Your friend might be what the IRS calls a "ghost taxpayer" but it's definitely not sustainable! A few thoughts on how this might have happened: 1) If they've worked as an independent contractor and nobody issued 1099s, the IRS might not have automatic records of their income 2) For the mortgage, they're probably not on the loan at all - only their partner with the W2 qualified 3) For hospital bills, if they paid cash or had insurance through a partner/employer without being the primary policyholder, it wouldn't trigger tax flags 4) For the child, the other parent may be claiming them on their taxes The most concerning part is retirement. Without tax records, they won't have Social Security credits for those working years. They're effectively planning to retire with potentially zero Social Security benefits. They need to fix this ASAP, starting with consulting a tax attorney who specializes in non-filer cases.

This situation is sadly more common than you'd think, especially among people who've worked in cash-heavy industries. Your friend has been incredibly lucky to avoid detection for this long, but they're sitting on a ticking time bomb. Here's what probably happened: If they've consistently worked jobs that pay cash or as unreported independent contractors, there may be no paper trail for the IRS to follow. No W-2s, no 1099s filed by employers means no automatic red flags in the system. But here's the reality check - they need to address this immediately. Not just because of potential penalties, but because they're destroying their financial future. Every year they don't file is a year of lost Social Security credits. At 40-something, they've already forfeited 20+ years of retirement benefits. If they wait until retirement to deal with this, they'll be facing poverty in their golden years. The good news is that voluntary disclosure programs exist specifically for situations like this. A qualified tax professional can help them file the necessary back returns (usually 6 years minimum) and negotiate with the IRS. The penalties for voluntary disclosure are typically much more manageable than if the IRS discovers them first. Your friend needs to stop living in denial and get professional help NOW. Every day they wait makes the situation worse, both financially and legally.

Has anyone here dealt with a situation where you accidentally put interest in the wrong category when filing? I did that last year and got a notice from the IRS. Just wondering if it's worth fighting about or just paying the difference.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! I had about $52k in interest income from CDs and high-yield savings accounts, and with my $340k salary, it's getting hammered at what feels like 40% too. One thing I learned from my tax preparer is that timing matters for future years. If you know you're going to have a lot of interest income, you might want to make estimated quarterly payments to avoid a huge shock at filing time. Also, she suggested looking into I Bonds (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities) since they have some tax advantages - you can defer the tax on the interest until you cash them out, and they're exempt from state taxes. It's frustrating because you feel like you're being penalized for saving money, but apparently this is just how progressive taxation works when you're in the higher brackets. Still stings though!

Have you tried calling the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service? On March 12th, I had a similar situation with a 570 code and was facing a time-sensitive financial deadline. I reached out to TAS on March 15th, explained my hardship situation (which educational expenses can qualify for), and they were able to expedite the review of my account. By March 22nd, my transcript updated with a release code. It's worth a shot if your tuition deadline is truly imminent and you can demonstrate financial hardship.

I completely understand your frustration with the timing - having a tuition deadline looming while waiting for a 570 code to resolve is incredibly stressful. Based on what I've seen in this community, cycle 05 codes do typically update on Fridays, but here's what you should know: the 570 code with a date from last Friday likely means that's when the hold was placed, not when it will be resolved. Most 570 holds resolve within 2-3 weeks, so you're still well within the normal timeframe. While you're waiting, I'd recommend checking if your school offers any grace period for tuition payments or emergency financial aid options. Also, look for any 971 code on your transcript - if it's there, a letter is coming that will explain exactly what the IRS needs from you. Stay strong, and try not to check more than once a day to preserve your sanity!

Be careful with some of the advice here! I had a rental vacant for 9 months last year and my accountant said I could only deduct a percentage of expenses based on the occupied vs vacant months (8/12 of annual expenses). Something about "not actively engaged in business" during those months. Anyone else been told this?

I went through this exact same situation with my rental duplex last year! Had one unit vacant for 5 months and was worried about deducting expenses. After doing a lot of research and talking to my CPA, I can confirm that HOA dues are absolutely deductible during vacancy periods as long as you're actively marketing the property for rent. The key is documentation - I kept a detailed log of all my rental activities during the vacancy: every Zillow listing renewal, Craigslist post, showing appointment, and even declined applications. I also took photos of any maintenance or improvements I did to make the property more rentable. One tip that helped me: I created a simple spreadsheet tracking all my marketing efforts with dates and screenshots. When I filed my taxes, I included this as backup documentation. My CPA said this level of detail really shows the IRS that you're serious about renting the property and not just trying to claim personal property expenses as business deductions. Don't let the vacancy stress you out too much from a tax perspective - it's a normal part of being a landlord and the IRS recognizes that!

Just wanted to share what I learned from my accountant about this exact issue. For nearly all 1099-NECs from businesses (including Google/YouTube): 1. The Payer's Federal Tax ID is always an EIN for businesses 2. It should follow the xx-xxxxxxx format 3. Google often prints it without the dash, but it's still an EIN 4. Only individual payers (like if a person hired you directly) would use an SSN If you're making decent money on YouTube, consider getting an accountant who specializes in creator income. There are so many deductions available that most people miss! I was able to write off a portion of my internet, my editing software, equipment, and even part of my home as a studio space.

Another creator here - wanted to add that Google's EIN is actually publicly available information. Their EIN is 77-0493581, so you can verify your 1099-NEC has the right info. Most big tech companies' EINs can be found online.