You're absolutely doing the right thing by maintaining your boundaries. As someone who's dealt with similar accounting disasters, I can tell you that a $340k retained earnings discrepancy with phantom assets and missing liabilities is not a part-time bookkeeping project - it's a full-scale forensic accounting engagement. The fact that the previous admin was making changes to closed years is particularly alarming from a compliance perspective. This suggests potential issues with previously filed returns that could trigger audit exposure. Here's my suggested approach: Create a detailed findings memo that includes (1) specific examples of the major discrepancies you've found, (2) an honest assessment that this requires 200-300+ hours of specialized work, and (3) a strong recommendation to engage a CPA firm experienced in multi-year accounting reconstructions. Don't feel guilty about saying no. You were hired for current operations, not to fix years of accumulated errors at below-market rates while managing health challenges. Your responsibility is to identify problems and recommend appropriate solutions - which you've done. The owner needs to understand this isn't about unwillingness to help, it's about ensuring the work gets done properly by someone with the right expertise, capacity, and professional insurance to handle this level of complexity. A botched reconstruction attempt could make things worse, not better. Document everything, make your recommendations clear, and help them find qualified professionals. That's the most responsible path forward for everyone involved.

You're in an absolutely impossible situation, and I completely understand the guilt you're feeling. But you need to remember - you didn't create this mess, and you're not responsible for fixing 6 years of accumulated errors, especially given your health limitations and part-time status. A $340k retained earnings discrepancy is not a "cleanup" - it's a full forensic reconstruction project. When you have phantom assets, missing liabilities, and evidence that someone was making changes to closed years, you're looking at potential tax compliance violations that could have serious consequences. Here's what I'd do: Create a comprehensive written report documenting every major issue you've identified. Include specific examples (like that $80k double-counted expense), categorize the types of errors, and provide a realistic scope estimate. Then recommend they engage a CPA firm that specializes in business tax reconstruction - not general bookkeeping, but specifically multi-year tax compliance cleanup. Make it crystal clear that this is a separate professional engagement requiring specialized expertise, appropriate insurance coverage, and significantly more hours than your part-time schedule allows. You were hired to handle current operations, not to perform forensic accounting on years of accumulated mistakes. Your job is to identify problems and recommend solutions - which you've done perfectly. The owner's job is to invest in proper professional remediation. Don't let guilt push you into taking on work that could compromise your health or professional standing.

I'm an accountant and see this issue constantly. Here's what's happening: 1) The $650 was probably her final paycheck from 2017 work, but it was issued in 2018, making it 2018 income for tax purposes. 2) The specific date they're claiming she worked in January is likely just their payroll system requiring an "event date" to process a payment, and someone just picked that date. 3) The 1095-C for two months is standard - companies typically extend COBRA eligibility for a period after termination. My advice: Just report the W2 as is on your 2018 taxes. The amount is small enough that trying to get a corrected W2 will be more hassle than it's worth. If you're really concerned about the January date showing work she didn't do, request your wife's complete time records from 2017-2018 to see what's actually recorded.

I had a very similar situation a few years back! My wife worked at a hotel through December 2016, but they held her final check until January 2017 for "processing." We were confused when we got the W2 showing 2017 income for work she did in 2016. After talking to a tax preparer, we learned this is actually normal and legal. The IRS follows the "cash basis" rule - income is taxed in the year you actually receive it, not when you earn it. So even though your wife worked those shifts in November 2017, if the payment came in 2018, it's 2018 income. The suspicious part is that January 4th date they're claiming she worked. I'd definitely ask for her detailed timecard records from that period. If someone was clocking in under her employee number after she left, that's wage theft and needs to be reported. But if it's just how they coded her final payment in their system, then you're probably fine reporting it as is. For $650, fighting with corporate HR might not be worth the headache, but getting those records would give you peace of mind about whether anything shady happened.

Has anyone tried both TurboTax and H&R Block online to compare the results? Sometimes I get different amounts from different software.

I'd definitely recommend trying both the taxr.ai suggestion from @Connor Murphy and comparing results across multiple tax software platforms before you finalize anything. A swing from getting $2,800 back to owing federal taxes is a huge red flag that something's not right with your current filing. Also, make sure you're entering ALL your tax documents correctly - sometimes people forget about interest statements from banks, unemployment compensation from earlier in the year, or even small 1099s from freelance work. Even a small missed document can throw off your entire calculation. Before paying any service fees, try the IRS Free File program (https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free) which gives you access to brand-name software for free if you qualify. At minimum, it'll give you another data point to compare against your current results.

I went through this exact same frustrating situation about 6 months ago! The good news is that you absolutely can get your refund - expired Treasury checks are more common than you'd think and the IRS has procedures in place for this. Here's what I'd recommend based on my experience: 1. **Try your bank first** - Many banks will still honor Treasury checks even after the stated expiration date, especially if it's only been a few weeks. Bring ID and be prepared to explain the situation. Worth trying before going through the reissuance process. 2. **If bank says no, contact IRS directly** - Call early (right at 7 AM when they open) for best chance of getting through. Have your SSN, filing details, and refund amount ready. They can verify your identity and start reissuance over the phone. 3. **Mail option as backup** - If you can't reach them by phone, write "VOID" across the expired check and mail it back with a letter explaining you received it after expiration. Include your contact info and request a new check. Send it certified mail to track it. 4. **Check your address** - Make sure the IRS has your current, correct address! This might be why your check took so long to reach you. They can update it during your call. The whole process took about 4 weeks for me once I got it sorted out. Don't panic - you'll get your $2,873! This happens way more often than it should due to IRS mailing delays.

Had this exact same issue last year! The IRS mailing system is seriously broken - my refund check was dated in January but didn't show up until May. Here's what worked for me: First, definitely try your bank. I was shocked that my credit union actually accepted the expired check even though it was 8 weeks past expiration. They said Treasury checks have different rules and they could see it was obviously a postal delay, not my fault. If your bank won't take it, the fastest route is calling the IRS right when they open at 7 AM. I know everyone says it's impossible to get through, but early morning really does work better. Have your SSN, refund amount, and filing date ready. The agent can verify everything and start reissuance immediately. Also - and this is super important - make sure they have your correct address! My check was delayed because I had moved and forgot to update my address with the IRS. They can fix that during the same call so your replacement doesn't get lost too. The reissued check took about 3 weeks to arrive. Don't stress too much - this happens way more than it should and the IRS knows their system has problems. You'll definitely get your $2,873!

Has anyone dealt with a settlement that spanned multiple tax years? I received part of my settlement last year and will get the rest this year, but all the attorney fees came out of last year's payment. Trying to figure out if I can deduct all fees last year or need to split them somehow.

I went through something very similar last year and wanted to share what I learned. The key thing that helped me was getting organized with all the paperwork first. Make sure you have your settlement agreement that breaks down exactly what each portion of the $78,000 was for - physical injuries vs. lost wages. One thing to watch out for is that some settlement agreements aren't super clear about the breakdown, so you might need to contact your attorney to get a clearer allocation letter. This becomes really important because the IRS could ask for documentation later. Also, since you're using TurboTax, look for the section on "Other Income" and then "Legal Settlements." It should walk you through the process of reporting only the taxable portion. The software has gotten better at handling these situations in recent years. The math everyone described above is correct - allocate the attorney fees proportionally based on what percentage of your settlement was taxable income. Just make sure to keep copies of everything because settlement tax issues sometimes get flagged for review.