PSA: Keep checking your transcript weekly. Sometimes they release early without sending any notice.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - day 73 with 570/971 codes and it's driving me crazy! The uncertainty is the worst part. I've called probably 8 times and they keep telling me the same thing: "no action needed, just wait." At this point I'm checking my transcript obsessively every few days hoping something changes. Really hoping it doesn't take the full 120 days because I need that refund bad 😩

PRO TIP: Try calling right when they open at 7am EST. Still might take a few tries but way better than mid-day 👀

I feel your frustration! The disconnect between "Where's My Amended Return" and your transcript is actually pretty common. The amended return tool and transcript systems don't always sync up in real time. Since your amended return shows as completed on 1/25, but your transcript As Of date is stuck on 1/13, here's what's likely happening: The IRS processed your amended return, but the changes haven't hit your account transcript yet. This can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks after the "completed" date. For the phone situation, try calling the main customer service line (1-800-829-1040) instead of that extension. Ask to speak to someone about your amended return status. The key is calling right when they open at 7am or being persistent with callbacks. You could also try ordering a full account transcript by mail (Form 4506-T) which sometimes shows more recent updates than the online version. Don't panic yet - the system lag is frustrating but normal!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help others in similar situations - timing can matter for gift taxes too! If you're planning to make a large gift that exceeds the annual exclusion, you might want to consider splitting it across tax years if possible. For example, if you need to give someone $30k, you could give $17k in December and $17k in January to stay within the annual exclusion limits for both years. This way you avoid having to file Form 709 entirely. Obviously this doesn't help with your 2023 situation, but it's good to know for future planning!

Just to add another perspective here - I went through something very similar last year when I helped my son with his wedding expenses. The $6k over the limit felt scary at first, but like others have mentioned, filing Form 709 was really just paperwork. No actual tax owed! One thing I learned that might be helpful - if you're married, you and your spouse can each give $17k to the same person (so $34k total) without going over the annual exclusion. This is called "gift splitting" and requires both spouses to file Form 709 even if only one person actually wrote the check. Just something to keep in mind for future family help! The lifetime exclusion amount is so high that most families will never hit it. My CPA told me that unless you're planning to give away millions during your lifetime, these annual overages are really not something to stress about.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My sister accidentally sent me $200 through PayPal as Goods & Services instead of Friends & Family for splitting a dinner bill. I panicked when I saw those tax notifications and immediately refunded it, but I've been getting the same annoying messages about adding a Tax ID. Reading through all these responses is super helpful - it sounds like I'm worrying about nothing since I refunded the payment and it's way below the $600 threshold anyway. I was especially stressed because I'm self-employed and already have to deal with enough tax complications without adding PayPal confusion to the mix. Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations! It's reassuring to know that PayPal's automated system is just being overly cautious and that the actual tax implications are much simpler than their scary notifications make it seem.

I went through almost the exact same thing a few months ago! My roommate sent me rent money as Goods & Services by mistake, and I had the same panic reaction when PayPal started asking for tax info. I immediately refunded it and switched to Venmo for future transactions. What really helped me understand the situation was realizing that PayPal's system is just following legal requirements - they HAVE to ask for tax information once any G&S transaction occurs, even if it's clearly a mistake. But the actual tax implications are based on IRS rules, not PayPal's internal compliance processes. Since you refunded the payment and you're way below the $600 threshold, you have absolutely nothing to worry about tax-wise. I ended up just ignoring the PayPal notifications (they eventually stopped), and when tax season came around, there was nothing to report. No 1099-K, no complications, no issues with the IRS. The key lesson I learned was to always double-check the payment type before sending or receiving money on PayPal. Now I explicitly tell people "Friends & Family only" when they owe me money to avoid this whole headache in the future!

Document EVERYTHING. Take pics of the check, get copies of BMO's rejection docs. You might need them later when dealing with IRS

Ugh this is so frustrating! I had a similar issue with US Bank last year - they rejected my refund check even though I'd been banking with them for 5+ years. Turns out there was a tiny discrepancy between my legal name on the tax return vs what I had on file with the bank (I go by my middle name). The silver lining is that once BMO sends it back, the IRS will automatically mail you a paper check to your address on file. It's annoying to wait the extra 4-6 weeks but at least you don't have to do anything special to trigger the reissue. Just make sure your address is current with the IRS! In the meantime, you could try calling BMO one more time and ask to speak with a manager. Sometimes they can override the risk flag if you provide enough documentation. Worth a shot before you have to wait for the paper check! 🤞