I'm so confused about this whole thing. My daughter's college is asking for a 2024 non-filing verification, but when I called the IRS they said I can only get a letter for 2023 or earlier years right now. How can they ask for something that doesn't exist yet??? Is everyone in financial aid just confused about which tax year they actually need??

Just wanted to share another tip that helped me - if you're having trouble with the online IRS verification system, try clearing your browser cache and cookies completely, then try again. I was getting weird errors for weeks until I did this. Also, make sure you're using the exact same name format that's on your Social Security card - even small differences like "Jr." vs "Junior" can cause the system to reject your identity verification. If you're still stuck after trying all the suggestions here, consider reaching out to your local VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site. They often have direct contacts at the IRS and can sometimes help expedite these requests for students facing financial aid deadlines. Many colleges also have VITA programs right on campus during tax season. Don't give up - I know it's frustrating but there are definitely ways to get this sorted out!

Warning from someone who made an expensive mistake: Be careful about rushing into an LLC with S-Corp election just for tax savings! I did this in 2022 without really understanding all the requirements. Yes, I saved about $8k in self-employment taxes, but then got audited because my "reasonable salary" was too low compared to my distributions. Ended up owing back taxes PLUS penalties. The IRS is watching this area closely. The rule is that your salary must be "reasonable" for your industry and the work you do. You can't just pay yourself $30k and take $200k in distributions if comparable positions would pay $120k. Also, the administrative hassle is real. Quarterly payroll filings, extra tax forms, higher accountant fees, etc. For me it added about $3,200 in extra costs annually.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been running a freelance graphic design business as a sole proprietorship for 3 years now and had no idea about these different tax structures. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the S-Corp election could potentially save me money, but I'm nervous about the "reasonable salary" requirement that @Mateo Perez mentioned. My income fluctuates a lot - some months I make $15K, others I barely break $3K. For those who have made the S-Corp election, how do you handle the salary requirement when your income isn't consistent? Do you have to pay yourself the same amount every month even if the business didn't earn that much? And what happens if you guess wrong on what's "reasonable" - is there a safe harbor rule or something? Also wondering if anyone has experience with creative businesses specifically. I'm not sure what comparable salaries would be for someone doing logo design, web design, and brand identity work.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! I'm a dental hygienist who did fill-in work for about 6 months last year and just got hit with a massive tax bill that I wasn't expecting at all. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the self-employment tax being 15.3% on top of regular income tax. No wonder my bill was so high! I had no idea I'd be responsible for both the employer AND employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes. I'm definitely going to go back through my records and look for all those business expenses everyone mentioned. I bought several sets of scrubs, renewed my license, paid for continuing education, and drove to 4 different offices throughout the year. I kept most of my receipts but never thought to track mileage - lesson learned for next time! For anyone else in this boat, it sounds like the key is being really thorough about documenting legitimate business expenses on Schedule C. Even though the tax bill is still going to be substantial, every deduction helps reduce that painful self-employment tax calculation.

As someone who just went through this exact situation as a dental hygienist doing fill-in work, I completely understand your shock! The $2,000 tax bill hit me like a truck too when I first saw it. The key thing to understand is that your $9,200 from dental work isn't just subject to regular income tax - it also gets hit with self-employment tax of about 15.3% (Social Security and Medicare taxes that normally get split between you and an employer). On $9,200, that's roughly $1,300 in self-employment tax alone, plus whatever income tax applies. You definitely need to file Schedule C since you received a 1099-MISC. But here's the good news - you can reduce your tax burden by claiming legitimate business expenses. Things like: - Scrubs and uniforms (if they're specialized for dental work) - License renewal fees - Continuing education required for your license - Professional liability insurance - Mileage between different offices (not your regular commute) - Any dental tools or supplies you purchased Start gathering receipts and calculating your business mileage. Even if you don't have perfect records, you can reconstruct reasonable estimates based on your work schedule. Every deduction reduces both your income tax AND self-employment tax, so it's worth being thorough. The tax software is probably calculating correctly - it's just that nobody warned us about how self-employment taxes work! Set aside about 25-30% of any future 1099 income for taxes to avoid this surprise next year.

One thing nobody mentioned yet is that you should open a separate business checking account ASAP if you haven't already! Makes tracking business income and expenses sooooo much easier when tax time comes. I didn't do this my first year and spent like 3 full days sorting through personal bank statements to figure out what was business vs personal. Nightmare!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I can offer some reassurance! You're not automatically doomed for missing those first two quarterly payments, especially since you literally didn't know about the business when the April deadline hit. The key thing is to make your September 15th payment and make it substantial enough to cover what you should have paid earlier. Since you started in March and have made $34,500 so far, you're looking at owing both regular income tax AND self-employment tax (that 15.3% Social Security/Medicare hit that nobody warns you about). Here's what saved me: I calculated what my total tax liability would be for the year, then made my September payment large enough to get me to that 90% threshold by year-end. The IRS is surprisingly reasonable about first-year businesses as long as you show good faith effort to catch up. Also, definitely start setting aside 25-30% of every payment you receive going forward. I use a separate savings account and transfer the tax money immediately when clients pay me. Trust me, you don't want to be scrambling to find tax money next April! Your photography business sounds like it's off to a great start - don't let the tax stress overshadow that success!

570 codes often pair with 971 notice codes. Check for that too. It's usually just verification. Nothing to panic about. Most clear in 2-3 weeks. Tax Advocate Service can help if it goes longer. They prioritize financial hardship cases. Keep checking your transcript weekly. Look for the 571 release code. That's your signal that processing has resumed.

I totally understand your frustration - once you're in their "system" it really does feel like you're flagged forever! I've been dealing with similar issues since a 2017 offset situation. One thing that helped me was setting up an online IRS account if you haven't already. Sometimes notices show up there before they're mailed, and you can see additional account details that don't appear on the basic transcript. Also, with three kids in activities, I know how tight budgets can be - consider reaching out to Tax Advocate Service (taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov) if this drags on beyond 30 days. They specifically help with cases involving economic burden and have more power to expedite reviews than regular customer service. Hang in there - most 570 codes with CTC do resolve within a few weeks, especially if everything on your return is accurate.