Has anyone compared rates between Ageras and just finding an accountant directly? I'm wondering if there's a premium for using the matching service.

I used Ageras last year and had a positive experience overall. The platform itself is legitimate - they do verify that the accountants are licensed and have proper credentials. I got matched with 3 accountants and ended up choosing one who specialized in small business taxes like mine. The key is to really vet the accountants they match you with, just like you would with any tax professional. Ask about their experience with businesses similar to yours, request references, and make sure they have an active PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number). The accountant I worked with was very transparent about what was included in their quote and there were no surprises when it came to final billing. One tip: when you have your initial calls with the matched accountants, ask them to walk through exactly what they'll review and what their process looks like. The good ones will be happy to explain their approach and answer your questions. If someone seems evasive or rushes you to sign up, that's a red flag regardless of the platform. The quotes you received ($275-$650) sound reasonable for small business tax prep, especially compared to the $800+ you were quoted elsewhere. Just make sure to clarify what services are included at each price point.

Have you checked your status on the NJ Division of Taxation website? Sometimes the generic "processing" message doesn't tell the whole story. I found out my return was actually on hold because they were missing a document (that I definitely submitted 🙄). Called them and got it sorted in one day, refund came a week later. Also, if you're really desperate for the cash, you might want to look into tax refund advances for next year. I know it's too late now, but as a fellow gig worker, I've used them before when things were tight. Yeah, the fees suck, but sometimes you need that money now, not when the state decides to finally process your return! 😂

I'm in a similar situation - filed my NJ return on March 12th and still waiting! The uncertainty is definitely stressful, especially when you're counting on that money. One thing I learned from calling their automated line is that if you have ANY business income (including gig work), your return automatically goes into a secondary review queue. They don't advertise this, but the rep told me it adds about 2-3 weeks to processing time because they have to verify the income against 1099s. Also, pro tip: if you create an account on their taxpayer portal, you can sometimes see more detailed status updates than the basic "Where's My Refund" tool. Mine showed "under review" when the main site just said "processing." Hang in there - from what I'm seeing in this thread, it sounds like we're all just caught in the March filing crunch with extra delays this year!

Anyone know if TurboTax handles this ESPP situation correctly? Last year it seemed to mess up my cost basis and I ended up having to manually override some numbers.

Just wanted to add my experience as another data point - I had a very similar ESPP situation last year where I sold shares at a price between my discounted purchase price and the original FMV. The key thing that helped me understand it was realizing that the IRS essentially treats ESPP transactions as if you received the discount as regular compensation income, then immediately purchased the shares at full market value. So in your case, it's like the IRS views it as: you received $1.28 per share in compensation income, then bought shares at $8.56, and are now selling at $7.69. Hence the ordinary income on the discount plus the capital loss on the difference. One practical tip: make sure to keep detailed records of your grant dates, purchase dates, and the FMV on both dates. You'll need these for proper reporting, especially if you have multiple ESPP purchases throughout the year. The brokerage statements don't always make this clear.

Has anyone here used the IRS free e-file for partnership returns? I know you can e-file Form 1065 but I'm not sure if there are any special requirements when it's a final return with that "final return" box checked. Our partnership was pretty simple with just the two of us and minimal transactions.

Just wanted to add something that might help with your timing concerns. Since you closed in March 2024, you're actually not as pressed for time as you might think. Your 2023 partnership return (covering August-December 2023) is due by March 15, 2024, but you can file an extension until September 15, 2024 using Form 7004. For your final return covering January-March 2024, that would be due by March 15, 2025 (since it's a 2024 tax year return), so you have plenty of time to get that one right. Given that your total revenue was only $8,400 with $7,200 in expenses, you're looking at a pretty straightforward situation. The net income of $1,200 split between two partners means each partner would report $600 on their personal returns. Since the amounts are relatively small, the IRS is less likely to scrutinize the return heavily, but definitely still follow the proper procedures for the final return filings. One tip: keep detailed records of exactly when you ceased operations and any final expenses related to closing the business. These closing costs can often be deducted on your final return.

19 Has your wife considered that the finance partner might be refusing these expenses because they're actually not legitimate business expenses? Just playing devil's advocate here. I've been in partnerships where one person thinks everything is a business expense when it's really more personal or questionable.

This is a frustrating but unfortunately common situation with S Corps. The key point everyone has touched on is correct - the TCJA eliminated personal deductions for unreimbursed employee business expenses, and S Corp owners are treated as employees for this purpose. What I'd suggest is framing this as a business decision rather than a personal tax issue. Those legitimate expenses (conference fees, software, professional memberships) are reducing the company's overall profitability when they're not properly recorded. Even if cash flow prevents immediate reimbursement, the S Corp should at least book these as business expenses and liabilities owed to your wife. This way the business gets the deduction (reducing everyone's K-1 income), and your wife has a documented claim for future reimbursement when cash flow improves. The current approach is essentially forcing all partners to pay higher taxes on phantom income while legitimate business costs go unrecognized. Maybe approach the finance partner with a proposal: "Let's at least record these properly in the books as business expenses, even if we can't cut checks immediately." This protects everyone's tax situation while acknowledging the cash flow constraints.