Something important that nobody has mentioned yet - if you're sending money to family overseas, there are FBAR reporting requirements if the total amounts get large enough. My uncle got hit with a huge penalty for helping cousins in another country because he didn't know he had to file an FBAR form when the total exceeded $10,000 in a year. Different rules apply to international transfers versus domestic ones. Just something to keep in mind if any of your friends/family are outside the US!

Just want to throw this out there - I've sent thousands to my parents and siblings over the years through Zelle and Venmo and never had an issue. It's never been questioned in an audit (yes, I was audited once but for completely unrelated reasons). The IRS cares about taxable income, not personal transfers. As long as you're not trying to hide income by making it look like personal transfers, you're good. They're looking for the big tax evaders, not people helping their families.

If your grandparents have online access to their Treasury Direct account, they can log in and download all their tax forms including complete 1099-INTs with the EIN. Might be worth walking them through it over the phone so they can access these themselves in the future.

I totally feel your pain with helping elderly family members with taxes! Just wanted to add that if you're still stuck, you can also call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 and they can help verify the correct EIN for Treasury Direct over the phone. I had to do this last year for my grandfather's bonds and the representative was actually really helpful - they confirmed the 43-1965496 EIN that others mentioned and even helped me understand which parts of the interest were taxable vs. exempt. The wait times can be long (especially during tax season) but it's free and they have access to all the official records. Might be worth trying if the other suggestions don't work out!

Has anyone used specific software to track gift card reselling? I'm doing about 15-20 cards per month and manually tracking in Excel is becoming a nightmare, especially when factoring in all the different reward types.

For gift card reselling, you'll definitely want to track holding periods carefully. The IRS does look at how quickly you turn over inventory when determining if this is truly a business activity versus something else. Most legitimate gift card resellers hold cards for at least a few days to a week before selling, which helps establish a clear business pattern. One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is the importance of documenting your business purpose. Keep records showing that you're actively researching market prices, comparing different platforms, and making strategic decisions about when to sell. This helps demonstrate legitimate business activity rather than just quick arbitrage. Also, consider opening a separate business bank account even if you're not formally incorporated. It makes tracking so much easier and provides clear separation between personal and business transactions, which is crucial if you're ever audited. The IRS loves to see clean record-keeping, especially for newer types of businesses like gift card reselling. One more tip: if you're earning significant income from this (over $20K annually), consider making quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid underpayment penalties. The self-employment tax on top of income tax can add up quickly.

Anyone else notice that Form 8802 processing times seem to vary depending on the country you're requesting the Form 6166 for? I've had Germany ones come back in 3 weeks while China ones took nearly 9 weeks.

This is really helpful information from everyone! As someone new to handling Form 8802, I'm taking notes on all these tips. The 4-6 week standard timeframe seems consistent with what others are saying, and I'll definitely keep the expedited processing option in mind for future clients who have urgent deadlines. @Dmitry - for your current situation, it sounds like you'll need to manage your client's expectations and let them know it's likely going to be at least a month. Maybe explain that this is standard IRS processing time and not something you can control. I've found that being upfront about government processing delays usually helps clients understand it's not a reflection of your service. The tools mentioned here like taxr.ai and Claimyr sound interesting for future reference, especially if you regularly handle international tax forms. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

I work in payroll - completely normal for this time of year. The SSA has to process millions of W2s before sending to IRS

Just wanted to add some context as someone who's been through this process multiple times - the timing can vary significantly depending on your employer's payroll provider. Large companies using systems like ADP or Paychex typically get their W-2s submitted faster, while smaller employers might take until closer to the January 31st deadline. Even after submission, the IRS wage transcript system updates in batches, not continuously. One thing that helped me last year was setting up IRS account alerts, but honestly checking every few days just made me more anxious. The transcript will populate when it's ready, and you'll have plenty of time to file accurately. If you're really pressed for time, you can always file using the W-2 your employer provides directly and the IRS will match it up later during processing.