Has anyone had success with reasonable cause abatement specifically for medical issues? I'm curious how detailed the medical documentation needs to be. Do they want actual medical records or just a doctor's letter?

Based on my experience helping clients with penalty abatements, your strategy of trying first-time abatement first is solid. You can absolutely submit a second Form 843 for reasonable cause if the FTA is denied - there's no restriction on multiple attempts using different abatement theories. One thing to consider: since you have both a potential FTA qualification AND a strong reasonable cause argument (medical situation), you might want to mention both briefly on your initial Form 843. In section 4, you could state something like "Requesting first-time penalty abatement as I have no penalties in the prior three years. Additionally, I experienced a serious knee injury requiring surgery that significantly limited my mobility during the filing period." This way, if the IRS agent reviewing your case sees any issue with your FTA eligibility, they can immediately consider your reasonable cause without requiring a second submission. The medical documentation you mentioned would only be needed if they specifically request it or if you end up filing a dedicated reasonable cause request later. The only real downside to your sequential approach is time - but given that you have a legitimate reasonable cause backup, there's no harm in trying the simpler FTA route first.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same timeline as you! Filed 1/28, accepted 1/30, and got hit with that same 570 code. The waiting game is absolutely brutal, especially when you're checking your transcript multiple times a day hoping for any movement. From what I've gathered reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the key is figuring out whether you actually need identity verification or if you're just stuck in the general review queue. Since you mentioned talking to 3 different reps with 3 different stories, that unfortunately seems par for the course with the IRS phone support. One thing that's helped me stay (somewhat) sane is setting a specific day each week to check my transcript instead of daily - the constant checking was driving me crazy and nothing ever changes that quickly anyway. Have you checked your IRS online account to see if there are any action items or notifications there? Sometimes that shows identity verification requests before the letters arrive. Really hoping both of us see some movement soon - this waiting is exhausting!

I'm going through something very similar and your rollercoaster analogy is spot on! Filed 1/24, accepted 1/27, and got the 570 code with a 3/3 date. It's been almost two weeks of checking my transcript obsessively. From what I've learned lurking in these forums and talking to a few people who've been through this, the 570 code is basically the IRS saying "hold up, we need to take a closer look." The frustrating part is that "random review" can mean so many different things - income verification, education credit review, or even just their system flagging something that looks unusual. One thing that's helped me is understanding that if you truly needed identity verification, you'd typically get a specific letter (the 5071C that others mentioned) and there would be clear instructions. Since you haven't gotten that yet, you're probably just in the waiting game like the rest of us. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to drive yourself crazy with the daily checking. I've started limiting myself to checking twice a week max. The processing times have been brutal this year - I've seen people wait 6-10 weeks for resolution on these random reviews. Hang in there!

I used TaxBandit for my 941s last year and had a weird issue where they kept sending me emails saying my filing was rejected, but then other emails saying it was accepted. Their customer service took 3 days to respond when I asked about it. Turns out everything was fine but their notification system glitched.

I've been using TaxBandit for my 941 filings for about 8 months now and can confirm it's legitimate - no hidden fees or catches. The $5 is really all you pay per filing. What sold me was their customer support. When I had questions about how to handle my health insurance premiums and whether they counted as taxable wages, their chat support walked me through it. They also have a really helpful knowledge base with examples. One tip: before you switch from your accountant, maybe try TaxBandit for one quarter while still having your accountant do it too. Compare the results to make sure you're comfortable with the process. That's what I did and it gave me confidence that I was doing everything correctly. The interface is intuitive enough that even someone without accounting experience can handle it, especially for single-employee businesses like yours where the forms are straightforward.

I handled a Code N 1099-R last year and it's important to know that while the recharacterization itself isn't taxable, you still need to be careful about contribution limits and deadlines!

Just want to add a quick note about timing for anyone else who might be in a similar situation. The fact that you received your 1099-R already is actually great timing - some brokerages are notoriously slow getting these forms out, and you definitely want to have it in hand before your tax appointment. One thing that might give you extra peace of mind: you can always ask your tax preparer to show you exactly where the 1099-R information appears on your return and how it's being treated. A good tax pro should be able to walk you through the forms and show you that while the transaction is reported, it's not adding to your taxable income. This way you can see for yourself that it's not affecting your refund. Don't stress too much about this - Code N recharacterizations are pretty routine for tax preparers, especially during tax season. Your situation is more common than you might think!

I filed 3/25 and my transcript updated this morning with a DDD of 4/8, so that'll be 14 days total. I claimed EIC too, so I was surprised it moved so quickly. I think they're catching up on the backlog from earlier in the season.

Filed 3/29 here and still showing "received" on WMR. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like there's really no rhyme or reason to the timing this year! Some getting it in 8 days, others taking the full 21. I have a pretty straightforward return - just W-2 and standard deduction, no kids or credits - so hopefully I'll be on the faster side. Thanks for sharing your timelines everyone, it helps to know I'm not the only one obsessively checking every morning!