If you can't get an in-person appointment quickly, try contacting your local Taxpayer Advocate Service. I had a similar issue last February and they were able to help expedite the verification process when I explained it was affecting my business operations. Called on a Tuesday, had a callback Thursday, and was verified by the following Monday. Completely free service that's designed exactly for these bureaucratic roadblocks.

I work at a tax prep office and see this identity verification issue constantly during tax season. Here's what I tell clients: Yes, you can absolutely verify in person without the letter, but call ahead to confirm your local TAC office handles identity verification (not all do). Bring your driver's license, Social Security card, and a recent bank statement or utility bill. Pro tip: if you have a passport, bring that too as it counts as both photo ID and citizenship proof. Also, ask specifically for Form 4506-T when you go - this lets you request your own tax transcripts which can help speed up processing of your business returns once verification is complete. The wait times are brutal right now (2-3 hours typical), so bring snacks and patience.

Doesnt the 100% safe harbor only work if ur current year income is under 150k? If ur making big capital gains and going over 150k total, dont u need to pay 110% of last years taxes to meet safe harbor??

I went through this exact same situation last year after selling some stocks that had appreciated significantly. The key thing that helped me was understanding that the safe harbor rule is designed to protect you from penalties, not necessarily minimize your total tax bill. In your example, if you paid $32k last year and have $13k withheld this year, making $19k in estimated payments would indeed meet the 100% safe harbor requirement and protect you from underpayment penalties. You'd still owe the remaining ~$33k when you file, but without the penalty. One practical tip: I found it helpful to make the estimated payment as soon as possible after realizing the gains rather than waiting until the quarterly due date. This shows good faith effort to the IRS and gives you more time to adjust if you realize you've miscalculated something. Also, don't forget that if you have any other withholding sources (like a spouse's job or 1099 work), those count toward your safe harbor amount too. The IRS really does treat all payments equally - withholding, estimated payments, and even overpayments from prior years all count.

I feel your frustration! I went through the same thing last year - stuck on "Return Received" for almost a month. Turns out my return got flagged for additional review (nothing wrong, just random selection). The key is patience, even though it's maddening. A few tips that helped me: - Don't check more than once a day, it really doesn't update more frequently - If it hits 21 days from your filing date, then you can legitimately escalate - Keep records of when you filed and when you started checking status The automated phone system is brutal, but if you do call, try calling right at 7am when they open - slightly better chance of getting through. Also, your transcript on irs.gov might show more detailed codes that explain what's happening, though they're cryptic without knowing what they mean. Hang in there - most "stuck" returns do eventually process, it's just the IRS being overwhelmed as usual.

I'm in exactly the same situation! Filed my 2023 return three weeks ago and it's been stuck on "Return Received" ever since. The waiting is driving me crazy, especially when you need that refund money. From what I've researched, the IRS is really backed up this year. A lot of people are experiencing longer processing times than the usual 21 days they advertise. I've been trying to stay patient but it's hard when you see the same status message day after day. One thing that's helped my anxiety a bit is remembering that "Return Received" means they actually have it in their system and it's not lost somewhere. I know it doesn't feel like progress, but at least we're in the queue. Has anyone here actually had success getting useful information from calling the IRS line? I'm debating whether it's worth the hours on hold just to hear "your return is being processed" which is what the website already tells us.

I messed this up on my 2023 taxes and my accountant caught it. I was only deducting pre-tax amounts and she said I was shortchanging myself. She fixed it and it ended up giving me an extra $430 in deductions for the year. Make sure ur getting the full deduction ur entitled to!!!

Yes, this applies regardless of which state you're in or where you make the purchase! If you're an Oregon resident buying supplies in Washington and you pay their sales tax, that sales tax is still part of your total business expense and is fully deductible. The IRS doesn't care about the specific state tax rules - they just want to know what you actually spent for your business. Whether it's sales tax in Washington, use tax somewhere else, or any other type of transaction tax you had to pay as part of a business purchase, it all gets included in your deductible business expense. So in your case, if you buy $500 worth of trade show supplies in Washington and pay $45 in sales tax, your total deductible business expense is $545. Keep those receipts showing the full amount you paid!

I went through almost the exact same situation three years ago - divorce finalized in late December after supporting my ex most of the year. The financial shock of that unexpected tax bill is brutal, especially when you're already dealing with divorce expenses. A few practical tips that helped me get through it: 1. **Quarterly estimated payments for 2025**: Since you now know your withholding will be drastically different as a single filer, start making quarterly estimated tax payments immediately. This prevents the same problem next year. 2. **Payment plan options**: The IRS installment agreement mentioned earlier is definitely worth considering. The setup fee is minimal and the interest rate is usually lower than credit cards. You can even apply online. 3. **Check your divorce decree carefully**: Mine had a clause about splitting certain tax-related expenses that I initially missed. Your attorney might have included provisions about who handles what for the transition year. 4. **Timing lesson learned**: For anyone reading this going through divorce - update your W-4 the moment you know the divorce will be final before December 31st, even if it feels premature. The tax code doesn't care about fairness, just dates. The $7,000 shock is painful but manageable with a plan. You'll get through this!

I'm sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation on top of everything else that comes with divorce. The timing rules for filing status can feel really unfair, especially when you've been financially supporting someone for most of the year. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you made any direct payments to third parties on behalf of your ex-spouse (like paying her student loan directly to the lender, or medical bills directly to healthcare providers), these might potentially qualify for different tax treatment depending on how they were structured in your divorce agreement. Also, while you can't claim your ex as a dependent, make sure you're not missing any other potential deductions you might be entitled to as a single filer. Sometimes people overlook things like unreimbursed employee expenses, professional development costs, or other itemized deductions that could help offset some of that tax bill. The quarterly estimated payment advice from others here is really crucial for 2025. The IRS safe harbor rule generally requires you to pay 110% of last year's tax liability through withholding and estimated payments to avoid penalties, so calculating what you'll need for next year based on your new filing status will save you from this same shock again. Hang in there - this is definitely manageable with the right plan in place!