I recommend using taxr.ai for this situation. It analyzes tax transcripts. Shows offset indicators early. Helped me identify a pending offset last year. Saved me from counting on money that wasn't coming. The system flags specific codes that indicate offset processing. Worth checking out at https://taxr.ai if you're concerned.

Oh my goodness, I went through this exact nightmare last tax season! The key thing to understand is that offsets happen BEFORE your refund is issued, not after. I found out I had an offset 9 days after my return was accepted, but the WMR tool was still showing "processing" for weeks after that! The BFS (Bureau of Fiscal Service) handles offsets separately from regular IRS processing. If you're really worried, don't wait - call that TOP number others mentioned right away. And definitely don't count on getting your full refund until you've confirmed there's no offset!

Has anyone successfully gotten Meta to actually issue a corrected 1099-MISC? I'm in the same boat (reported $3400 when I maybe sold $750 worth of stuff), but I've been told by my tax preparer that companies rarely issue corrections for small amounts.

I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a 1099-MISC from Meta showing $1,850 when I only sold maybe $400 worth of old electronics and clothes. What's really frustrating is that I kept all my transactions in cash specifically to avoid any payment processing complications. Has anyone had success disputing these directly with the IRS instead of trying to get Meta to fix it? I've read that you can attach a statement to your return explaining the discrepancy, but I'm worried about triggering an audit. My tax preparer suggested just reporting the full amount and taking deductions for my cost basis, but that seems like I'm admitting to income I never actually received. Also, for those who got corrected forms - how long did the whole process take? I'm already cutting it close to the filing deadline and don't want to request an extension if I don't have to.

Anyone ever use H&R Block's audit protection? I'm wondering if it's worth adding to my return this year. Had a friend who got audited last year and it sounded like a nightmare.

As someone who was in your exact shoes two years ago, I'd recommend starting with H&R Block's online software first - it's way cheaper than the office visit and you can always upgrade to get help from a tax pro if you get stuck. For your situation with W-2 plus side gig income, their Deluxe version should handle everything you need. The key thing about that $2,400 side income - you absolutely need to report it even without tax forms. The IRS considers any income over $400 from self-employment taxable. You'll need to file a Schedule C, but don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds. Pro tip: If you made any purchases for that side work (gas, supplies, phone bills, etc.), keep track of those as they're likely deductible business expenses that can reduce what you owe. Even if your records aren't perfect, estimate what you can reasonably justify. H&R Block's online version has pretty good guidance for first-timers, and if you get overwhelmed, you can always have one of their pros review your work before filing. Way better than jumping straight into the expensive office visit when you might not even need it!

Has anyone tried those Tax Court petition templates you can buy online? I got a 90-day letter for my S-Corp and I'm trying to figure out if those templates are worth the money or if I should just try to write it myself.

I went through something very similar about 18 months ago. After getting my 90-day letter, I was torn between trying to negotiate further or just paying the disputed amount to avoid the stress. Here's what I learned: The 90-day deadline is absolutely critical - don't let it pass thinking you can work things out later. Even if you decide to pursue Appeals, file that Tax Court petition as a backup. It only costs $60 and preserves all your rights. I ended up doing both - filed the petition and then immediately called the number on my notice asking for Appeals. The Appeals Officer was much more reasonable than the original auditor and actually listened to my arguments about business expense categorization. We settled for about 60% of what they originally wanted. One thing that really helped was organizing my documentation differently than I had during the audit. Instead of just providing receipts, I created a spreadsheet showing how each expense tied to specific business activities with dates and business purposes. Appeals seemed to appreciate the clear presentation. The whole process took about 4 months from filing the petition to final settlement, but it was worth fighting for that $6,000+ reduction. Don't give up just because you got the 90-day letter - it's actually a new opportunity to present your case to fresh eyes.

Hey Keisha! I see you're dealing with a "Return Not Present" message - this is actually pretty common early in the filing season. It basically means the IRS hasn't fully processed your return yet, even though you filed it. The blank fields for AGI, taxable income, etc. will populate once they finish processing. The 570 code you mentioned usually appears as a temporary hold while they review something (could be identity verification, income matching, or just routine processing). Since you filed jointly and everything shows zero balances with no actual transaction codes listed, I'd give it another week or two before worrying. The IRS is still catching up from the filing season rush. Keep checking your transcript every few days - once processing completes, you'll see all your return info populate and hopefully a 846 refund code! 🤞

Hey Keisha! I totally get your confusion - IRS transcripts are like trying to decode a secret language sometimes! 😅 The "Return Not Present" message you're seeing is actually pretty normal this time of year. It just means the IRS received your return but hasn't finished processing it yet. All those blank fields (AGI, taxable income, etc.) will fill in once they complete processing. Since you filed married filing jointly and everything shows zero balances, it looks like they just haven't gotten to your return yet. The 570 code you mentioned is typically a hold code that appears while they're reviewing something - could be routine identity verification or income matching. I'd give it another week or two and keep checking your transcript. Once processing is done, you should see all your return details populate and hopefully that sweet 846 refund code! Don't stress too much - this happens to tons of people every filing season. 💪