just a heads up - i did an SS-8 filing last year and it took almost 9 months to get a determination letter! the irs is super backed up with these. definitely file your taxes now using form 8919 like others said. also make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING. every email, every instruction they gave her, work schedule, etc. the more proof you have that they treated her like an employee the better.

One more thing to consider - if this was a government agency, there's a good chance they have specific policies about contractor vs employee classification that they're supposed to follow. Federal agencies in particular have gotten in trouble for misclassifying workers to avoid paying benefits and taxes. You might want to look up whether this agency has had previous issues with worker misclassification. Sometimes there are patterns, and if the agency has been cited before, it could strengthen your case. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has done reports on this issue across various federal agencies. Also, since you mentioned they haven't sent any tax documents yet, that's actually a red flag. Even if they classified her as a contractor, they're legally required to send a 1099-NEC by January 31st if they paid her more than $600. I'd follow up on that immediately - you'll need that information regardless of how you file. Good luck with the SS-8 process! It sounds like you have a strong case based on what you've described.

19 Has anyone actually been audited specifically about a Section 179 vehicle deduction? I'm worried I'll do all this work and still get flagged.

This is really comprehensive advice everyone! As someone who just went through this process with my Honda Pilot, I wanted to add that the IRS also looks closely at the timing of when you place the vehicle "in service" for business use. Make sure you have documentation showing the exact date you started using it for business - this could be your first business trip, when you installed business equipment, or when you modified the seating configuration. The Section 179 deduction is only available for the tax year when you place it in service, so if you buy in December but don't start business use until January, you might have to wait until the following year's return. Also, keep copies of your financing or lease agreements if applicable - the IRS sometimes wants to verify the actual purchase price and terms to ensure your deduction amount is correct. I learned this the hard way when I had to scramble to find my loan paperwork during a records review.

Does anyone know if there's a minimum filing requirement even if you have no income? Like if OP really did just sit on the cash and earned zero interest (bad idea but hypothetically), would they still have to file a return every year showing $0 income?

One important thing to keep in mind is that even though you won't owe taxes on the principal amount sitting in your account, you'll want to keep good records of your lottery winnings and the taxes you already paid. The IRS might ask for documentation years later, so make sure you have copies of your lottery payout statements, tax withholding forms, and the tax return where you reported the winnings. Also, if you're planning to live off this money for years, consider that $3.8 million might not last as long as you think, especially with inflation. Even without earning interest, your purchasing power decreases over time. You might want to at least put some of it in Treasury I-bonds or TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities) to maintain your buying power while still keeping things relatively simple from a tax perspective.

I went through EXACTLY this last year! Turns out the IRS system had flagged me because someone with a similar name and SSN (just one digit off) had Marketplace coverage. The fastest solution was to paper file my return with a written statement explaining I didn't have Marketplace coverage and including proof of my other coverage (I attached a copy of my insurance card and a benefits statement). Yeah it's annoying because paper filing means waiting longer for your refund, but it got processed eventually. Whatever you do, don't just ignore the rejection - the IRS computers will keep expecting that Form 8962 until the issue is resolved.

This exact thing happened to me two years ago! The IRS rejection was super confusing because I was also on my parents' employer insurance and had never even heard of Form 8962. Here's what I learned: The IRS database sometimes has glitches where SSNs get mixed up or incorrectly flagged. Since you were on your parents' plan (not Marketplace insurance), this is almost certainly a system error. My advice: 1. Confirm with your parents they had employer insurance, not Marketplace 2. If confirmed, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 first thing in the morning (7 AM) when wait times are shorter 3. Have your SSN, rejection notice, and tax return ready 4. Explain you were covered by employer insurance, not Marketplace insurance 5. Ask them to check their records and remove the Form 8962 requirement from your account The agent should be able to see the error and fix it so you can e-file normally. If phone wait times are too long, paper filing with an explanation letter works too, but takes way longer to process. Don't stress too much - this is more common than you'd think and it's totally fixable!

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago! Got my CP23 notice and panicked thinking I'd never filed my 2021 return (turns out I had but it got lost in the mail). Filed electronically immediately and my refund was released exactly 6 weeks later. The electronic filing definitely speeds things up compared to paper. One thing that helped me stay sane during the wait was checking my transcript weekly instead of obsessing over the "Where's My Refund" tool. You'll see way more detail about what's actually happening with your case. The codes can be confusing but once you learn what to look for, it's much more informative than the generic "still processing" message. Since you only owe $375, that shouldn't complicate things - they'll likely just send you a separate bill for that amount. Good luck and try not to stress too much, it sounds like you did everything right!

I had almost the exact same situation happen to me last year! Got my CP23 notice for my 2021 return and immediately filed electronically. The whole process took about 5 weeks from filing to getting my refund deposited. The key thing is that since you filed electronically, the IRS can process it much faster than a paper return. Also, the fact that you only owe $375 actually works in your favor - they'll likely just send you a separate notice for that amount rather than holding up your refund to collect it. My advice is to create an account on irs.gov and check your transcript every Friday. Look for processing codes that show your return was accepted and then eventually the refund release codes. It's way more informative than the "Where's My Refund" tool which basically tells you nothing useful. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking, but you did everything right by filing electronically right away. Hang in there!