Pro tip: if you can pay off the full amount within 120 days, you can set up a short-term payment plan online without having to talk to anyone. Might be worth looking into if your balance isn't too high.

Just went through this process last month! Here's what helped me prepare: 1. Have your last 3 months of bank statements ready - they'll want to see your actual financial situation 2. Calculate a realistic monthly payment BEFORE you call (I used 20% of my take-home pay as a starting point) 3. Write down your monthly expenses beforehand so you don't forget anything important during the call 4. If you qualify, ask about Currently Not Collectible status - saved my friend when she was between jobs The agents are actually pretty reasonable if you're upfront about your situation. Don't oversell what you can afford just to get them off the phone faster. You got this! 💪

Anyone else think its sus that they cant just email these things? Like its 2025 ffs 🤡

Had the same issue last year - definitely call that number Saanvi mentioned! Also check if you moved recently or if your address with the IRS matches what's on your last return. They're super picky about addresses and even small differences can cause delays. You can also try creating an account on IRS.gov to see if there are any messages in your online account about the verification.

Stupid question maybe, but are you sure the PIN is being entered exactly as shown? Like no O vs 0 (letter O vs number zero) confusion or anything like that? My preparer made that mistake last year.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My IP PIN keeps getting rejected even though I've triple-checked it against the IRS website. One thing that helped me was having my preparer try entering it in a different software - apparently some tax prep software has glitches with IP PIN validation that others don't have. My preparer switched from their usual software to a backup system and it went through immediately. Might be worth asking if your preparer has access to a different filing system to try? Also, make sure they're not accidentally including any spaces or dashes when entering the PIN - it should just be the 6 digits with no formatting.

Before you do another withdrawal, call your brokerage and specifically ask them for the "basis" in your Roth IRA. This is the total amount you've contributed over the years. As long as your withdrawal is less than this basis amount, it should be tax and penalty free. Just make sure you keep excellent records! I keep a spreadsheet with all my contribution amounts and dates going back to when I opened my Roth. Makes filling out Form 8606 much easier.

This is such a helpful thread! I went through something similar last year and want to add one more piece of advice that saved me headaches: keep copies of ALL your Roth IRA contribution receipts/confirmations from your brokerage. When I had to file Form 8606, I discovered that my old brokerage (which had been acquired by another company) couldn't easily provide historical contribution data going back more than 3 years. Having my own records meant I could accurately complete the form without having to dig through old tax returns or make estimated guesses. Also, if you've been contributing to your Roth for several years like the original poster, double-check that you didn't accidentally exceed the annual contribution limits in any given year. If you did, those excess contributions could complicate your withdrawal calculations and potentially trigger different tax treatment. The peace of mind from having proper documentation is worth the small effort to maintain these records!

Pro tip: if you call FreeTaxUSA directly and explain what happened, they will often refund the state preparation fee. I accidentally paid but didn't file last year (was comparing prices between services), and they gave me a full refund when I explained the situation. Their customer service is actually pretty good compared to most tax prep companies. I think their number is 1-800-585-3926 or something like that. Just be super nice and explain you didn't understand you were being charged without filing.

I had almost the exact same thing happen to me with FreeTaxUSA last year! The key thing to understand is that they charge you for the "preparation" service as soon as you agree to pay, even if you haven't actually filed yet. It's definitely confusing because most people think the charge happens when you submit. Since you can see "Ready to file" in your account, your taxes definitely haven't been submitted to the IRS yet. You have two options: 1) Go ahead and e-file since you've already paid for the preparation, or 2) Print the forms and mail them yourself (but you won't get the $14.99 back). I'd recommend just e-filing at this point since you've already paid and it's much faster than mailing. But for next year, definitely look into the IRS Free File program since you qualify based on your income - it would have saved you that $14.99 completely.