Thank you! Just looked up Form 911 and it definitely applies to my situation. Does filing this form actually speed things up significantly? And should I submit it online or take it to an IRS office in person?

Filing Form 911 can definitely accelerate resolution, especially for bank levy situations. The Taxpayer Advocate Service has authority to intervene when there's financial hardship. The fastest approach is to fax it directly to your local Taxpayer Advocate office (find the number on the IRS website), then follow up with a phone call the next day. In-person delivery to an IRS office can also work, but many offices now require appointments which could delay things. Be sure to clearly document the immediate hardship (risk of eviction, inability to buy medication, etc.) as this affects how quickly they act on your case.

Would this actually help if it's just a mix-up rather than identity theft? I think OP's issue is just the IRS confusing them with their relative, not actual fraud.

Thanks for this advice! I've already started keeping receipts but I didn't think about the school registration part. Her school still has my cousin's address listed as her home address. Should I get that changed right away or wait until the start of next semester?

Definitely get the school address updated immediately. Don't wait for next semester. This is one of the strongest pieces of documentation the IRS considers when determining where a child actually lives. While you're at it, make sure any doctor's offices, dentists, and other official records have your current address too. Also, if your sister sees any kind of therapist or counselor, having them document that she lives with you can be extremely helpful. The more official records showing she's under your care, the better position you'll be in for next year's taxes.

Good point. The post doesn't mention the sister's age. For 2024/2025 taxes, the child tax credit is only for kids under 17 at the end of the tax year. If she's older, this would be about the dependent exemption, not the child tax credit.

She's 14, so definitely eligible for the child tax credit. I should have mentioned that in my original post, sorry for the confusion! Good to know there's an age cutoff though.

Thanks for this suggestion. I did try to check my online account before calling, but it shows the same thing - no 2023 return on file, but it does show the installment payments coming out. We filed electronically through our tax preparer, and I even have the acceptance confirmation she forwarded to us. That's what makes this so confusing!

That's definitely strange that you have an electronic acceptance confirmation but the return isn't showing up in their system. This sounds like it could be a case where the return was accepted for transmission but then got flagged for some reason during processing. Since you have the acceptance confirmation, that's incredibly important evidence. Make sure to have that document number ready when you call again. You might need to request that they research the specific transmission using that acceptance code, as it proves the return was at least initially received by their system.

This happened to my sister too! Her preparer had her sign the authorization to e-file, but then never actually submitted it. She only found out when she got a failure-to-file notice. Always get that acceptance confirmation!

I'm pretty sure our preparer did file it because I have an email with the acceptance confirmation from the IRS that she forwarded to us. It has a submission ID number and everything. That's what makes this extra confusing - if the IRS accepted it, why isn't it showing up in their system now?

This is a great suggestion, thank you! Do you know if these volunteers can handle questions about investment income too? And do I need to make an appointment or can I just walk in?

Most VITA volunteers are trained to handle basic investment income like interest, dividends, and simple capital gains. They might not be able to help with very complex investment situations though. You'll definitely want to make an appointment - these services get booked up quickly during tax season. Call your local library or check their website to see when they offer tax help and how to schedule. Some places also require you to bring specific documents, so ask about that when you call.

This is solid advice. I did DoorDash last year and the biggest thing was tracking mileage - you can deduct $0.67 per mile for 2023 which adds up quick! Make sure you have some kind of mileage log if you get audited.

Thanks for bringing this up - I hadn't considered this angle. Do you know if there's some kind of threshold before someone needs to officially register as a business? My friend is really just testing the waters with occasional food sales.

There's no specific threshold for when someone needs to register as a business - that varies by state and local regulations for food service. However, for tax reporting purposes, any income earned (even from a hobby) needs to be reported regardless of business registration status. The $600 threshold is just about when payment apps are required to send 1099-K forms. Your friend should be reporting the income even below that amount, but many people don't realize this. They might want to look into a Sole Proprietorship at minimum since it's the simplest business structure and would allow them to deduct legitimate business expenses against that income.

I actually had this exact issue come up during a business audit last year. The IRS didn't care at all that some of our business meals were from non-traditional vendors (food trucks, pop-ups, farmers market vendors). What they focused on was whether we had proper documentation of the business purpose, who attended, and proof of payment.