/phone bills used for business, and even travel costs to post items. The fact that you're being proactive about this at 16 shows great business sense! Many people your age (and older) ignore the tax side until it becomes a problem. You're definitely on the right track.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - this might also depend on your accounting method. We're a solar company that uses accrual basis accounting, and our CPA has us handle these fees differently than our cash-basis competitors do. With accrual accounting, you might be recognizing revenue and expenses in different periods than when cash actually changes hands, which can affect how these origination fees are treated.

As someone who's been dealing with solar financing for several years, I can confirm that the accounting method discussion is actually quite relevant to how these transactions are structured. While the customer's ITC calculation is indeed based on what they paid, the way we as installers account for and present these costs can affect whether they're considered part of the qualified expenditure. For example, if we're using accrual accounting and recognize the origination fee as a cost of goods sold in the same period as the system sale, it's easier to justify including it in the total system price for ITC purposes. Cash basis companies might handle this differently, especially if there's a timing difference between when they pay the fee and when the customer's system is installed. The key is maintaining consistent documentation that shows these costs are part of delivering the solar system to the customer, not separate financing expenses. I'd recommend having your accountant review how you're presenting these fees in your contracts to ensure they align with your accounting treatment.

Don't forget about the look-back period! Medicaid will scrutinize any large deposits or withdrawals in the last 5 years, so be ready to explain those if they appear on the tax forms. My mom's application got delayed because she had capital gains from selling her house, and even though it was an exempt asset, we still had to provide additional documentation.

Another thing to keep in mind - some states have specific Medicaid application checklists that tell you exactly which tax forms they need. I wish I had known this earlier! When I was going through this process with my father last year, I spent weeks trying to figure out what to include. Then I discovered our state's Medicaid website had a downloadable checklist specifically for long-term care applications that broke down exactly which tax documents were required. It saved me from both over-submitting (like including every single TurboTax worksheet) and under-submitting (I almost forgot to include his 1099-R forms for pension distributions). The checklist even had little boxes to check off as you gathered each document. If your state has something similar, it might be worth looking for before you start printing everything. Some states even have different requirements depending on whether it's for nursing home care vs. home-based care services.