Try 800-830-5084. It's nationwide. Works for all states. Call early morning. Less wait time. Have your notice ready. And photo ID. And tax return copies. Good luck.

Just went through this exact process last month! Everyone here is right - 800-830-5084 is the correct number and it's the same nationwide. One thing I'd add is to make sure you're calling from the phone number that matches what's on your tax return if possible. They sometimes verify that too. Also, if you get disconnected (which happened to me twice), don't hang up immediately - sometimes they'll call you back within 15 minutes. The whole process took about 20 minutes once I got through, and they were actually pretty helpful. Your refund should process within 6-9 weeks after successful verification. Hang in there!

FYI - I went through an IRS review last year for unreported income that was paid through various apps. Even though I didn't receive any official tax forms, the IRS still had records of large regular payments coming into my accounts. They can access way more info than people realize! If you're getting paid through Zelle from a business account, definitely report it properly. Calculate all your business expenses too - track mileage, home office, equipment, etc. The WORST thing is getting hit with taxes on the full amount when you could have reduced it with legitimate deductions.

I was in almost exactly this situation two years ago - getting paid through Zelle from an LLC with no paperwork. Here's what I learned the hard way: report it ALL as self-employment income on Schedule C, even without a 1099. The key things that helped me: 1. Export your bank statements showing all Zelle payments from their LLC 2. Calculate your total annual income from this work 3. Track ALL business-related expenses (gas, phone, supplies, etc.) to offset the income 4. Set aside about 25-30% of your earnings for taxes since you'll owe both income tax and self-employment tax I initially thought about not reporting it since there were no forms, but my accountant scared me straight - the IRS can see bank deposits and regular payments from business accounts are red flags. Better to be proactive and honest than deal with penalties and interest later. Also, start making quarterly estimated tax payments for next year if this income will continue. Trust me, owing a huge lump sum at tax time is brutal!

Has anyone used TurboTax for reporting home sales after divorce? I'm in a similar situation and wondering if it handles the quitclaim situation correctly or if I need to use a CPA this year.

I went through a very similar situation a few years ago and can confirm what others have said about the basis calculation. The key thing to remember is that divorce-related property transfers don't create taxable events, so your cost basis remains the original $370k purchase price plus any qualifying capital improvements you made. One thing I'd add is to make sure you document everything properly on Form 8949 and Schedule D. You'll need to show the sale price ($640k), your adjusted basis (original cost plus improvements), and calculate your capital gain. Since you lived in the home as your primary residence, you should qualify for the $250k capital gains exclusion as a single filer. The payment you made to your ex ($25k based on the $420k valuation) was essentially buying out their ownership interest, but it doesn't affect your tax basis. Keep those divorce documents though - they support that the transfer was part of a divorce settlement under IRC Section 1041. If you haven't already, gather up any receipts for major home improvements during your ownership period. Things like HVAC replacements, flooring, kitchen/bathroom renovations, etc. can add up and reduce your taxable gain significantly.

OP, one thing nobody's mentioned is state taxes. Even while these unreimbursed employee business expenses are suspended at the federal level through 2025, some states still allow them. For example, California, New York, and several other states still permit deducting these expenses on your state tax return. So make sure you check your state's rules - you might get at least some tax relief that way until the federal deduction potentially returns in 2026.

I'm a tax professional who works with commission-based salespeople regularly, and I want to clarify a few important points about your situation. First, you're absolutely correct that as a non-statutory employee, you cannot file Schedule C. However, the classification itself might be worth examining - the fact that you work 100% on commission, use your own vehicle extensively, and work from home could potentially support an independent contractor classification depending on other factors in your employment relationship. For your current situation, here's what I'd recommend: 1) Document everything meticulously - mileage logs, home office measurements, all business expenses. Even though you can't deduct them federally right now, this creates a paper trail. 2) Check your state tax laws - many states still allow unreimbursed employee business expense deductions. 3) Definitely explore the accountable plan option that Zoe mentioned - this is often the best solution for commission salespeople. Regarding your home office, make sure it's used exclusively for business to qualify when deductions become available again. For the vehicle, keep detailed mileage logs showing business vs. personal use (though you mentioned 100% business use). The suspended deductions are scheduled to potentially return in 2026, so maintaining good records now will position you well if that happens.

Also don't forget about state taxes! Depending on your state, you could be paying anywhere from 0% (if you're in a no-income-tax state like Florida or Texas) to over 10% (California, Hawaii, etc.) on top of all this federal stuff. I learned this the hard way when I moved from Washington to Oregon mid-year and got absolutely blindsided by Oregon's high state income tax.

Welcome to the self-employment tax maze! As someone who just went through this transition last year, I can totally relate to your confusion. The good news is that once you understand how these taxes work together, it becomes much more manageable. One thing I wish I had known earlier: consider setting up a separate savings account for taxes and automatically transfer 25-30% of each payment you receive. This helped me avoid the panic of scrambling to come up with tax money at the end of the year. Also, if you expect to owe more than $1,000 in taxes, you'll need to make quarterly estimated payments to avoid penalties. The calculations others have shared are spot-on, but don't forget to track EVERYTHING expense-wise throughout the year. Home office expenses, internet bills, phone bills, professional development, even some meals can be deductible. I use a simple spreadsheet to log expenses monthly - it saves so much time during tax prep and ensures I don't miss anything that could lower my tax burden.