Has anyone had success using homeowners insurance documentation? We had to update our policy after major renovations, and I'm wondering if those policy updates could count as evidence of improvements.

This is such valuable information, everyone! I'm dealing with a similar situation from 2012-2014 renovations and honestly thought I was completely out of luck without receipts. Reading through all these suggestions, I'm realizing I might have more documentation than I initially thought. I definitely have some dated photos on my old phone showing our before/after bathroom renovation, and I know we increased our homeowners insurance coverage after adding the deck and finishing the basement. One thing I want to add - don't forget about utility company records if you did any electrical or HVAC work. When we upgraded our electrical panel and added central air, the power company had to do inspections and upgrades to our service. Those records might show the timing and scope of electrical improvements. Also, if you used any home improvement store credit cards (like Home Depot or Lowe's cards), those statements can be really helpful since they show exactly what materials you bought and when. Even if you can't match every receipt, a pattern of purchases during renovation periods can help establish your timeline and costs. Thanks for sharing all these resources - definitely going to look into both taxr.ai and Claimyr for my situation!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my return 16 days ago and have been stuck in ID.me verification limbo for 6 days after my video interview. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you're trying to plan business expenses like you mentioned. But after reading all these responses, I'm feeling much more confident that our returns are processing normally regardless of the ID.me delays. It's such a relief to know these are separate systems! I've been checking Where's My Refund daily and it shows everything is moving along as expected. Definitely going to try that ID.me customer service number someone shared - 1-855-438-6343. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and helping ease the anxiety around this frustrating process!

I'm experiencing the exact same ID.me verification delay - been waiting 4 days since my video interview with no response! This thread has been incredibly helpful in easing my anxiety about whether it would impact my refund processing. It's such a relief to learn that ID.me verification and tax return processing are completely separate systems. I filed 19 days ago and have been using the Where's My Refund tool to track progress, which shows everything is moving normally. For anyone else dealing with this frustrating wait, it sounds like we can rest assured our returns are processing on schedule regardless of the ID.me delays. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this!

9 I had exactly this issue! The solution is actually pretty simple. Since it's a Roth IRA and Box 2b is checked, you need to determine what portion of the distribution is earnings vs contributions. In TurboTax, there should be a question asking "Do you know your basis in this Roth IRA?" For a Roth that's only been open a few years with a small amount, it's likely very little is actually taxable. Just make sure to enter the total contributions your daughter made to the account (her basis).

This is a really common issue that trips up a lot of people! When Box 2a is blank and Box 2b is checked on a 1099-R for a Roth IRA, it means the financial institution is leaving it up to you to determine what's taxable. The key thing to remember is that with Roth IRAs, you get your contributions back first, tax-free. Since your daughter is 24 and only had the account for 3 years, and it was a small distribution of $650, there's a good chance most or all of it was just her original contributions coming back out. Here's what you need to do: Figure out how much she contributed to the Roth IRA over the years vs. how much it grew. If she put in $600 and it grew to $650, then only $50 would be taxable earnings. If she put in the full $650 or more, then nothing is taxable. Check with the financial institution for her contribution history, or look at old tax documents if she claimed the Saver's Credit for Roth contributions. Once you have that number, TurboTax should be able to handle the rest and generate Form 8606 automatically.

I've seen this happen more times than you'd think. Most people don't realize employers sometimes do this deliberately hoping you'll just give up. Last year, someone in my tax prep group had THREE employers pull this stunt. The community wisdom here is: document everything, be persistent with the IRS, and don't let tax deadlines pass. File for an extension if needed, but don't skip filing altogether because of your employer's actions - that only hurts you in the long run with potential penalties and interest.

I went through this exact situation two years ago and it was incredibly stressful. Here's what worked for me: First, I'd recommend trying the online transcript method that @Lola Perez mentioned - it's honestly the fastest route if your employer actually filed the forms with the IRS. You can get your Wage & Income transcript from IRS.gov and use that to file Form 4852. If that doesn't work, I had success with calling the IRS early in the morning (right at 7am) to avoid the worst hold times. When I finally got through, the agent was actually very understanding about the situation and initiated contact with my employer within a week. One thing I wish someone had told me: keep detailed records of every attempt you make to contact your employer. The IRS agent asked me for dates, times, and methods of contact when I called. Having that documentation ready made the process much smoother. Also, don't feel bad about escalating this - employers who refuse to provide tax documents are breaking federal law. You're not being difficult by pursuing this through proper channels. Good luck, and I hope you get this resolved quickly!

One trick that worked for me: look at the amounts on those mystery 1099Bs. If they're for small amounts (like under $10), they might be from fractional share dividends or micro-investments. I found that Acorns, Robinhood and some dividend reinvestment plans generate separate 1099s with different TINs than the main investment platform.

Another angle to consider - if you've done any cryptocurrency trading, those mystery 1099Bs might be from crypto exchanges or their payment processors. Many crypto platforms use third-party companies for fiat transactions, and these often have completely different TINs than the main exchange. I had this exact situation with Coinbase - turns out they use different entities for different types of transactions, and some of my crypto-to-USD conversions showed up as separate 1099Bs with TINs I didn't recognize. Check if any of the amounts or dates align with crypto activity you might have forgotten about. Also, don't overlook employer stock purchase plans or 401k brokerages - these often use specialized clearing firms that report separately from your main retirement account provider.