Quick tip from someone who processes a lot of international mail: when sending important tax documents internationally, don't just rely on the carrier's tracking. Pay the extra few dollars for signature confirmation service AND take photos of all your documents before sending them. I'd also recommend putting a cover letter on top that clearly states what's enclosed and where it needs to go (ITIN Operations). Sometimes these packages get opened at various processing points and having that cover sheet helps ensure it gets routed correctly.

I went through this exact same situation last year when applying for my spouse's ITIN from overseas. Here's what worked for me: For the federal return with W-7, I used DHL International Express to the physical address that Ava mentioned (3651 S Interregional Hwy 35, Austin, TX 78741). Make sure to write "ITIN Operations" clearly on the package. DHL was able to provide full tracking and delivery confirmation, which gave me peace of mind. For California, the Franchise Tax Board address you have is correct and accepts courier deliveries. I used the same DHL service for both. One thing I learned the hard way - include a prepaid return envelope if you want your original documents back. The IRS will return certified copies of your ID documents, but only if you provide the return postage. Also, expect the ITIN processing to take 7-11 weeks from when they receive it, so plan accordingly for any future tax filings. The total cost for both shipments was around $80 with DHL, but it was worth it for the peace of mind and delivery confirmation.

I just want to caution you about one thing - make sure the CP3219A is legitimate before paying anything! There are a lot of scams out there. Double check the phone number against the official IRS website (not just Google), and never pay through gift cards or wire transfers. Real IRS notices have a notice number in the upper right corner, and you can verify it by creating an account on irs.gov and checking your account transactions. If you're at all unsure, you can also request your wage and income transcript from the IRS website to verify what income they have on file for you for 2018.

Just wanted to add my experience with CP3219A notices since I've dealt with a few of these over the years helping family members. One thing that often gets overlooked is that you should make a copy of everything before you mail it back - the Form 5564, the notice itself, and any payment confirmations. Also, when you pay online through Direct Pay, print out the confirmation page immediately. The IRS payment system sometimes has glitches where payments don't show up in their system for several days, and having that confirmation number can save you a lot of headaches if there are any questions later. I'd also suggest sending the Form 5564 via certified mail with a return receipt. It only costs a few extra dollars, but you'll have proof that the IRS received your response within the 90-day window. This becomes really important if there are any disputes later about whether you responded on time. The good news is that once you pay and submit the form, this should be resolved fairly quickly. Most people I've helped have seen their account updated within 2-3 weeks of payment, and the case gets closed out completely.

I've possibly been through this process about a dozen times, and in my experience, the DDD is generally quite reliable. That said, there are occasionally some minor delays that might push it back a day or two. Most banks I've used tend to deposit either on the exact date or, in some cases, a day early. It's probably worth checking your bank's policy on government deposits specifically, as they sometimes handle those differently than regular direct deposits.

Here's how to verify everything is set for your deposit: 1. Check your transcript again for any TC570 codes that appeared after your DDD was issued 2. Verify the last 4 digits of your bank account on the transcript match your actual account 3. Look at the amount listed with code 846 - this is your exact refund amount 4. If you filed with TurboTax or another service that takes fees from your refund, expect a slightly lower amount Thanks for sharing your timeline! It helps others know what to expect.

I'd recommend checking if your state has a Voluntary Disclosure Agreement program for employment taxes. I went through this in Arizona after a similar situation, and while I still had to pay all the taxes, they waived most of the penalties. Saved me thousands. Most important thing is to get ahead of this before you get caught - showing initiative to correct the problem goes a long way.

I've been through something very similar with my roofing company last year. The key thing to understand is that paying employees in cash doesn't change your payroll tax obligations - you're still responsible for withholding and remitting all the same taxes as if you'd paid by check. Here's what I learned from my CPA: You absolutely need to treat these as employees (not contractors) and calculate the full payroll taxes. This means Social Security, Medicare, federal income tax withholding, FUTA, and any state taxes. Since you didn't withhold from their cash payments, you're now responsible for both the employee and employer portions. The manual calculation process is tedious but doable if you have good records. You'll need to work backwards through each quarter of 2024 and file amended 941s. The penalties will add up, but there are abatement options available, especially if this is your first time being late with payroll taxes. One thing that really helped me was getting on a payment plan with the IRS early in the process. Don't wait until you have everything perfectly calculated - reach out to them as soon as you can to show good faith. The sooner you start the correction process, the better it looks from their perspective.

Quick question - I'm taking the married filing jointly standard deduction and my wife took some classes. Does the Lifetime Learning Credit work the same way for joint returns? Are there different income limits?

Great question! I went through this exact same confusion last year. The key thing to remember is that education credits and the standard deduction are completely separate parts of your tax return - they don't interfere with each other at all. The standard deduction reduces your taxable income (it's an "above-the-line" deduction), while the Lifetime Learning Credit directly reduces your tax liability dollar-for-dollar. Think of it this way: the standard deduction helps determine how much tax you owe, and then the education credit reduces that tax amount. At $55k income, you're well within the income limits for the full credit. Just make sure you have your Form 1098-T from your school and keep receipts for any qualified expenses not reported on that form (like required textbooks). TurboTax should handle the calculations correctly - it's a very common combination to take the standard deduction and claim education credits. You're definitely not doing anything wrong by claiming both!