ppl telling u its normal are right but also ur basically giving the govt free money if u overwithhold. i always claim the max allowances possible so i get more $$ in each check, then i just save a bit each month for tax time. end up ahead since that money can work for me all year instead of sitting with the irs lol

Hey Freya! Congrats on the new job! What you're seeing is totally normal and honestly, you made a smart choice for your first time dealing with withholding. When you marked single with 0 allowances (or left everything blank on the new W-4), you chose the most conservative approach - which is perfect when you're unsure. That ~$100 is likely covering federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and possibly state taxes. The good news is that since you just started working partway through the year, you'll probably get a nice refund next April because the withholding calculations assume you'll earn that salary for the full year. My advice? Keep it exactly as is for your first year. You'll sleep better knowing you won't owe anything, and any refund you get is just a bonus. Once you file your first tax return and see how it all works out, then you can decide if you want to adjust your withholding for the following year. You're doing great!

I've been lurking here for a while and finally decided to create an account after reading all these helpful tips! I'm dealing with a really frustrating situation where the IRS says I didn't file my 2023 return, but I definitely did (electronically through TurboTax and have the confirmation). I've been trying to reach someone for weeks to get this sorted out before they start charging penalties. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like I should try the menu navigation trick that Omar mentioned rather than just hitting "0" repeatedly like I've been doing. Has anyone else dealt with this specific issue where the IRS claims they never received your electronically filed return? I'm worried this might be a bigger problem that needs the Taxpayer Advocate Service, but I want to try the regular channels first. Also really appreciate everyone sharing these alternative methods - I had no idea about services like Claimyr or taxr.ai existing. The IRS phone system is seriously broken if people need to find workarounds like this just to speak to a human!

Welcome to the community, Dylan! I've dealt with this exact same issue before - the IRS claimed they never received my 2022 return even though I had electronic filing confirmation from FreeTaxUSA. It's incredibly stressful when you know you did everything right but their system shows otherwise. Here's what worked for me: When you call using Omar's menu navigation method, specifically ask to speak with someone in the "Electronic Filing department" or mention that you need to trace an electronically filed return. Have your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) from your prior year return ready too - they often use that to verify your identity along with the confirmation number. In my case, it turned out there was a processing backlog that caused returns to not show up in their main system for weeks, even though they were received. The agent was able to locate my return in a separate processing queue and confirm it was filed on time. If you continue having trouble after trying the phone methods, don't hesitate to contact your congressman's office like others mentioned. Missing electronic returns that could result in penalties are exactly the type of issue their constituent services help with, and it really does get results fast!

Have you tried checking if your issue can be resolved online first? The IRS has actually improved their online services quite a bit. 😅 I was dreading calling them about my payment plan, but ended up being able to set everything up through the online payment agreement tool without speaking to anyone. Saved me hours of hold music torture!

I've had success with the Practitioner Priority Line (866-860-4259) even though I'm not a tax professional - they sometimes route individual taxpayers through if you explain your situation clearly. Also, try calling right at 7:00 AM EST when they open, not 7:30 or later. I got through in 22 minutes last Tuesday using this approach. The key is persistence and timing - I know it's frustrating but don't give up!

Just a warning - if they do reimburse you for a portion of your rent, make absolutely sure they set it up properly. My company tried to do this last year and messed it up. They gave me rent reimbursements but didnt document it as an accountable plan. At tax time, I found out they had added all those "reimbursements" to my W-2 as income! I ended up paying taxes on money that was supposed to just be covering my expenses. Double check how it shows up on your paystubs!

This is such great advice from everyone! As someone who went through this exact transition last year when our office closed, I can confirm that getting the accountable plan set up correctly is crucial. One thing to add - since you mentioned you're at a tiny company with just 5 total people, your bosses might actually appreciate you bringing this up. Small business owners often aren't familiar with accountable plan rules, and setting this up properly can save them money too (no employment taxes on the reimbursements vs. having to pay FICA on stipends). For your specific situation with the desk in your living room corner, I'd suggest being conservative with the percentage calculations. The IRS looks for "regular and exclusive use" for business, so focus on documenting things like your internet usage during work hours, any office supplies you buy, maybe a portion of utilities if you're running equipment all day. Keep it reasonable and well-documented. Also, since you swap custody years with your ex, just make sure any home office stuff doesn't accidentally complicate that arrangement if you end up needing to track square footage or anything like that. But honestly, with proper accountable plan reimbursements, it shouldn't affect your personal tax return at all.

Has anyone had success getting this resolved online? I hate making phone calls 😖

I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago! Don't stress too much - it's actually pretty straightforward once you get through to someone. Just make sure you call from the phone number that's on file with the IRS, and have your Social Security card handy too. They might ask for details about previous addresses or family members. The wait times can be brutal though, so definitely try calling first thing in the morning around 7 AM when they open - that's when I had the most luck getting through quickly.