DONT WAIT FOR THE LETTER!!! Go ahead and verify online, you'll get your refund way faster. I waited for the letter like a 🤡 and it took forever

Been through this process twice now and here's what I wish I knew: make sure you have ALL your 2024 documents ready before starting. The system will timeout if you take too long uploading stuff. Also, if you're married filing jointly, BOTH spouses need to verify separately which they don't really tell you upfront. Save yourself the headache and do it all in one sitting!

Does anyone know if the financial institution you transfer the inherited 401k to matters? I've heard some places handle stretch IRAs better than others since the SECURE Act changes. I'm in a similar situation where I qualify as an eligible designated beneficiary (I'm disabled) but worried about choosing the right place to transfer my late husband's 401k.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation and wanted to share what I learned from my estate attorney. Since you're older than the original 401k owner, you definitely qualify as an "eligible designated beneficiary" under the SECURE Act exception for individuals not more than 10 years younger than the decedent. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure when you do the rollover that it's titled correctly as an "inherited IRA" with both your name and the deceased's name (something like "Kaitlyn Otto as beneficiary of [deceased's name] IRA"). This is crucial for maintaining the tax-deferred status and ensuring you can take the stretch distributions properly. Also, since the original owner passed in 2022, you should have already started taking RMDs by December 31, 2023. If you missed that deadline, you may need to file Form 5329 to request a waiver of the 50% penalty, but the IRS has been more lenient with inherited account penalties during the transition period after the SECURE Act. I'd strongly recommend getting everything documented before you approach the financial institution, because as others have mentioned, many of them are still learning these rules themselves.

Don't wait for transcript updates - call the IRS verification hotline directly at 800-830-5084 to confirm your verification was processed correctly. Sometimes the online system doesn't sync properly, and you can lose weeks waiting for something that's stuck. Ask specifically if there are any other holds on your account besides the identity verification. If they say it's clear, request they expedite the release of your refund due to financial hardship if that applies to you.

I went through this exact process about 3 weeks ago and can share my timeline. After ID.me verification, it took exactly 9 business days for my transcript to show any movement. The key thing I learned is that the IRS systems update overnight, typically between 12am-6am EST, so checking first thing in the morning is most productive. One thing that helped me track progress was setting up IRS account notifications - they'll email you when there are transcript updates instead of you having to check manually every day. Also, don't panic if you see a 570 code appear first - that's actually a good sign that your verification went through and they're now processing your return. The 571 code (hold release) usually follows within 3-5 business days after that. My advice: check Wednesday and Friday mornings like Maya suggested, but don't stress about daily checking. The system will update when it updates, and constantly refreshing won't speed it up!

Protip: Stop checking WMR its garbage. Transcripts are the source of truth for everything tax related

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same thing last year! The 846 code is definitely what you want to see - that's the IRS saying "we're sending your money." WMR is notorious for being slow to update and honestly kind of unreliable. I've seen people get their refunds while WMR still showed "accepted" for days afterward. Trust your transcript over WMR every time!

Just wanna say that the accountant should pay for this mess if they screwed up! If they submitted incorrect forms or calculations, they should at least help fix it for free or compensate for any penalties. Accountants carry professional liability insurance for exactly this reason. Don't let them off the hook if they made a serious error that's costing your parents $135k!

This is a really complex situation, and I feel for your parents dealing with such a massive assessment. Based on what you've described, there are definitely red flags with how this was handled. The single 709 form issue you mentioned is huge - when couples elect gift splitting for life estate transfers, each spouse absolutely needs to file their own Form 709 with proper consent elections. This isn't optional. A few immediate steps I'd recommend: 1) Don't wait to respond - CP105 notices typically have 30-day deadlines 2) Get the exact language from the notice about what the IRS thinks was miscalculated 3) Gather all documentation about the original property purchase, current appraisal, and the life estate deed 4) Find out what actuarial factors and interest rates were used in the original calculation Life estate valuations are incredibly technical and use specific IRS tables that change regularly. The $220k increase in property value isn't necessarily the taxable gift amount - it depends on your parents' ages, current interest rates, and whether they properly retained life estate rights. Given the amount involved, I'd strongly suggest getting a second opinion from an estate planning attorney who specializes in gift tax, not just another accountant. This is way too much money to leave to chance, and the original accountant clearly made some serious errors.