This is a great discussion with lots of solid advice! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my property has appreciated significantly since purchase. One thing I'd add is to consider the timing of any changes. If you're relatively young and healthy, keeping the current will structure might make sense to preserve that full step-up in basis benefit. But if there are health concerns or you want to simplify things for your wife, adding her to the deed now might be worth the partial loss of step-up basis for the peace of mind. Also, don't overlook the emotional aspect - some spouses feel more secure being on the deed even if it's not the most tax-optimal choice. Sometimes the psychological benefit outweighs the tax savings, especially if we're not talking about huge amounts. The Transfer on Death deed option mentioned by Hattie sounds really appealing if your state allows it - seems like it gives you the best of both worlds. Definitely worth checking if that's available where you live.

Great thread with lots of helpful perspectives! As someone who went through this exact decision recently, I wanted to share what worked for us. We were in a very similar situation - house only in my name, significant appreciation ($280k over 6 years), and trying to figure out the best approach for my spouse. After consulting with both a tax advisor and estate attorney, we ended up keeping the current structure (house in my name, will leaving everything to spouse) for the tax benefits everyone mentioned. However, we made one key addition that gave us both peace of mind: we set up a revocable living trust and transferred the house into it. This way we get the full step-up in basis benefit when I pass away, avoid probate entirely, and my spouse has immediate access without waiting for court proceedings. The trust cost about $1,500 to set up but will likely save us tens of thousands in taxes and probate costs. Plus my spouse feels much more secure knowing she won't have to deal with legal complications during an already difficult time. One thing to definitely verify - make sure your current will is properly executed according to your state's requirements. We discovered ours had a witnessing issue that could have caused problems down the road.

One thing nobody's mentioned: check with a CPA who specializes in audit representation. I did this as a last resort and found out that professional tax preparers often have access to a dedicated IRS practitioner hotline that's WAY less busy than the public numbers. I paid my CPA for 2 hours of time ($350) to handle my audit communication, and she was able to reach my auditor on her first try through the practitioner line. Worth every penny for the stress reduction alone!

I'm dealing with a similar situation with my 2019 audit that's been dragging on for over a year. The phone disconnections are absolutely maddening - I've had it happen 6 times now after waiting 45+ minutes each time. One thing that helped me was finding the "Collections" number (800-829-7650) which sometimes has shorter wait times, and they can often see your audit status even if they can't resolve it directly. When I explained my situation, they were able to confirm that my case was indeed assigned to a specific auditor and gave me some internal reference numbers to use when calling back. Also, I discovered that calling first thing Monday morning (like 7 AM) seems to have better success rates - I think fewer people are calling then. Still took 25 minutes on hold, but at least I didn't get disconnected. Has anyone had success with the "Where's My Amended Return" tool online? I'm wondering if audit status shows up there too, or if it's completely separate from regular return processing. The whole system is so broken - we shouldn't have to use third-party services or wait literal hours just to talk to someone about our own tax situation!

Is anyone else having issues with Keeper this year? My experience has been a nightmare. Not only did it miscalculate my self-employment tax initially, but the customer service has been unresponsive for days.

I had a similar experience with Keeper this year too! The calculation seemed off and when I tried to get help, their chat support kept giving me generic responses that didn't address my specific question. What really frustrated me was that they charged my card for the filing fee before I could even review everything properly. I ended up double-checking all my numbers manually and found a few errors in how they categorized some of my business expenses. Definitely considering other options for next year - this level of service isn't worth the cost.

I've been through a similar situation with an old tax debt and want to share what I learned about calculating CSED from transcripts. The key thing to understand is that your transcript will show transaction codes that tell the story of your debt timeline. Look for these specific codes on your transcript: - Code 150: This is your original assessment date - your 10-year clock starts here - Code 520/521: Suspension start/end (as others mentioned) - Code 340: Installment agreement established - Code 341: Installment agreement terminated - Code 420: Examination (audit) started - Code 421: Examination closed Each suspension period gets added to your original 10 years. So if you had a 6-month installment agreement, your CSED becomes 10 years and 6 months from the assessment date. One thing I didn't see mentioned yet - if you moved out of the country for any extended period, that can also suspend the collection statute. The IRS can't effectively collect while you're living abroad, so that time doesn't count toward your 10 years either. Since you mentioned not hearing from the IRS in years, there's a good chance your CSED might actually be approaching or may have already passed. But given how complex these calculations can be with all the potential extensions, I'd definitely recommend getting a definitive answer rather than guessing.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation from 2012 and had no idea about all these different codes on transcripts. @Vanessa Chang, thank you for that comprehensive breakdown of the transaction codes - that's exactly what I needed to understand what I'm looking at. One question I have: if the IRS accepted an Offer in Compromise that was later withdrawn or rejected, does that time still count as a suspension period? I think I see some codes on my transcript related to an OIC I submitted years ago that didn't go through, but I'm not sure if that affected my CSED calculation. Also, for anyone still trying to figure this out - I noticed that some transcripts don't show all the historical data if you're only looking at certain types of transcripts. Make sure you're getting your "Account Transcript" rather than just a "Tax Return Transcript" because the account version shows all the collection activity and suspension periods.

Have you considered going to your local Taxpayer Assistance Center instead of calling? I had a similar issue last year after my separation and spent hours preparing for a phone call that never connected. I finally made an appointment at my local TAC (you have to call 844-545-5640 to schedule), brought all my documentation (divorce decree, previous tax returns, ID, etc.), and got everything resolved in one 30-minute visit. Just make sure you ask what documents to bring when you schedule. Do you know what specific questions you need answered about your filing status?

I went through this exact situation two years ago and want to share what worked for me. The in-person route that Omar mentioned is honestly your best bet if you have a TAC nearby. I tried calling for weeks with no success, but the TAC appointment got everything sorted in one visit. For your specific situation with a divorce finalized last month, you'll definitely want to bring: your final divorce decree, your 2023 tax return if already filed, your ex-spouse's SSN (if you have it), and any documentation about custody arrangements if you have kids. The agent will walk you through whether you should file as Single, Head of Household, or if you need to amend anything. Much less stressful than the phone marathon!