I had this exact issue in 2023 - no income but I did have a failed business attempt that lost about $5k. Called a tax preparer who wanted to charge me $250 just to tell me if I needed to file! Ridiculous.

Thanks for sharing your experience with VITA - that's actually a great resource I didn't know about! For anyone else reading this thread, I wanted to add that even with zero income, you might still want to consider filing if you had any federal taxes withheld from unemployment benefits or other sources during the year. I learned this the hard way when I had a brief period of unemployment early in 2023 but then no other income for the rest of the year. Even though my total income was below the filing threshold, I had taxes withheld from those unemployment payments that I could only get back by filing a return. Ended up getting a small refund that I wouldn't have received otherwise. The IRS won't automatically send you money you're owed - you have to file to claim it, even if filing isn't technically required based on your income level.

Has anyone had the experience where TurboTax actually does let you e-file with Form 7202? My husband could swear he e-filed with it last year. Feel like some of this info might be outdated.

I went through this exact same situation earlier this year! After reading through all the responses here, I ended up using taxr.ai like Sophie and Connor mentioned, and it was honestly a game-changer for my Form 7202 amendment. The key thing that helped me was realizing that no matter which route you go - TurboTax's delayed 1040X feature, switching to new software, or using an AI service - you're still going to have to print and mail the forms. The IRS just doesn't accept e-filed amendments with Form 7202 attached, period. What made taxr.ai worth it for me was the time savings. As a self-employed person with multiple income streams like you, re-entering everything from scratch would have been a nightmare. The PDF upload feature worked perfectly and caught all my Schedule C details accurately. My advice: don't wait for TurboTax's 1040X feature if you want your refund sooner. Use one of the automated services to prepare your amendment, send it certified mail like Kelsey suggested, and then use Claimyr if you need to follow up with the IRS later. The whole process will still take months, but at least you'll get it started quickly!

Speaking as someone who went thru bankruptcy - its not worth it just for tax issues. The hit to your credit score takes YEARS to recover from. Look into other options first frfr

Before you consider bankruptcy, definitely explore all your other options first. You might qualify for an installment plan where you can pay off the debt over time while still getting your refunds. Also check if you qualify for "Currently Not Collectible" status if you're going through financial hardship - this can temporarily stop collections. The IRS also has a Fresh Start program that might help. Bankruptcy should really be a last resort since it affects so much more than just your tax situation.

Since FUTA came up - anyone else find the deadline for filing Form 940 (federal unemployment tax return) super confusing? Is it January 31 or is it the same as the quarterly deposit schedule? I've heard different things from different sources and I don't want to mess up.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's been through this recently. When I was setting up payroll for my landscaping business, I found it helpful to think of FUTA as "unemployment insurance that I pay for my employees." It's separate from everything else that shows up on paystubs. One thing that caught me off guard was that the $7,000 wage base resets every January 1st, so if you have year-round employees, you'll pay FUTA on their wages again starting in January even if they exceeded $7,000 the previous year. Also, don't forget that some payments to employees (like certain fringe benefits) might not count toward the $7,000 base - worth double-checking if you offer things like health insurance or other benefits. Good luck with your QuickBooks setup! The learning curve is steep at first but it gets much easier once you understand the basics.

Has anyone had success fighting a CP2000 for HSA distributions online through the IRS response portal rather than mailing everything? I'm wondering if I should just use their online system or if it's better to send a physical response with all my documentation.

I dealt with this exact same situation last year! You're absolutely right to question it - HSA distributions for qualified medical expenses shouldn't be taxable. The problem is that the IRS computer system sees your 1099-SA showing the distribution but doesn't automatically know it was for qualified expenses. Even though your 1099-SA has Distribution Code 1, you still need to file Form 8889 with your tax return to officially report to the IRS that these were qualified medical expenses. Without Form 8889, their system assumes the entire distribution is taxable income. For your CP2000 response, I'd recommend: 1. Complete Form 8889 for the tax year showing your qualified medical expenses 2. Include copies of your 1099-SA forms 3. Attach receipts or documentation for the medical expenses that match your distribution amounts 4. Write a cover letter explaining that these were qualified medical expenses Keep copies of everything you send! The IRS should accept your explanation once they see the proper documentation. I went through this process and they completely reversed the proposed tax after reviewing my Form 8889 and supporting documents.