I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with this exact same frustrating outage! Been locked out since last Thursday and like everyone else, I can't access my account balance or payment history while that "MAKE A PAYMENT" button works perfectly - classic government priorities right there! I actually tried the early morning access trick around 2:30 AM last night (yes, I was that desperate!) but still got the same error message. Also spent 90 minutes on hold with their main line before giving up in frustration. Based on all the helpful advice shared here, I'm definitely going to request my account transcript tomorrow and check out taxr.ai to decode those cryptic IRS codes. The Claimyr service also sounds promising if I need to actually speak with a human who can access my account. It's both reassuring and maddening to see so many people dealing with this same broken system. We really shouldn't need workarounds and third-party tools just to access our own tax information in 2025, but here we are dealing with technology that seems stuck in the 1960s! Thanks everyone for sharing solutions - at least we're all suffering through this bureaucratic nightmare together.

I'm new to this community but unfortunately very familiar with this exact same frustrating issue! Been dealing with the "partial outage" since last Tuesday and it's driving me absolutely crazy. Like everyone else here, I can't access my account balance or payment history to verify if my recent estimated tax payment processed correctly, but of course that bright green "MAKE A PAYMENT" button is working perfectly - really shows where their priorities are! I've tried all the usual troubleshooting tricks (different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode, even tried from my work computer) with zero success. What's particularly stressful is that I need to confirm my quarterly payment went through to avoid any penalties, but I'm completely locked out of that information. Thanks to everyone for sharing these workarounds and solutions! I'm definitely going to try requesting my account transcript first thing tomorrow morning and check out taxr.ai to help decode those confusing IRS codes that might as well be written in hieroglyphics. The Claimyr service also sounds worth considering if I get desperate enough to pay for actual human contact. It's both reassuring and infuriating to see so many of us dealing with this same broken system. We really shouldn't need creative workarounds and third-party tools just to access our own basic tax information in 2025, but here we are dealing with government technology that seems stuck in the stone age! Hopefully their "system maintenance" wraps up soon, though based on everyone's experiences here, I'm not holding my breath for a quick resolution.

I completely understand your panic! I had the exact same experience with TaxAct two years ago and spent hours worrying I had somehow messed up my tax payment. That VPS message is incredibly misleading - it really should be clearer that it's referring to their service fee, not your actual tax obligation. Just to add some reassurance: if the IRS accepted your return (which you mentioned they did), that means everything on the tax payment side is properly handled. The acceptance email confirms that any payment method you selected for taxes owed during the filing process has been processed correctly by the IRS. The TaxAct charge typically shows up on your statement as something like "TaxAct" or "TAI Services" when it finally processes. In my case, it took about 9 business days, so you're still well within the normal timeframe. One thing that helped me sleep better was taking a screenshot of my IRS acceptance email and keeping it in my files - that's your proof that your actual tax filing and payment went through successfully, regardless of what TaxAct does with their service fees.

I went through this exact same stress with TaxAct last month! That "pay the IRS through VPS at a later time" message is absolutely terrible wording - it made me think I had somehow skipped paying my actual taxes to the government. What everyone else said is spot on - VPS is just Value Payment Systems, which is TaxAct's payment processor for their own service fees. It has nothing to do with your tax liability to the IRS. If you got the acceptance email from the IRS, your actual tax payment (if you owed anything) was already processed correctly. The TaxAct preparation fee is completely separate and will show up on your credit card statement in the next few days. Mine took exactly 8 business days to appear, so you're still well within the normal window. I actually called TaxAct customer service about this same message and the rep told me they get dozens of calls every day during tax season from people panicking about this exact wording. You'd think they would fix it by now! Don't worry - you're all set with the IRS. The confusing message is just about TaxAct's own billing process.

Hey Aliyah! Just wanted to add another voice of encouragement here - you're absolutely handling this the right way! Everyone has given you spot-on advice about the carryover worksheet, but I wanted to share something that might help with the overall anxiety of first-time filing. I remember feeling exactly the same way during my first year - like every screen was a potential trap where I might accidentally mess up my entire return! But here's the thing: the IRS actually expects first-time filers to have questions and make minor mistakes. That's why they have amendment processes and why tax software like TurboTax has all those built-in checks Ava mentioned. For the carryover worksheet specifically, think of it this way: you literally cannot make a mistake by leaving it blank because you have nothing to carry over. It's impossible to mess up when there's genuinely no information to enter! You're being incredibly responsible by asking questions and taking your time. That approach will not only get you through this year successfully, but it's building great habits for future tax seasons. Keep up the excellent work - you've got this! 🙌

Hey Aliyah! I just wanted to add one more perspective as someone who's helped a lot of friends and family through their first tax filings. You've gotten incredible advice here, and I love seeing how supportive this community is! Just to put your mind completely at ease about the carryover worksheet - it's literally designed for situations that don't apply to you. Think of it like TurboTax asking "Do you have any leftover pizza from last night?" when you've never ordered pizza before. There's simply nothing there to carry over! Since you mentioned you're determined to figure this out on your own (which is awesome, by the way!), here's one more tip that might help as you continue: when TurboTax asks about things like "business income," "rental properties," or "investment losses," and you only have your W-2 from your job, you can confidently skip those sections too. Your tax situation is actually pretty straightforward - employee income is one of the most common and simplest scenarios to file. You should be really proud of yourself for taking this on independently and asking smart questions when you need help. That's exactly the right approach, and you're going to do great! 😊

Just a heads up on those cutting machines - I made the mistake of putting similar equipment ($250 range) under Section 179 last year, and my tax preparer said it created unnecessary complication. She had to go back and reclassify them as simple expenses under the de minimis rule, which apparently is much cleaner for audit purposes. For the utilities question, I use a Kill-A-Watt meter to track exactly how much electricity my craft equipment uses. I can literally show the difference in usage between when my machines are running vs not. My accountant said this is perfect documentation to justify claiming more than just the square footage percentage for electricity.

Great questions about Schedule C categorization! As someone who's been through this confusion before, here's my take based on experience and professional guidance: Your vinyl sheets are definitely COGS Materials and Supplies since they directly become part of your finished product. This is the clearest categorization you have. For those $230 cutting machines, you're overthinking it! Since they're under the $2,500 de minimis threshold and have short useful lives, just expense them immediately under Operations Expenses - Supplies. No need for Section 179 or depreciation headaches for relatively inexpensive equipment. Packaging materials should go under COGS Materials and Supplies too - they're essential for delivering your finished product to customers, so they're part of your cost of goods sold. For utilities, if you track actual usage (like with a power meter), you can definitely claim more than just the standard home office percentage. Document your machine usage patterns and put the business portion under Operations Expenses - Utilities. Phone/internet business usage goes under Operations Expenses - Utilities at whatever reasonable percentage you can document. Those Costco storage bins are definitely just Operations Expenses - Supplies. At $12, they're way below any capitalization threshold. The key is reasonable documentation and consistency in your categorization approach!

Wow, reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational! As someone who recently went through a similar inheritance situation, I can't stress enough how important it is to act quickly on this. I inherited my grandmother's IRA in 2021 and made the mistake of assuming I had 10 years to figure it out. Turns out she had already started RMDs, which meant I needed to continue taking annual distributions during the 10-year period. I missed two years of required distributions before realizing my error. The penalty relief process that others have mentioned really does work. I filed Form 5329 for the missed years, marked "RC" for reasonable cause, and included a letter explaining how the SECURE Act changes created confusion about the requirements. The IRS accepted my explanation and waived the penalties completely. For your letter, keep it straightforward - explain that the SECURE Act created new rules for inherited IRAs, that professional guidance was inconsistent or unavailable, and that you're now taking corrective action as soon as you understood the requirements. Include dates and reference the specific confusion around inherited IRA RMD rules. Don't let your dad's advisor's reluctance to help discourage you. Many advisors are still learning these rules themselves. The custodian route that others mentioned is definitely worth trying first - they deal with this daily and can give you the exact numbers you need.

Reading through all these responses, I'm struck by how many people are dealing with similar inherited IRA confusion. The SECURE Act really did create a perfect storm of complexity, especially for situations like yours with double-inherited accounts. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also check if your dad's IRA accounts had any beneficiary designations that might affect your situation. Sometimes when people inherit IRAs, there can be contingent beneficiaries listed that could complicate things further. Also, while everyone's focusing on the penalty relief (which is definitely important), don't forget about the tax planning aspect. Since you have until 2032 to empty both accounts, you might want to spread the distributions across multiple tax years to avoid pushing yourself into higher tax brackets. This is where a good tax professional becomes really valuable - not just for handling the penalties, but for creating a withdrawal strategy that minimizes your overall tax burden. The fact that your dad's advisor is being evasive is unfortunately common. Many advisors are overwhelmed by the SECURE Act changes and would rather punt to someone else than risk giving incorrect advice. Don't take it personally - just keep looking for someone who specializes in this area. You've got options here, and with the penalty relief available for SECURE Act confusion, this situation is definitely fixable. The key is acting soon rather than continuing to wait.