I've found that calling SBTPG right at 10am CT (when they open) gives you the best chance of shorter hold times. After 11am, you're looking at 45+ minute waits easily. Also, if you're an independent contractor like the original poster, you might want to check if your tax software offers any expedited refund tracking services - some of them have direct lines to SBTPG that can bypass the general customer service queue. Worth asking your tax preparer about it since you need the funds for quarterly payments.

As someone who's dealt with SBTPG delays multiple times, I'd recommend calling them at exactly 10am CT when they open - that's your best shot at getting through without a massive hold time. But honestly, three days isn't that unusual for them, especially during tax season. Since you're an independent contractor needing funds for quarterly payments, you might also want to check if your tax software (TurboTax, etc.) has a priority support line that can contact SBTPG on your behalf - sometimes they have backdoor channels that regular customers don't know about. Also worth logging into the SBTPG portal to screenshot your current status in case you need to reference specific details when you do get through to an agent.

I think everyone's missing an important point - if you received more than $600 from this company, they are REQUIRED BY LAW to provide a correct 1099-MISC with their TIN. You should report them to the IRS for non-compliance. There's actually a form specifically for this: Form 3949-A.

I went through this exact situation last year with a startup that issued me a 1099-MISC missing their EIN. Here's what worked for me: 1. First, I sent a formal email to their accounting department (and cc'd the CEO) explaining the issue and requesting a corrected form within 10 business days. I kept it professional but firm. 2. When they didn't respond initially, I sent a follow-up certified mail letter with the same request. This got their attention because certified mail creates a paper trail they can't ignore. 3. While waiting for their response, I went ahead and filed my taxes using the information I had. I reported the full $3,750 income on Schedule C and included a note in my records about the missing TIN and my attempts to obtain it. 4. The company eventually sent a corrected 1099-MISC about 3 weeks later, but by then I'd already filed successfully. The key is documenting every attempt you make to contact them - save emails, note phone call dates/times, and keep copies of any letters. The IRS understands that sometimes payers make mistakes, and as long as you report the income accurately and show good faith efforts to get complete documentation, you're in the clear. Don't let this delay your filing - you can always provide additional documentation later if the IRS requests it.

Good catch on finding that meal plan deduction! That's a perfect example of why it's so important to go through every line item on your paystub. Many restaurants have automatic enrollments for things like meal programs, uniform cleaning services, or even employee discounts that get deducted from your check. For the remaining tax withholding difference, definitely bring up that filing status issue with payroll - switching from "single" to "head of household" should make a noticeable difference in your take-home pay. Also ask them to walk you through exactly how they're calculating withholding on your tip income, since that seems to be where a lot of the confusion is coming from. It's frustrating when employers don't clearly explain these things during onboarding, but at least you're catching it early and can get it fixed going forward!

This is exactly why I always recommend new employees request a detailed explanation of their first paystub before accepting it! Between the filing status mixup (single vs head of household), the surprise meal plan deduction, and the tip income withholding calculations, there were multiple issues that could have been caught earlier. For anyone else starting a new service job - ask HR to walk you through a sample paystub breakdown during your onboarding. Ask specifically about automatic deductions, how they handle tip income for tax purposes, and double-check that your W-4 accurately reflects your filing status. It's much easier to fix these things before you receive your first check than after. @ea5bda5990dd - definitely push for that corrected paycheck once you get the W-4 updated and the meal plan removed. You shouldn't have to wait until next year's tax refund to get back money that was incorrectly withheld due to their administrative oversights.

This is a really nuanced decision that depends heavily on your specific financial situation. I've been through a similar analysis with my manufacturing business, and one thing I'd add is to consider the cash flow implications beyond just the tax benefits. When you personally purchase the equipment, you're tying up your personal capital (or taking on personal debt) that could be used elsewhere. The S-Corp lease payments become a fixed monthly expense, which can actually help with budgeting and cash flow management for the business. Also worth noting - if your S-Corp ever needs additional financing, having the equipment owned personally can sometimes complicate loan applications since the collateral isn't owned by the borrowing entity. Some lenders prefer when the business owns its core operational assets. Before making this decision, I'd strongly recommend running actual numbers on both scenarios using your projected income, tax brackets, and the specific equipment costs. The "best" choice really varies based on your personal vs. business tax situations, how long you plan to keep the equipment, and your overall financial goals.

I've been following this discussion and wanted to share my experience from the lender's perspective, since I work in commercial lending. James raises an excellent point about financing complications that people often overlook. When evaluating loan applications, we generally prefer when businesses own their core operational assets because it strengthens the company's balance sheet and provides clearer collateral. Personal ownership of business-critical equipment can create several issues: 1. The personal guarantor's debt-to-income ratio gets impacted by the equipment financing, which can limit their borrowing capacity 2. Cross-collateralization becomes more complex when assets are split between personal and business ownership 3. If the business fails, there's no automatic way for us to claim equipment that's personally owned (even though it's used in the business) That said, it's not a deal-breaker - just adds complexity. We've worked with plenty of clients who have this arrangement, but they often need higher down payments or additional collateral to offset the increased risk. My advice would be to factor in your future capital needs when making this decision. If you're planning to expand or may need equipment financing down the road, keeping everything under the S-Corp might be the cleaner approach, even if it's not optimal from a pure tax perspective.

11 This might be a response to increased IRS scrutiny of tax preparers. My sister works at a tax firm and they recently implemented stricter documentation policies because they got audited. But they told clients about the policy change well in advance and explained exactly which regulation they were complying with. Your preparer's approach sounds suspicious - why wait until months after tax season? And why not explain the specific requirement?

5 I've been a client at my tax firm for over 20 years and they did something similar last year, but it was because they were implementing new security protocols after a data breach at another office in their network. They clearly explained this was for enhanced security and gave us multiple secure options for providing the information (secure portal, in-person verification, etc). The vague explanation you received is what concerns me most.