I feel your pain! I was stuck in the exact same loop for almost 2 months earlier this year. What finally worked for me was a combination of persistence and timing. Here's my strategy: 1. Call at exactly 7:00 AM Eastern (as others mentioned) but also try calling again at 12:01 PM - sometimes there's a brief window when agents come back from lunch 2. When you get the automated system, try saying "identity verification" clearly instead of just pressing numbers - the voice recognition sometimes routes you differently 3. If you get the "too busy" message, hang up and call back immediately 3-4 times in a row. I noticed patterns where every 4th-5th call would sometimes get through 4. Keep a log of your attempts - date, time, how long you waited. After 15+ documented attempts, you can reference this if you escalate The whole system is absolutely broken and designed to wear people down, but your refund is YOUR money. Don't give up! It took me 31 attempts over 6 days, but once I got through, the actual verification took less than 10 minutes and my refund was processed within a week. You've got this - just keep pushing through the broken system!

I've been dealing with the same identity verification nightmare! After reading through all these suggestions, I'm definitely going to try the 7am calling strategy and the congressional representative route. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get our own money back. Has anyone tried combining multiple approaches? Like calling your representative AND using one of those callback services? I'm wondering if having multiple irons in the fire might speed things up. At this point I'm willing to try anything - I've been waiting on my refund since April and it's now almost August. The IRS system is completely broken and they know it. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips. At least we're not suffering alone in this bureaucratic hell!

Did anyone consider that maybe the IRS calculator is including self-employment tax? If any of that $58,000 is from self-employment, you'd owe an additional 15.3% on that portion for Social Security and Medicare taxes. That could make a HUGE difference in the final number.

This is such a common source of confusion! I went through the exact same thing when I first started doing my own taxes. The key thing that helped me understand the discrepancy was realizing that the IRS online calculators often include assumptions about your filing status, deductions, and credits that you might not be accounting for in your manual calculations. A few things to double-check: 1. Are you using the correct tax year's brackets and standard deduction amounts? 2. Do you have any pre-tax deductions from your paycheck (like health insurance, 401k contributions, HSA contributions) that reduce your taxable income before the standard deduction is even applied? 3. Are you eligible for any tax credits that the calculator might be automatically including? Also, if you're getting a W-2, your employer has already been withholding taxes throughout the year based on your filing status and allowances, so your actual tax owed might be different from what you calculate as your total tax liability. The IRS calculator might be showing you what you still owe or your refund amount rather than your total tax. Try using the IRS's Interactive Tax Assistant tool - it walks you through step by step and explains each calculation, which might help you identify where the discrepancy is coming from.

Have you considered composite returns? Some states allow partnerships to file a single composite return on behalf of all nonresident partners, which can dramatically simplify your filing burden. Not all states offer this option, but many do. The requirements vary by state, but essentially the partnership pays tax on behalf of the partners for that state's sourced income. It's typically a flat rate and while sometimes higher than individual rates, the administrative convenience can be worth it. I manage several partnerships with similar multi-state issues, and we've reduced our state filings by about 60% using composite returns where available.

I run into this issue every year with my investment partnerships. Here's my practical approach that's worked for 15+ years: 1. Always file in your home state plus any state with income over $1,000 2. File in "aggressive" states regardless of amount (CA, NY, MA, NJ, IL) 3. For states with income under $500, I keep documentation showing the amount but don't file unless they contact me 4. For amounts between $500-$1,000, I make a case-by-case decision based on the state's reputation Following this approach, I've only had two states ever contact me about non-filing (Oregon and Connecticut), and in both cases, the penalties were minimal compared to the preparation costs I saved over the years. Just know that technically you're supposed to file everywhere you have income, so this approach does have some risk. But from a practical standpoint, the tax departments in many states are too understaffed to pursue very small amounts.

Has your mom checked whether a "tax-free liquidation" under Section 337 might be possible? It's complicated but can sometimes allow for liquidation without recognizing gains. Also, don't forget to look into "step-up in basis" rules since the assets were inherited - this might significantly reduce any potential tax impact on sale.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Closing a business after a death is incredibly overwhelming, especially when you're still grieving. One important thing to consider is the timing of everything. Your mom has inherited these business assets with what's called a "stepped-up basis" - meaning their tax basis is reset to fair market value as of your dad's date of death. This can actually save a lot in capital gains taxes compared to what your dad would have owed if he had sold them while alive. Before making any major decisions about selling assets to family members, I'd strongly recommend having your mom meet with both an estate attorney AND a tax professional who specializes in business closures. The accountant's confusing explanation might be because there are several different tax strategies that could apply depending on how the business was structured (sole proprietorship vs. LLC vs. corporation) and the total value of assets involved. Also, your mom doesn't necessarily have to rush this process unless there are pressing debts or lease obligations. Taking time to properly value everything and find legitimate buyers at fair market prices will likely result in better outcomes than quick sales at below-market rates. The inventory and equipment in those shipping containers might be worth more than you think, and rushing to liquidate could leave money on the table that your family deserves.

This is actually pretty common with state tax systems! The refund processing and status tracking systems often aren't synced in real-time. Nebraska's system is known for having delays between when checks are issued and when their online portal reflects the updated status. Since you already have your physical check, you're all good - just deposit it normally. The online status will eventually catch up, sometimes taking weeks after you've already received and deposited your refund. No need to worry about any discrepancies here!

Glad to hear others have experienced this too! I had the exact same situation with my Colorado state refund a couple years back - got my check on a Thursday but the state website didn't update until almost 3 weeks later. These government systems are notorious for being out of sync. As long as you have that physical check in hand, you're golden. Just deposit it and don't stress about the website status - it'll update eventually (or maybe it won't, but it doesn't matter since you already got paid). The important thing is your refund processed correctly and arrived way faster than their estimated 30-day timeline!