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Miranda, I'm so sorry your family is dealing with this stress! As someone who works in elder financial protection, I see these predatory tax resolution companies targeting vulnerable seniors all the time. The good news is you still have options even on the third day. Here's exactly what to do RIGHT NOW: 1) Call American Tax Services immediately - don't wait another hour. Say: "I am exercising my right to cancel this contract under the 3-day rescission period per the contract dated [insert date]. This cancellation is effective immediately." 2) While on that call, send an email to them with the same cancellation language. Get a read receipt if possible. 3) Contact your mom's bank ASAP to stop any pending ACH/electronic payments from American Tax Services. Most banks can place a stop payment immediately over the phone. 4) Send a certified letter today with the same cancellation notice - go to the post office before they close. Don't let them guilt trip you or use scare tactics about "losing your chance" or "making things harder with the IRS." These are manipulation tactics. The IRS has consistent programs available year-round, and working directly with them is always better than paying these inflated fees. Once you've canceled, the IRS Fresh Start program has several options for your mom including payment plans, hardship deferrals, and potentially reducing the total amount owed if she qualifies. You've got this - stay strong and don't let them intimidate you!
Dmitry, this is exactly the kind of step-by-step guidance Miranda needs right now! I'm new to this community but have been reading through all the responses and your advice is spot-on. I wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you're on the phone with American Tax Services, don't get drawn into lengthy explanations about why you're canceling. These companies are trained to keep you talking and find ways to overcome objections. Just stick to the simple script: "I am exercising my right to cancel under the 3-day rescission period" and don't elaborate beyond that. Also, if they claim they need to "transfer you to a specialist" or "have a manager review the cancellation," that's often a stalling tactic. Tell them you need confirmation of the cancellation immediately and will be following up in writing. Miranda, you're doing an amazing job protecting your mom. These companies count on family members not getting involved or not knowing about the rescission rights. Your quick action is going to save her thousands of dollars and a lot of stress!
Miranda, I'm so glad you and your brother are stepping in to help your mom! As a tax professional, I can tell you that you're absolutely right to be concerned - these companies often charge outrageous fees for services that cost little to nothing when done directly with the IRS. Since today is your third day, you need to act within the next few hours. Here's my recommended action plan: **IMMEDIATE STEPS (do these NOW):** 1) Call American Tax Services and clearly state: "I am canceling this contract under the 3-day rescission period outlined in our agreement dated [date]. This cancellation is effective immediately." 2) Send an email with the same cancellation language while you're still on the phone with them 3) Call your mom's bank to place a stop payment on any pending transactions from this company **FOLLOW-UP STEPS (today):** 4) Send certified mail with written cancellation notice before post office closes 5) Screenshot/photo document everything - the contract, emails sent, bank stop payment confirmation The rescission period is your legal right, so don't let them pressure you with "special offers" or scare tactics about IRS consequences. These are standard manipulation techniques. Once this is resolved, I'd be happy to provide guidance on working directly with the IRS. Most taxpayers can set up payment plans online for under $50 in fees, versus the thousands these companies charge. Your mom has legitimate options that don't require expensive middlemen. Stay firm and document everything. You're saving your family thousands of dollars and a lot of future headaches!
That letter is definitely confusing timing! The verification letter you received was likely generated before your return fully processed into their system, or it could be for a previous tax year. There's usually a lag between when the IRS accepts your return and when it shows up in all their databases. I'd check what tax year the letter references first - if it matches your 2024 return you just filed, give it another week or so since accepted returns can take time to show as "processed" in their verification system. The 800 number is helpful if you want peace of mind, but this sounds like a timing issue rather than a real problem with your return.
Exactly! That timing mismatch between acceptance and showing up in their verification system trips up so many people. I had the same thing happen last year - got accepted confirmation but then panicked when I called for verification and they said no record found. Turned out it just needed a few more days to populate all their databases. The lag between systems is real!
Don't panic! That letter timing is classic IRS confusion. When they say "accepted" it literally just means your return passed their initial computer checks (valid SSN, math adds up, etc) but hasn't been fully processed yet. The verification letter was probably already in the mail system before your return hit their processed database - there's always a lag between different IRS systems. I'd bet money that letter is either for a previous tax year or was generated before your 2024 return showed up as processed. Check the tax year on the letter first, then give it another week before calling. This happens to tons of people every filing season!
This is super helpful! I was definitely starting to panic thinking something went wrong with my filing. The timing really doesn't make sense for the letter to be about my 2024 return I just submitted. I'll double check what tax year is mentioned on that letter and wait a bit longer before calling. Thanks for explaining how the different IRS systems work - makes me feel way less anxious about this whole process!
I'm experiencing this exact same issue! Been locked out for about 4 hours now. I was in the middle of reviewing my 2024 return details when the system suddenly started throwing that "Your Information Is Not Available at This Time" error. What's really concerning is that I can still navigate the main menu but can't access any actual tax data - just get that message about account adjustments that I never requested. I was planning to make a payment today too, so this timing is terrible. Really hope the IRS gets this sorted out quickly because being unable to access basic account information during filing season is incredibly stressful!
I'm new to this community and having the exact same problem! Just started dealing with taxes this year and was so confused when I couldn't access my account info. Really relieved to find this thread - I was worried I had messed something up when setting up my account. The timing is awful since I'm still learning how all this works and now can't even see basic information. Hoping the IRS fixes this soon because navigating tax stuff as a beginner is stressful enough without website issues! š
I'm also experiencing this exact same issue! New to this community and dealing with my first major tax filing. Been getting that "Your Information Is Not Available at This Time" error for the past few hours when trying to access my 2024 return details. Really stressing me out because I'm still learning how all this tax stuff works and now I can't even see basic account information to verify everything is processing correctly. The fact that I can log in and see the main menu but can't access any actual tax data is so confusing. Was starting to panic thinking I had done something wrong during filing, but seeing everyone else having the same problem is somewhat reassuring. Really hoping the IRS gets this resolved quickly because being locked out during filing season when you're already nervous about doing taxes right is incredibly anxiety-inducing! š°
Adding to what others have said - I went through this exact decision last year for my jewelry business. Started with just the free EIN from IRS.gov as a sole proprietor and it worked perfectly for getting set up on Etsy, Amazon, and even my Square account. The IRS online application literally takes 10 minutes and you get your EIN instantly. No need to pay $425 for an LLC unless you specifically want the liability protection or plan to have employees soon. One tip: when you apply for the EIN, make sure you select "sole proprietorship" as your business type if you're not forming an LLC. The application will ask for your business name - you can just use your legal name or "Your Name DBA [Business Name]" if you want to use a different business name. You can always upgrade to an LLC later if your business grows and the liability protection becomes worth the cost. I'm actually considering it now that my revenue has grown substantially, but starting with just the EIN saved me money in those crucial first months when every dollar counted.
This is exactly the advice I needed! I'm in a similar situation with my pottery business and was overthinking the whole LLC thing. Quick question - when you applied for the EIN online, did you run into any issues with the "business name" field? I want to use a different name than my legal name but wasn't sure how to format it properly on the application.
Just went through this exact process for my woodworking business! You definitely don't need an LLC to get an EIN - I got mine directly from the IRS website in about 15 minutes completely free. The key thing to understand is that platforms like Etsy and Amazon are asking for an EIN for tax reporting purposes, not because you need to be incorporated. As a sole proprietor, you can get an EIN and use it instead of giving out your SSN to every platform and vendor. I started with just the free EIN and have been operating successfully for 8 months now. The liability protection of an LLC is nice to have, but for most craft businesses just starting out, the $425+ cost isn't justified until you're making consistent profit. My recommendation: Get the free EIN from IRS.gov now so you can start selling on those platforms. Once your business is generating steady income (maybe $20K+ annually), then revisit whether the LLC makes financial sense for liability protection and potential tax benefits. You can always form an LLC later and transfer your EIN to it - the IRS allows you to change the business structure associated with your EIN if needed.
This is really helpful! I'm just getting started with my soap making business and was so confused about all this. Quick question - when you say you can transfer your EIN to an LLC later, does that process cost anything additional with the IRS? Or is it just a matter of updating your business structure with them when you file the LLC paperwork with your state? Also, did you find that having the EIN made setting up business bank accounts easier even as a sole proprietor? I keep reading conflicting info about whether banks require an EIN or if they'll accept just your SSN for business accounts.
Andre Laurent
My return was stuck like this for 5 weeks - no acceptance, no rejection, just silence. Could it be a simple software glitch? Or something more serious with my filing? I finally resolved it last week! Turned out my software had actually received a rejection notice but failed to display it in my account. Once I called their technical support line, they found the rejection in their system and helped me correct the issue (incorrect prior year AGI). Resubmitted and got accepted within hours. Don't wait like I did - be proactive!
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Brianna Muhammad
This is definitely concerning after a month with no acceptance! I experienced something similar last year - filed in mid-February and heard nothing until I proactively reached out. Here's what I learned from my situation: The IRS e-file system is supposed to send acceptance/rejection within 24-48 hours, so you're way past normal timeframes. In my case, the return had actually been rejected on day 2 due to a mismatch in my prior year AGI, but somehow the rejection notification never made it back to my tax software. My recommendation: Call your tax software's technical support line (not general customer service) and ask them to pull up your transmission records. They should be able to see if there are any error codes or rejection notices in their system that didn't display in your account. If they confirm clean transmission on their end, then you'll need to contact the IRS e-file department directly. Don't wait any longer - since your return technically hasn't been "filed" until it's accepted, you could face compliance issues if this drags on past the deadline. Better to resolve this now while you still have time to refile if needed!
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