Don't forget that you can (and should) file a complaint against your tax preparer! If they're a CPA, you can file with your state's board of accountancy. If they're an Enrolled Agent, file with the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility. And definitely leave reviews online so others don't get stuck with them.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! My tax preparer claimed she filed my extension but the IRS had no record of it. Here's what worked for me: 1. **Get everything in writing from your preparer** - Ask for a detailed timeline of when she claims to have filed, what confirmation she received, and any reference numbers. That screenshot might be helpful even if you doubt it. 2. **Request your IRS transcript immediately** - File Form 4506-T or get it online through IRS.gov. This will show exactly what the IRS has on file for you and can definitively prove whether an extension was filed or not. 3. **For Form 843, focus on reasonable cause** - In Part II, emphasize that you hired a licensed professional specifically to handle this filing requirement and reasonably relied on their expertise. Include copies of your contract/agreement showing you paid them to file the extension. 4. **Document your good faith effort** - Include evidence that you provided all necessary information to your preparer well before the deadline and that filing the extension was explicitly part of their service. The IRS is generally sympathetic when taxpayers can show they made good faith efforts to comply by hiring professionals. Just make sure your Form 843 tells a clear story of reasonable reliance on professional advice. Also, definitely pursue getting reimbursed by your preparer - most carry professional liability insurance for exactly these situations!

Be careful with tax advances! I tried this route last year and experienced several issues: • Credit Karma account was required - no exceptions • Advance was less than advertised due to "eligibility factors" • When my actual refund arrived, there was confusion about what portion had already been advanced • Customer service was unhelpful when trying to resolve discrepancies • Took me three calls to finally close the Credit Karma account afterward The convenience wasn't worth the headaches. Have you considered just filing early and waiting for direct deposit from the IRS?

I went through this exact situation last month and can confirm what others have said - Credit Karma is absolutely mandatory for TurboTax's refund advance. There's no workaround. However, I want to add a few things that might help: The good news: Credit Karma Money accounts are actually free with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. The transfer to your regular bank is also free and typically takes 1-2 business days. The not-so-good news: You'll need to provide additional verification documents beyond your tax info, and the approval isn't guaranteed even if you have a large expected refund. One tip: If you do go this route, make sure to turn off all marketing communications in your Credit Karma settings immediately after approval. Otherwise you'll get bombarded with credit card offers and loan promotions. Alternative suggestion: If you're mainly concerned about cash flow timing, consider filing your return as early as possible (the IRS started accepting returns in late January). With direct deposit, most people get their refund within 21 days, which might not be much longer than dealing with the advance process anyway.

Everyone's talking about prohibited transactions, but no one's mentioned UBIT/UBTI (Unrelated Business Taxable Income). Even IF you could legally structure this (which you can't for reasons already mentioned), your SEP-IRA would likely get hit with UBIT if it used debt financing to purchase the property. So not only would you face prohibited transaction issues, but you'd also potentially create a tax liability inside your tax-advantaged account! The whole concept is problematic on multiple levels. Just buy the property yourself outside retirement accounts or through a separate entity and lease it to your business. Much simpler and definitely legal.

Smart decision, Sean! You're absolutely right to step away from this approach. I've seen too many people get burned by trying to get cute with retirement account investments and ending up with massive tax bills. Since you mentioned SBA loans, I'd definitely explore that route. SBA 504 loans are particularly good for owner-occupied commercial real estate - you can get up to 90% financing with a portion at below-market fixed rates. The key requirement is that your business needs to occupy at least 51% of the building, which sounds like it would work for your situation. Another angle to consider: if you do buy the property personally (outside retirement accounts) and lease to your LLC, make sure to structure the lease at fair market rent. The IRS scrutinizes related-party transactions, so you want everything to be arm's length. Get a commercial appraisal to establish market rates. One last tip - document everything thoroughly. Keep records showing you researched market rents, property management decisions, maintenance costs, etc. This helps demonstrate it's a legitimate business arrangement rather than just tax avoidance if you ever get audited.

OMG I'm going through this EXACT thing right now! Filed my amendment in April and still nothing showing up! 😫 I've been checking every single day because I really need that money for medical bills. This thread is actually making me feel a little better knowing I'm not alone. Does anyone know if calling them actually helps speed things up at all? I'm so stressed about this!

I feel your pain! I'm dealing with something similar - filed my amended return in June and it's been radio silence ever since. The waiting is the worst part, especially when you're counting on that money. From what I've learned lurking in tax forums, calling doesn't actually speed up processing, but it can at least confirm your return is in their system. The IRS phone agents can see things that don't show up on WMAR yet. One thing that helped my anxiety was setting up IRS account online and checking my transcript monthly instead of obsessively checking WMAR daily. At least then you're looking at the actual source data rather than their wonky tracking tool. Hang in there - sounds like we're all in the same boat waiting for this glacier-slow system to catch up!

Question about the actual filing - I'm in a similar situation with late original 941s for 2021. Are you guys paper filing these late originals or using e-file? My software won't let me e-file anything from 2021 anymore.

As someone who works in tax compliance, I want to emphasize that while you can still claim ERC on late original 941 filings before the April 2025 deadline, you should be extra careful about your qualification documentation given the increased IRS scrutiny on ERC claims. Since you mentioned the business didn't make tax deposits that quarter because they were counting on ERC eligibility, make absolutely sure you have bulletproof documentation for whichever qualification test you're using (government orders or significant decline in gross receipts). The IRS has been particularly aggressive in auditing situations where businesses relied heavily on ERC to offset their tax liability. Also, consider filing Form 7200 (Advance Payment of Employer Credits) documentation if you haven't already, as this can help establish the timeline of your ERC claim intentions. Given that this is a boutique business, you'll likely qualify under the government closure/restriction test rather than the gross receipts test, so focus your documentation there. One last tip: include a cover letter with your filing explaining the circumstances of the late submission and your reasonable cause for the delay (USPS delivery issues). This proactive approach can sometimes help with penalty abatement requests down the line.