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Ask the community...

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Has anyone actually USED FreeTaxUSA's Audit Assist service during a real audit? All I'm seeing is theoretical discussion about what it offers, but I'd love to hear from someone with firsthand experience.

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Omar Zaki

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I had to use it in 2023 for a CP2000 notice (not technically an audit but still IRS questioning my return). Their guidance was pretty good - they helped me understand the notice, told me exactly what documentation I needed to gather, and reviewed my response letter before I sent it. They were responsive over email and the process was fairly smooth.

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NebulaNova

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I actually went through a full IRS audit last year using FreeTaxUSA's Audit Assist, so I can give you real firsthand experience. I was audited for my 2022 return which included some business expenses that apparently raised red flags. The Audit Assist team was genuinely helpful throughout the process. They walked me through the initial audit letter line by line, helped me create a timeline for gathering documents, and even provided templates for organizing my receipts and records. When I had questions about what the IRS was asking for, they responded to emails usually within 24 hours. The limitation is exactly what others mentioned - they don't represent you directly. So when it came time for the actual meeting with the IRS agent, I was on my own. But they did help me prepare thoroughly, reviewed all my documentation beforehand, and gave me talking points for the meeting. In the end, the audit went smoothly and I only owed about $200 in additional taxes. Whether that was due to their preparation help or just luck, I can't say for sure, but I felt much more confident going into it than I would have on my own. For the price point, I think it's decent value, though if you're dealing with something really complex you might want to spring for actual representation.

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AstroAlpha

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Thanks for sharing your actual experience! That's really helpful to hear from someone who went through the whole process. $200 in additional taxes after an audit sounds like a pretty good outcome - I've heard horror stories of people owing thousands more. Did you feel like the preparation they helped you with made a big difference when you met with the IRS agent? And do you think you would have been able to handle it on your own without their guidance, or was their help pretty essential?

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IRS Account Transcript Shows "Return Not Present" 3 Weeks After Filing - Zeros in All Fields

I filed my taxes on January 31st and just checked my transcript. My account transcript from the IRS is showing everything as zeros and I'm concerned. I'm looking at my account transcript right now and here's exactly what it shows: ANY MINUS SIGN SHOWN BELOW SIGNIFIES A CREDIT AMOUNT ACCOUNT BALANCE: $0.00 ACCRUED INTEREST: $0.00 AS OF: Feb. 24, 2025 ACCRUED PENALTY: $0.00 AS OF: Feb. 24, 2025 ACCOUNT BALANCE PLUS ACCRUALS (this is not a payoff amount): $0.00 Under "INFORMATION FROM THE RETURN OR AS ADJUSTED" section, all the important fields are blank: EXEMPTIONS: 00 FILING STATUS: Head of Household ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME: [blank] TAXABLE INCOME: [blank] TAX PER RETURN: [blank] SE TAXABLE INCOME TAXPAYER: [blank] SE TAXABLE INCOME SPOUSE: [blank] TOTAL SELF EMPLOYMENT TAX: [blank] At the bottom it specifically states "RETURN NOT PRESENT FOR THIS ACCOUNT" and under TRANSACTIONS it shows: CODE | EXPLANATION OF TRANSACTION | CYCLE | DATE | AMOUNT No tax return filed This is from the Internal Revenue Service, United States Department of the Treasury. The transcript even says "This Product Contains Sensitive Taxpayer Data" at the bottom. Is this normal? Should I be worried that my return isn't showing up in their system yet? I definitely filed on January 31st but this transcript makes it look like they have no record of my return at all. It's been almost a month now and I'm getting anxious because I was expecting a refund. Does this mean my return was lost or rejected? How long should I wait before contacting the IRS directly?

Olivia Harris

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Pro tip: check your transcripts early morning EST time, thats when they usually update. Source: been doin this for years

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Alexander Zeus

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what time exactly? asking for a friend who definitely isnt obsessively checking πŸ‘€

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Olivia Harris

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usually between 3-5am EST but dont lose sleep over it lmao

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Jayden Reed

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Don't panic! This is totally normal for returns filed at the end of January. The "Return Not Present" message doesn't mean your return was lost or rejected - it just means the IRS hasn't processed it into their system yet. During peak filing season (Jan-April), the IRS can take 3-4 weeks or even longer to process returns, especially with the volume they're dealing with right now. Your return is likely sitting in their processing queue. If you filed electronically, you should have received a confirmation email with an acknowledgment that it was successfully transmitted. That's your proof it made it to them. If you're really concerned, you can use the "Where's My Refund" tool on IRS.gov - it updates more frequently than transcripts and will show if there are any issues with your return. I'd give it another week before calling the IRS directly. Their phone lines are swamped right now and you'll probably just get told the same thing - to wait for processing to complete.

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Nia Thompson

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This is super helpful! I'm new to filing taxes and was freaking out thinking I did something wrong. The "Where's My Refund" tool sounds like a good alternative to keep checking. Thanks for explaining the process so clearly!

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Daniel Price

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Has anyone used the online payment options for paying late taxes? I'm wondering if it's better to use IRS Direct Pay or pay with a credit card (even with the processing fee) to avoid further penalties?

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Olivia Evans

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I always use Direct Pay because there's no fee. Credit card payments charge like 2% processing fee, which on your amount would be another $175 or so. The only time a credit card makes sense is if you have one with rewards that exceed the fee (rare) or you absolutely can't pay in full and your card's interest rate is lower than the IRS penalties (also rare).

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Grant Vikers

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One thing that might help you avoid this situation in the future - the IRS actually allows you to set up automatic payments when you file your return, even if you can't pay the full amount right away. You can schedule the payment for up to 180 days after the filing deadline, which gives you time to get the money together without incurring the failure-to-pay penalties. For your current situation, definitely make the payment ASAP since penalties and interest compound daily. The calculations others provided look accurate, but I'd also recommend calling the IRS (or using one of those callback services mentioned) to see if you qualify for any penalty relief programs. Sometimes they'll waive penalties for first-time offenders or if you have a reasonable cause for the late payment. Also worth noting - if you're going to be in a similar cash flow crunch next year, you can adjust your withholdings or make quarterly estimated payments to avoid owing a large amount at tax time.

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Important heads up - if you're renting rooms in your house, check if you need a local permit or business license! I got hit with a $500 fine from my city because a neighbor complained and I didn't have the proper rental permit. Each city has different rules. Some places classify renting rooms differently than a full house rental. And some HOAs prohibit it entirely, so check your CC&Rs too.

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Ella Lewis

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Oh wow, I hadn't even thought about local regulations. I'll need to check with my city. My HOA documents don't specifically prohibit roommates, but they might have rules about operating a "business" from home. Thanks for the heads up!

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Laura Lopez

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Great thread everyone! As someone who's been doing the room rental thing for about 3 years now, I wanted to add a few practical tips that might help: 1. **Separate bank account**: Open a dedicated checking account just for rental income and expenses. Makes tracking SO much easier at tax time and shows clear separation between personal and rental finances if you ever get audited. 2. **Document everything**: Take photos of the rooms in their rented condition, keep copies of rental agreements (even informal ones with friends), and track when roommates move in/out. This helps establish your rental percentage if questioned. 3. **Quarterly estimated taxes**: Don't forget you might need to pay estimated taxes on your rental income throughout the year, especially if you're making decent money from the rooms. I learned this the hard way my first year and owed a penalty. 4. **Insurance considerations**: Check with your homeowner's insurance about renting rooms. Some policies require notification or additional coverage. Mine was fine but they wanted to know about it. The tax stuff gets easier once you establish a good system. Good luck with your rental venture!

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Best strategies to withdraw money from an S-Corporation with minimal tax implications?

I run a successful business with my dad where I own 1% of our S-Corporation and he owns 99%. We each get K-1 forms showing our share of the profits which we report on our personal tax returns. We both take regular salaries, but we also do periodic draws from the company. Last year I took out a pretty significant amount. Here's my situation: Say in 2024 our company makes $130K after expenses. Dad gets a K-1 for $128,700, I get one for $1,300. We each pay tax on those amounts, and then retained earnings can be withdrawn tax-free. The problem is, if I take out more than my 1% share, then my dad has effectively paid tax on money I'm taking! What I'm trying to figure out is: can I take a distribution (let's say $15K) and have that counted as a company expense BEFORE the K-1s are calculated? So company makes $130K - $15K, dad gets a K-1 for $113,850, I get a K-1 for $1,150, and then I'd pay whatever tax applies to that additional $15K. I haven't contributed additional capital to the company, just taken distributions usually exceeding what's shown on my K-1. Previously I've treated these as bonuses, but they're actually profit-sharing distributions. I took substantial draws in 2024, and we haven't filed our company's final return yet. If there's a more tax-advantageous way to handle this (while staying 100% legal and ethical), I'd like to know. I've read about distributions being taxed at long-term capital gains rates if they exceed shareholder stock basis. Could this apply here? I honestly don't know what my stock basis is or how to calculate it. I paid very little for my 1% back in 2008. How do distributions affect stock basis? If my basis was $7K and I took $15K last year, would my basis now be ($8K)? What's the relationship between stock basis and ownership percentage? Should we have been tracking our individual stock bases and adjusting ownership percentages annually? Is stock basis the amount on the K-1 or a separate equity account I should have been tracking? I've asked our accountant but wanted to get other perspectives. What's the relationship between stock basis, ownership percentage, K-1 amounts, and shareholder withdrawals? How do these affect each other? Basically, how do I take money out of an S-Corp where I'm a 1% shareholder, in amounts way higher than what's on my K-1, without creating tax headaches? Thanks to anyone who reads all this!

Harmony Love

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Your accountant has been dropping the ball if they haven't been tracking your stock basis!!! That's literally S-Corp 101. Here's my understanding: Your basis starts with your initial investment. Each year, it increases by your share of income (K-1 line 1-10) and decreases by distributions (K-1 line 16). If distributions exceed basis, that excess is capital gains. The REAL issue is that S-Corp distributions must be proportionate to ownership. Taking disproportionate distributions can risk your S election or be reclassified as compensation (subject to employment taxes). Sometimes the easiest solution is just to adjust ownership percentages to match the economic reality of how profits are being distributed. If you consistently take 10% of profits, maybe you should own 10%, not 1%. Talk to a tax attorney (not just an accountant) about this. There are legitimate ways to handle this situation but they need proper documentation.

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Rudy Cenizo

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Quick question - if S-Corp distributions MUST be proportionate, how do so many family S-Corps handle situations where one owner needs more cash than their percentage? This is incredibly common but nobody seems to have a straight answer on how to do it properly.

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Alice Coleman

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Great question! The key is understanding that distributions don't have to be proportionate to ownership - that's actually a common misconception. What has to be proportionate is the PER-SHARE distribution amount. So if Dad gets $10 per share and owns 99 shares, he gets $990. If you get $10 per share and own 1 share, you get $10. The total dollar amounts are different, but the per-share rate is the same. The real issue comes when you take MORE than your per-share entitlement. That's when things get complicated and you need alternative structures like shareholder loans, adjusted compensation, or the management company approach mentioned earlier. Many family S-Corps handle this through properly documented shareholder loans for the excess amounts, which can later be repaid from future distributions or salary adjustments.

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This is exactly the kind of S-Corp situation that trips up so many small business owners! You're definitely not alone in this confusion. The key thing to understand is that you can't just treat distributions as "expenses" to reduce profits before K-1 calculations. S-Corp profits flow through to shareholders based on ownership percentage regardless of actual cash distributions taken. Here's what I'd recommend as next steps: 1. **Reconstruct your stock basis ASAP** - Start with your original investment, add your cumulative share of S-Corp income from all K-1s since 2008, subtract all distributions you've taken. This determines whether excess distributions are taxable as capital gains. 2. **Consider increasing your salary** - This IS a legitimate business expense that reduces corporate profits. Just make sure it's "reasonable" for services performed or the IRS might reclassify future distributions as wages. 3. **Document any excess as shareholder loans** - If you're taking more than your proportionate share, properly document the excess as loans from the corporation to you, with reasonable repayment terms. This avoids the disproportionate distribution issues. 4. **Evaluate ownership restructuring** - If you consistently need more than 1% of cash flow, maybe your ownership percentage should reflect the economic reality. The management company structure another commenter mentioned is interesting but complex. I'd definitely run that by a tax attorney before implementing. Your accountant should have been tracking basis all along - this is basic S-Corp compliance. You might want to get a second opinion from someone who specializes in S-Corp taxation.

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