Did you check if there were any math errors on your return? Sometimes even small calculation mistakes can cause ITIN returns to get flagged for manual review. Also, did you claim any tax credits like the Child Tax Credit or Education credits? Those often trigger additional verification for ITIN filers.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed my ITIN return in March and still waiting after 6+ months. What's really frustrating is that this is my second year filing with an ITIN, and last year I got my refund in just 10 weeks. Based on all the helpful advice in this thread, I'm going to try a combination approach: first use one of those services like taxr.ai to check if there are any issues with my return that might be causing the delay, and if that doesn't reveal anything obvious, I'll try Claimyr to actually get through to someone at the IRS. The math error suggestion is also really good - I'm going to double-check all my calculations because I did claim the Child Tax Credit this year, which I didn't claim last year. That might explain why this year is taking so much longer. Has anyone noticed if certain tax prep software is better for ITIN returns? I used TurboTax this year but I'm wondering if some programs are better at flagging potential issues before you submit.

As someone who's worked for a tax resolution firm, here's a tip: When you send your response, write "RECEIVED [date you got it]" in big letters at the top of their original notice and include a photocopy. Also include the envelope showing the postmark if you still have it. The IRS tracking systems don't automatically adjust for mail delays, but the employees reviewing your case can. Making the late receipt date super obvious helps ensure that info gets entered into their system.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - living in Canada and just received an IRS notice that's 6 weeks past the response deadline! Reading through all these responses has been really reassuring. One thing I want to add is that when you call the IRS international line, ask them specifically about Form 911 (Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance). If you're experiencing significant hardship due to the mail delays and can't resolve the issue through normal channels, the Taxpayer Advocate Service can intervene on your behalf. They have special authority to work with international taxpayers facing these kinds of systemic issues. Also, I've found that including a brief timeline in your response letter helps - something like "Notice dated [X], postmarked [Y], received [Z]" makes it crystal clear to whoever reviews your case that this was a mail delay issue, not procrastination on your part. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made this whole situation feel much more manageable!

Just be careful with DIY approaches if you have any complexity in your situation. I tried to file my own back taxes and accidentally missed a form, which resulted in the IRS sending me a terrifying letter 6 months later demanding additional money. If you're ONLY dealing with W-2 income and taking the standard deduction, you're probably fine doing it yourself. Otherwise, it might be worth investing in professional help.

As someone who works in tax preparation, I'd strongly recommend starting with the IRS website to download the prior year forms for free. For 2019, you'll need Form 1040 and the instructions are actually pretty straightforward for W-2 only income. A few key points that haven't been mentioned: First, make sure you have ALL your W-2s from each year - employers are required to keep copies for 4 years, so you can request duplicates if needed. Second, if you're expecting refunds (which is likely if you had standard withholding), there are no late filing penalties, but you do need to file 2019 by April 15th of this year to claim that refund. Before paying anyone $200 per return, try filling out one year yourself first. If it's truly just W-2 income with standard deduction, it's much simpler than you think. The IRS also has a helpline specifically for prior year returns at 1-800-829-1040 if you get stuck on specific questions. You can always pay for professional help later if you run into complications, but start with the free options first!

I think everyone's missing a huge tax planning opportunity here. Rather than just prepaying tuition, consider setting up an Educational Assistance Program (EAP) within your S-Corp. Under Section 127, you can provide up to $5,250 per year in tax-free educational benefits to employees (including yourself as an employee of your S-Corp). The corporation gets the deduction, and you don't have to recognize the tuition payment as income. You'd need to: 1) Create a written plan document 2) Provide reasonable notification to employees (just you) 3) Not discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees (not relevant for single-employee corps) 4) Not provide more than 5% of benefits to shareholders or owners (tricky for single-member corps) For the amount above $5,250, you'd need to justify it as a business expense as others have mentioned. This approach gives you guaranteed deductibility for at least the first $5,250.

Great discussion here! As someone who recently went through a similar conversion with my S-Corp, I want to add a few practical points that might help. For your Wave accounting conversion, you'll want to run a "Section 481(a) adjustment" calculation to account for the timing differences between accrual and cash basis. This ensures you don't double-count income or miss deductions during the transition year. Most accounting software doesn't handle this automatically, so you might need to calculate it manually or work with a CPA. Regarding the MBA tuition prepayment, I'd strongly recommend getting a determination letter from the IRS before making such a large prepayment. While the 12-month rule generally applies, there are specific exceptions for educational expenses, and the IRS has been scrutinizing these more closely for S-Corps where the owner is the primary beneficiary. One thing that really helped me was creating a detailed cash flow projection showing the tax impact of the conversion. This helped me time certain payments optimally - for instance, I delayed some equipment purchases until after the conversion to maximize the cash basis benefit. Also, don't forget about state tax implications! Some states have different rules for accounting method changes, and you might need to file separate forms at the state level even if the federal change is automatic.

Here's a creative (and legal) workaround I learned from my accountant: If the gift basket includes food items that are consumed in the office setting as part of a business discussion, you may be able to classify it as a business meal expense rather than a gift. Business meals are currently 50% deductible (or 100% for restaurant-provided meals in 2023), which is much better than the $25 gift limit.

Don't forget that gift cards and cash equivalents NEVER count as gifts for tax purposes regardless of the amount. They're considered compensation and require different tax treatment. I learned this the hard way after sending $25 Amazon gift cards to each person at a client's office and trying to deduct them as gifts.