Let me tell you about my nightmare with code 810 last year. I ignored it thinking it would resolve itself. Big mistake. Turned out it was flagged for income verification because my employer submitted a corrected W-2. Three months later, still no refund. Finally had to send in documentation proving my income. The moral of my story? Don't assume it'll fix itself - if you see that 810 code hanging around for more than 2-3 weeks, be proactive and contact the IRS.

Thanks for posting this question, Evelyn! I went through the exact same situation with my husband's return earlier this year. The 810 code appeared on his transcript in February, and like you, I was helping him navigate the whole thing. From my experience, the 810 freeze can happen for various reasons - sometimes it's random verification, sometimes it's because the IRS systems flagged something that needs a second look (not necessarily anything wrong you did). In our case, it turned out they needed to verify some business income because the amounts seemed higher than previous years. Here's what I learned: check if there are any other codes that appeared around the same time as the 810. Those additional codes often give clues about what specifically triggered the freeze. Also, if your mom e-filed and received her acknowledgment, that's usually a good sign that the basic information is correct. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, especially when you're counting on the refund. In our situation, it took about 6 weeks total to resolve, but I've seen others here mention much faster turnarounds. Hope this helps ease some of the worry while you're figuring things out for your mom!

Warning about the red ink forms - order them NOW from the IRS if you're going that route! I waited until January last year and they were completely out of stock. Ended up having to buy them at an office supply store for like $50 which was highway robbery but I was desperate. The IRS sends them for free but they run out every year during tax season.

I went through this exact same confusion last year! Here's what worked for me after making some mistakes: First, yes you absolutely need Form 1096 - it's like a cover sheet that tells the IRS "hey, I'm sending you these 1099 forms." You attach it to Copy A of your 1099-NEC when mailing to the IRS. For the red ink issue - if you're only dealing with one or two forms, honestly just order the official ones from the IRS website (they're free but take 7-10 days). If you need them faster, most FedEx Office locations carry the official red ink versions for about $3-4 per form. BUT here's what I wish someone had told me earlier: since you're dealing with attorney fees on a 1099-NEC, double-check that you actually owe more than $600 to this lawyer in the tax year. If it's under $600, you don't need to file the 1099-NEC at all (though you can still deduct the expense on your business taxes). Also, make sure you have the lawyer's correct TIN/SSN on the form - the IRS gets really cranky about mismatched taxpayer identification numbers. I learned that one the hard way! The electronic filing through FIRE is honestly easier once you get past the initial setup, but for just one form, paper might be simpler for a first-timer.

The most important thing I learned from my tax debt situation is DONT IGNORE IT!! I buried my head in the sand for 2 years and my original $15k debt ballooned to over $28k with penalties and interest. For real tho, call the IRS yourself first. The people on the phone are actually pretty helpful if you're honest and polite. At minimum, get on a basic payment plan to stop the penalties from getting worse while you figure out your options.

I'm dealing with a similar situation - about $19,000 in back taxes from a consulting business that went under in 2022. The constant mail from the IRS was giving me panic attacks, but I finally called them directly last week using the number Isabella mentioned (1-800-829-1040). The IRS agent was actually really understanding and explained that I could set up an installment agreement for around $320/month based on my current income. She also mentioned that once I get current on payments, I might qualify for penalty abatement which could reduce the total amount. What really helped was having all my financial documents ready before calling - bank statements, pay stubs, and a list of monthly expenses. The whole process took about 45 minutes and I walked away with a manageable payment plan instead of the crushing anxiety I'd been carrying for months. Emma, definitely try calling them directly first before paying thousands to a tax relief company. The worst they can say is no, but in most cases they'd rather work with you than go through the collection process.

I think a lot of people are missing that there's a difference between the penalty for late FILING and late PAYMENT. Since you're a nonprofit that doesn't owe taxes, you're only dealing with the late filing penalty, which might give you more flexibility. Also worth checking if you qualify for first-time penalty abatement (FTA) which the IRS offers for organizations with a clean compliance history. You don't even need reasonable cause for that - just a clean record for the past 3 years.

Actually, @Jake Sinclair raises an important question about FTA for nonprofits. From my understanding, first-time penalty abatement is primarily available for income tax penalties, employment tax penalties, and certain excise tax penalties - but NOT for information return penalties like the Form 990 late filing penalty. The IRS treats information return penalties (which is what Form 990 falls under) differently from tax penalties. For Form 990 late filing, you really need to establish reasonable cause rather than relying on FTA provisions. That said, your situation does have some strong elements for reasonable cause: volunteer status, small organization with limited resources, and a significant life event (new baby). I'd focus your letter on those factors rather than trying to pursue FTA, which likely won't apply to your Form 990 situation.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! Filed two weeks ago and my accountant said I owe $1,800, but my IRS online account still shows zero balance. It's really nerve-wracking not seeing the official amount reflected on their website. Reading through all these responses is super helpful - sounds like the 2-3 week processing delay is totally normal. I think I'm going to go ahead and make the payment through IRS Direct Pay like several people suggested, rather than wait for the balance to appear and risk missing the April 15th deadline. Has anyone had issues with the payment not being applied correctly when you pay before the balance shows up? That's my only remaining concern at this point.

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Filed my taxes about 10 days ago and my CPA told me I owe $3,200, but when I check my IRS account online, there's absolutely nothing showing. It's so frustrating because you want to see that official confirmation of what you owe. Based on all the helpful responses here, it sounds like this 2-3 week delay is completely normal and I shouldn't panic. I think I'm going to follow the advice about using IRS Direct Pay to make the payment now rather than wait for the balance to appear online. Better to be safe and avoid any potential late fees, especially with the April 15th deadline coming up. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really reassuring to know this is a common situation and not something to stress about!