Try 800-830-5084. It's nationwide. Works for all states. Call early morning. Less wait time. Have your notice ready. And photo ID. And tax return copies. Good luck.

Just went through this exact process last month! Everyone here is right - 800-830-5084 is the correct number and it's the same nationwide. One thing I'd add is to make sure you're calling from the phone number that matches what's on your tax return if possible. They sometimes verify that too. Also, if you get disconnected (which happened to me twice), don't hang up immediately - sometimes they'll call you back within 15 minutes. The whole process took about 20 minutes once I got through, and they were actually pretty helpful. Your refund should process within 6-9 weeks after successful verification. Hang in there!

Is anyone here familiar with whether theres any tax benefit to donating some of these kinds of collections instead of selling? I heard something about being able to deduct the full value if you donate to a museum or something?

One thing to keep in mind is the holding period for inherited assets - since you inherited these baseball cards, they're automatically considered "long-term" regardless of how long you actually hold them before selling. This means you'll qualify for long-term capital gains treatment (which for collectibles is that 28% max rate Luis mentioned) even if you sell them right away. Also, if you're planning to sell the entire collection, consider spreading the sales across multiple tax years if the amounts are substantial. Since collectibles are taxed at that higher 28% rate rather than the preferential rates for stocks, managing the timing of sales can help with tax planning, especially if it keeps you in lower overall tax brackets. Make sure to keep detailed records of each sale - the IRS likes to see documentation for collectible transactions, so track the specific items sold, sale prices, and your basis in each piece. Good luck with those home renovations!

FYI - I went through an IRS review last year for unreported income that was paid through various apps. Even though I didn't receive any official tax forms, the IRS still had records of large regular payments coming into my accounts. They can access way more info than people realize! If you're getting paid through Zelle from a business account, definitely report it properly. Calculate all your business expenses too - track mileage, home office, equipment, etc. The WORST thing is getting hit with taxes on the full amount when you could have reduced it with legitimate deductions.

I was in almost exactly this situation two years ago - getting paid through Zelle from an LLC with no paperwork. Here's what I learned the hard way: report it ALL as self-employment income on Schedule C, even without a 1099. The key things that helped me: 1. Export your bank statements showing all Zelle payments from their LLC 2. Calculate your total annual income from this work 3. Track ALL business-related expenses (gas, phone, supplies, etc.) to offset the income 4. Set aside about 25-30% of your earnings for taxes since you'll owe both income tax and self-employment tax I initially thought about not reporting it since there were no forms, but my accountant scared me straight - the IRS can see bank deposits and regular payments from business accounts are red flags. Better to be proactive and honest than deal with penalties and interest later. Also, start making quarterly estimated tax payments for next year if this income will continue. Trust me, owing a huge lump sum at tax time is brutal!

I found that the "Where's My Refund" tool on IRS.gov sometimes shows a message about offsets when they occur. It's worth checking there too. The IRS2Go app sometimes shows this info as well. I was shocked at how many different places I had to check to piece together what happened to my refund last year! The system definitely isn't designed to make this easy to understand.

As a military family going through PCS, I'd strongly recommend checking the Treasury Offset Program immediately at 800-304-3107 rather than waiting. Military moves have tight timelines and you need to know exactly what funds you'll have available. Also, since you mentioned you're military, be aware that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides some protections against certain types of debt collection, though it doesn't prevent all offsets. Your base legal assistance office can clarify which debts might still be subject to offset even with SCRA protections. Better to know now than discover a surprise offset when you need those funds for your move!

Just to throw another option out there - could you hire your friend as a consultant or for some administrative work they could do remotely? Then it becomes a legitimate business expense, and they get income they can use for medical bills. You'd need to make sure they actually provide services and you document everything well, but it might be more straightforward than setting up a charity.

I really appreciate everyone's thoughtful responses here. As someone new to this community, I'm dealing with a similar situation where my small business wants to help a family member with medical expenses. From reading through all the comments, it seems like the key takeaway is that direct donations to individuals aren't deductible no matter how you label them, but there are some legitimate alternatives worth exploring. The suggestions about QSEHRAs and Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans caught my attention, especially if there's genuine work that could be performed. I'm also intrigued by the 501(c)(3) option, though the 5-month timeline might be challenging if the need is urgent. The fiscal sponsorship approach while waiting for approval sounds promising. One question I have - for those who've successfully implemented any of these strategies, what kind of documentation did you find most important to maintain? I want to make sure everything is completely above board from day one. @Beatrice Marshall - your situation sounds really tough, and it's clear you genuinely want to help while being responsible about taxes. Whatever approach you choose, it sounds like getting official IRS guidance might be worth the investment given the amounts involved.