Just curious - did your client pay you more than $600? Because if it was less than that, they actually aren't required to provide a 1099, and you would just report it as miscellaneous income without needing their EIN/SSN.

This is such a frustrating situation, and I really feel for you! I've seen this happen more often lately - some clients seem to think they can just redact their tax ID and avoid their obligations. One thing that might help is sending your client a formal written request (email is fine) explaining that providing their EIN/SSN on the 1099 is a legal requirement under IRS regulations, not a courtesy. Sometimes putting it in writing makes them realize this isn't negotiable. You could mention that failure to provide complete tax information can result in penalties for them. If they still refuse, definitely go with Form 4852 as others have suggested. Make sure to keep documentation of all your attempts to get the proper information - screenshots of emails, notes from phone calls, etc. The IRS wants to see you made a good faith effort to obtain the correct information. Also consider whether this client is worth the headache for future work. Anyone who creates tax compliance issues for their contractors is probably going to cause other problems down the line. You deserve to work with people who handle their business responsibilities properly.

I might be able to provide some possibly relevant information from my own experience. My return was accepted on 2/12, and I received my deposit yesterday, which was approximately 4-5 days earlier than I had initially anticipated based on previous years. It seems that, at least in some cases, the IRS might be processing certain batches of returns somewhat more efficiently this year. Your results may vary, of course, depending on your specific tax situation and banking institution.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, everyone! As someone who also filed on 2/12, this thread has been really helpful. I'm still waiting for my refund but feeling more optimistic after reading about others getting theirs early. Quick question - for those who received early deposits, did you use direct deposit or are you waiting for a paper check? I'm wondering if the payment method affects the timeline. Also, has anyone noticed if certain banks seem to release funds faster than others? I bank with a credit union and curious if that might impact when I see my deposit.

This ID.me situation is absolutely infuriating! I went through something very similar about 6 months ago when I had to change my phone number due to harassment calls. The system is definitely broken when legitimate taxpayers can't access their own information. Here's my experience: I tried the phone support route first (complete waste of time - 2+ hour holds just to get disconnected), then discovered the "I don't have access to my phone" link that others have mentioned. It's ridiculously small text at the bottom of the login page, but it does work. For the photo submission, I learned this the hard way: take the photo during daytime near a window for natural light, put your ID on a white sheet of paper, and make sure your phone camera is directly above the ID (not at an angle). My first two attempts got rejected for "poor image quality" until I figured out their very specific requirements. The whole process took about 4 business days for approval, which honestly felt like a miracle compared to their phone support disaster. I also submitted Form 4506-T the same day as backup insurance, which ended up arriving in the mail right around the same time my ID.me access got restored. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops to access our own tax records, but at least there are workarounds that actually function. Hang in there - you'll get through this mess!

I'm going through this EXACT same situation right now and it's driving me absolutely insane! I changed my phone number 3 months ago and now I'm completely locked out of my ID.me account when I need to check if my quarterly estimated payments were processed correctly. After reading through all these comments, I'm definitely going to try the "I don't have access to my phone" option first - it sounds like that tiny link at the bottom of the login page is the secret everyone wishes they knew sooner! The photo tips about natural window lighting and white paper background are super helpful too since it seems like their image requirements are ridiculously picky. I'm also going to submit Form 4506-T as my backup plan while waiting for the ID.me photo verification to process. It's frustrating that we need backup plans just to access our own tax information, but I'd rather be overprepared than stuck waiting even longer. Has anyone had success with updating their phone number AFTER getting back into their account through the photo verification process? I want to make sure I can actually update my contact info once I'm back in so this doesn't happen again next tax season!

Quick tip from someone who messed this up their first year: don't forget about tax credits too, which are different from the standard deduction! Education credits like the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit can save you thousands if you're still paying for school. Also, if your employer offers a 401k, contributing to it will lower your taxable income even further. At $58k, if you put 5% into your 401k, that's about $2,900 less income that gets taxed.

Just wanted to add something that helped me when I was in a similar situation - don't stress too much about getting everything perfect your first year! The IRS withholding calculator on their website (irs.gov/w4app) is actually really helpful for figuring out how to fill out your W-4 form correctly. Since you're starting mid-year, you might want to be extra careful with your withholding. Sometimes when you start a job partway through the year, the payroll system assumes you'll be making that salary for the full year and doesn't withhold enough for your actual situation. The IRS calculator takes into account when you started working and helps you adjust accordingly. Also, keep all your tax documents organized from day one - your W-2, any 1098-T forms if you're claiming education credits, receipts for any work-related expenses, etc. Makes filing so much easier! And congratulations on the new job!

Just wondering, did your original engagement letter with the CPA specify anything about audit support or providing documentation after filing? That would determine if they're being reasonable or not. I've had CPAs include limited audit support in their original fee, while others charge separately. $350/hr is a standard rate for a CPA, but 2 hours seems excessive just to send existing docs. Might be worth asking if they can reduce the time estimate.

This is exactly why I always ask for all supporting worksheets and calculations when my CPA completes my return - before I pay the final bill. I learned this the hard way after getting hit with a $450 charge just to get documentation for an amended return. For complex situations like Section 1341, those calculations are literally the core work product you paid for. It's like hiring a contractor to build a deck and then having them charge extra to show you the structural plans they used. The CPA should have provided those worksheets as part of your original deliverables. Going forward, always request a complete "tax organizer" or "client copy" that includes all worksheets, supporting calculations, and documentation used to prepare your return. Most reputable CPAs will provide this automatically, but some need to be asked explicitly. This protects you from exactly this situation. Glad you found alternative solutions that worked! Your experience will definitely help other people facing similar issues.