Have you tried contacting your congressional representative? I know it sounds weird but my sister was waiting FOREVER for her refund last year (like 5 months) and nothing worked. She finally reached out to her congressional rep's office and they have staff specifically for helping constituents with federal agency issues. She emailed her congressman's office with details about her situation, and they reached out to their IRS liaison. She got a call from the IRS within a week and her refund was processed shortly after. Worth a try if everything else fails!

I went through this exact nightmare last year! After trying all the traditional routes (calling 800-829-1040 at 7am, using the "form questions" trick, etc.) with no success, I finally got through using a combination of strategies. What ended up working for me was calling the Practitioner Priority Service line at 866-860-4259. This is technically for tax professionals, but if you explain that you're calling on behalf of yourself and have been unable to reach anyone through normal channels, they'll sometimes help individual taxpayers. I got through in about 45 minutes compared to never getting through on the main line. Also, make sure you have your Account Transcript from the IRS website before calling - it has codes that can tell you exactly why your refund is delayed. Go to irs.gov, create an account, and request your Account Transcript. Look for codes like 570 (additional review needed) or 971 (notice issued). Having these codes ready when you finally talk to someone will save a lot of time. The medical bills situation definitely qualifies you for Taxpayer Advocate Service help too - definitely try that route as others have suggested. They're much more responsive to hardship cases.

Something nobody has mentioned yet - Congress actually passed a law in December 2024 that DOES allow deductions for expenses paid with forgiven PPP loans. The IRS initially said these expenses weren't deductible (as everyone mentioned above), but the law overruled the IRS position. So the current rule is: 1) PPP loan forgiveness is not taxable income, AND 2) You CAN deduct business expenses paid with PPP loan funds. This applies to both Schedule C filers and other business entities. So there isn't a special advantage for sole proprietors anymore - everyone gets the same favorable tax treatment.

Question for tax experts here - I had partial PPP loan forgiveness (about 70% was forgiven). How does that affect my tax situation? Do I only get to deduct expenses proportional to the unforgiven amount?

Just wanted to point out a less-known option - check if your 401k plan allows for hardship withdrawals. These still have taxes on earnings and potentially the 10% penalty, but they're available for specific circumstances like preventing eviction/foreclosure, certain medical expenses, college tuition, or home purchase. The advantage is that hardship withdrawals don't require repayment like loans do. Some plans also allow for withdrawals at age 55 without penalty if you separate from service - something to consider if you're closer to that age than 59½.

Based on your situation, I'd strongly recommend exploring the combination approach that Charlotte mentioned - taking the maximum $50K loan plus a smaller withdrawal for the remainder. This could significantly reduce your tax burden. However, before making any moves, you should get precise calculations for your specific situation. The pro-rata rule means you need to know exactly what percentage of your account represents contributions versus earnings to calculate the tax impact of any withdrawal. Also consider timing - if you're able to wait until you're 55 and separate from service, you might qualify for penalty-free withdrawals under the "Rule of 55." Given that you're 47 now, this might not be practical for immediate needs, but it's worth knowing about for future planning. One more thing to check with your plan administrator: some 401k plans have more restrictive loan terms than others, and some don't allow loans while you have an outstanding hardship withdrawal or vice versa. Make sure you understand all the rules before deciding on your strategy.

Don't forget about state tax implications with Section 179! Not all states conform to federal Section 179 limits. My state (CA) has much lower limits, so I got a nasty surprise on my state return even though everything was fine federally. Check your state's rules before making purchase decisions.

Great question about Section 179! Just to add to what others have shared - make sure you understand the "placed in service" requirement. The equipment needs to be actually used in your business during the tax year you're claiming the deduction, not just purchased. So if you buy that mower in December but don't start using it until January, you'd have to wait until the following tax year to claim the Section 179 deduction. Also, keep detailed records of business use vs. personal use. The IRS can be particular about equipment that could have dual purposes. For your commercial mower, this probably isn't an issue since it's clearly business equipment, but it's worth noting for other purchases. Document when you put it in service and maintain logs if there's any possibility of personal use. Your income calculations look solid based on what others have confirmed - $90k in business income should easily cover your planned equipment purchases. Just make sure to coordinate with your accountant on the timing and documentation to maximize your benefits.

Another approach to consider: 1. Have your son gather all his tax documents (W-2, etc.) 2. Help him create an account on one of the free filing services 3. Walk through the process together, making sure he checks "Someone can claim me as a dependent" 4. Review the return before submitting to ensure no improper credits are claimed 5. Have him file electronically for fastest processing This is what I did with my daughter last year. It was actually a good learning experience for her to understand how taxes work, while I was there to guide her through it.

Great question! I just went through this same situation with my 19-year-old daughter. Here's what I learned: Your son can absolutely file his own return even though you claimed him as a dependent. The key steps are: 1. He needs to check the box "Someone can claim you as a dependent" on his Form 1040 2. He can still get a refund of any federal taxes that were withheld from his paychecks 3. This won't affect your return at all - you can both file without any issues One thing to watch out for: Make sure he doesn't try to claim the standard deduction amount for independent filers or any education credits that only apply to non-dependents. The tax software should automatically adjust this when he indicates he's a dependent, but it's worth double-checking. Since he only made $4,200, he's not required to file, but if any taxes were withheld from his paychecks, filing will get him that money back. We used FreeTaxUSA for my daughter and it handled the dependent filing situation really well. Hope this helps ease your mind - it's actually a pretty straightforward process once you know the steps!