Quick tip from someone who's been filing FBARs for years - don't overthink this! The key is making a reasonable, good faith effort. I've always used month-end statement values for my investment accounts and never had an issue. Remember that FBAR penalties are primarily designed to catch people hiding assets, not to punish minor valuation differences from people trying to comply. As long as you're making an honest effort to report your accounts, you'll be fine.

As someone who's dealt with this exact situation, I can confirm that using the highest month-end balance from your retirement account statements is absolutely fine for FBAR reporting. The FinCEN instructions are designed to be practical - they understand that most people don't have access to daily valuations for their investment accounts. One thing that helped me was organizing all my statements chronologically and creating a simple spreadsheet with the month-end balance for each account. This made it easy to identify the maximum values and also gave me documentation to keep with my records. For currency conversion, make sure you use the Treasury Department's published exchange rates for the specific date of your maximum balance, not just a random date or year-end rate. The rates are available on the Treasury website and using the official rates helps ensure compliance. Don't stress too much about this - the fact that you're asking these questions shows you're making a good faith effort to comply, which is really what matters most.

Double check that the TIN (taxpayer identification number) on your 1042-S matches exactly what's on your 1040NR. I had a case where my university had an old ITIN for me on the 1042-S but I had since gotten an SSN and used that on my tax return. The IRS couldn't match them up even though all the dollar amounts were correct.

I've been through this exact situation and it's absolutely maddening! The good news is that these 1042-S matching issues are usually resolvable, but they do require some patience. A few things to check immediately: 1) Make sure your SSN/ITIN on the 1042-S matches exactly what you used on your 1040NR. Even if you recently switched from ITIN to SSN, if your withholding agent still has your old number on file, that could be the culprit. 2) Since you mentioned getting a reissued 1042-S, there's a real possibility that your withholding agent accidentally submitted BOTH versions to the IRS - the original and the corrected one. This would show up as duplicate reporting and could trigger the discrepancy notice. 3) When you contact your withholding agent, ask them specifically to verify: a) What version they submitted to the IRS, b) The exact dollar amount in box 7, c) Your name spelling and TIN as it appears on their submission. The IRS notice should include a phone number for questions about the discrepancy. While their phone lines are notoriously difficult to reach, if you can get through, they can tell you exactly what 1042-S information they have on file for you. This eliminates the guesswork about what went wrong. Don't panic - I've seen these resolved in the taxpayer's favor more often than not, especially when the amounts actually do match correctly like in your case.

I completely understand the panic you're feeling right now - having your CPA admit they don't know how to handle a critical form just days before the deadline is absolutely maddening, especially when you're paying for their expertise. Based on the excellent advice already shared in this thread, it sounds like you have several good options to get this resolved quickly. The suggestions about using tools like taxr.ai to analyze your specific situation or claimyr.com to actually speak with an IRS specialist seem particularly valuable given your tight timeline. One additional thought - if you do end up needing to file an extension as others suggested, don't feel like it's a failure. Extensions are incredibly common for corporate returns, especially when complex forms like 5452 are involved. The key is making sure you pay any estimated taxes owed by the original deadline to avoid penalties. Also, once you get through this crisis, definitely take the advice about finding a new CPA who specializes in corporate tax work. Form 5452 and E&P calculations are fundamental for C-corporations that make distributions - this really should be basic knowledge for anyone handling corporate returns. You've got this! The community here has given you great resources to work with, and it sounds like you're being thorough about getting it right. Document everything you're doing and the sources you're using, and you'll be in good shape.

I've been through the exact same nightmare with a CPA who was in over their head on corporate tax issues. The stress is absolutely brutal when you're paying someone to be the expert and they're basically asking you to do their job for them. Since you're cutting it so close to the deadline, I'd strongly recommend filing Form 7004 for an automatic extension today if you haven't already. This gives you until October 15th to file the actual return and takes the immediate panic off the table. You'll still need to pay any estimated taxes owed by the original deadline, but at least you won't be scrambling to get Form 5452 perfect in the next few days. The community here has shared some incredible resources - the combination of AI analysis tools and direct IRS contact options should give you multiple paths to get this resolved properly. I used similar approaches last year when my CPA dropped the ball on a complex corporate issue, and it honestly worked better than relying on someone who clearly didn't know what they were doing. One silver lining - this experience is probably going to lead you to a much better CPA relationship. When you do find someone who actually specializes in corporate returns, you'll never have to deal with this kind of last-minute panic again. Document everything you're doing now so you can show the new CPA exactly what happened and how you resolved it. You've got the tools and knowledge from this thread to handle it. Take a deep breath and tackle it systematically!

Another perspective - consider whether it might actually work out better without the 83b in some scenarios. If your company's valuation tanks or grows very slowly, you might actually be better off without having made the election since you'd only be taxed on the actual value at vesting (which could be lower than projected). I've seen people rush to file 83b elections, prepay taxes on high valuations, then watch their companies fail and end up with worthless stock they already paid taxes on. Without the 83b, you're only taxed as value is realized through vesting. Not saying this helps with your current situation, but maybe a silver lining perspective if the company doesn't skyrocket as expected.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the 30-day deadline for 83b elections is unfortunately set in stone. The IRS has been extremely consistent on this - there's no "reasonable cause" exception, no extensions, and no retroactive filings allowed. I've seen people try everything from medical emergencies to natural disasters as justification, and the IRS doesn't budge. Your situation is definitely frustrating, but you're not alone - this happens to a lot of startup employees who get caught up in the excitement of a new role. The good news is that while you can't undo the missed deadline, you can still manage the tax impact going forward. Start by getting a clear picture of your vesting schedule and the company's current valuation. You'll need to recognize ordinary income tax on the spread between your exercise price and fair market value at each vesting date. This means setting aside cash for taxes as shares vest - don't wait until year-end to deal with this. Consider making estimated quarterly tax payments to avoid underpayment penalties, especially if the tax hit will be significant. Also, keep detailed records of everything related to your equity grant - grant date, exercise price, vesting dates, and company valuations. You'll need this documentation for proper tax reporting. While missing the 83b election stings now, remember that it's only beneficial if the company value increases substantially. If growth slows or the company struggles, you might actually end up better off without having prepaid taxes on potentially overvalued equity.

Let me take a wild guess... student loans? That's what happened to me too. If it's federal student loans, look into getting on an income-driven repayment plan. That might be better than just paying the offset amount, especially if you qualify for the new SAVE plan. Most people don't realize you have options beyond just paying what they demand.

This exact thing happened to my brother-in-law last year! The timing issue between IRS refund processing and the Treasury Offset Program is surprisingly common. What basically happened is your refund got processed and sent out before the offset could be applied - it's like two different computer systems that don't talk to each other very well. You're absolutely doing the right thing by being proactive and calling TOP to set up a payment plan. From what I've seen, they'll usually send you a formal notice within 30-60 days demanding payment for the amount that should have been offset. The key is to not ignore it when it comes. One thing to keep in mind - if this is federal student loan debt, you might want to look into getting back on a regular payment plan or income-driven repayment plan with your loan servicer rather than just paying the offset amount as a one-time thing. That way you're actually addressing the underlying debt and potentially avoiding future offsets. Keep all your documentation from the calls you make and any letters you receive. This kind of bureaucratic mix-up can sometimes lead to confusion down the road, so having good records will save you headaches later.