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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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Last year I had this same issue and finally figured out it was because I had ad blockers on my browser! Turned them off, cleared cache, logged back in and boom—certificate appeared. Might be worth trying.
Thank you! This actually worked for me. I disabled uBlock Origin, cleared my cache, and logged back in. My certificate was there waiting in the "Completed Certifications" section. I feel kinda dumb now but also relieved. Guess I'll have to remember this for next year too!
Glad it worked for you! I spent days trying to figure it out last year before a VITA coordinator told me about this trick. They really should mention this somewhere in their instructions. Also, don't feel dumb - their system should be designed to work regardless of common browser extensions.
Has anyone had issues with the certificate showing up but with incorrect information? Mine finally appeared but has my name spelled wrong and shows the wrong exam date.
Check if you can edit your profile info in the VITA portal. I had a similar issue and discovered my own profile had my name misspelled somehow. After fixing it, I had to request a new certificate, but they sent a corrected one within 48 hours.
Thanks for the suggestion. Just checked my profile and you're right - somehow my last name was entered incorrectly (no idea how that happened). Fixed it and submitted a help ticket requesting a corrected certificate. Hopefully it won't take too long!
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Quick clarification for everyone - Schedule 1 "other income" (line 8) is for income that doesn't fit elsewhere on your tax return. Common examples include: - Jury duty pay - Gambling winnings - Prizes and awards - Hobby income - Canceled debts - Alaska Permanent Fund dividends Tips are considered wages and should NOT be included in "other income" regardless of whether they were reported to your employer or not. Unreported tips go on Form 4137, but they're still considered part of your wage income.
What about income from selling stuff on eBay or Facebook Marketplace? Does that count as "other income" on Schedule 1?
It depends on whether you're selling items as a business or just occasionally selling personal items. If you're regularly buying things to resell for profit, that's considered business income and should go on Schedule C, not as "other income" on Schedule 1. If you're just occasionally selling personal belongings (like cleaning out your closet), and selling them for less than you paid originally, you generally don't need to report it at all since there's no gain.
Anyone know if DoorDash/UberEats delivery tips count as regular tips for tax purposes? My brother said I need a different form for those...
DoorDash/UberEats delivery people are considered independent contractors, not employees. Your tips are part of your self-employment income and should be reported on Schedule C along with your other earnings from these platforms. You don't use Form 4137 for these types of tips.
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One thing to consider - the CPA exam itself is BRUTAL. I failed FAR twice before passing. If you didn't major in accounting, you might need to spend extra time on exam prep. I'd recommend starting the study process while you're still completing your educational requirements.
Which review course did you use? I'm trying to decide between Becker, Roger CPA, and Wiley.
Just wanted to add that I'm a CPA who came from a biology background! It took me about 2.5 years to complete all the requirements while working full time. The online route is totally doable. I took courses through my state university's online program and a community college. Don't get discouraged when the courses get tough - accounting builds on itself, so the beginning is always the hardest part for career changers. By the time you're in intermediate accounting, you'll have a solid foundation!
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I went through almost this exact situation at a dermatology clinic last year! Controlled schedule, on-site work, using their equipment, yet they wanted to classify me as an independent contractor. Here's what I learned: 1. Don't fill out that W-9 if you believe you're an employee. You can provide a written statement explaining why you believe you're misclassified instead. 2. The SS-8 form is exactly what you need. It asks detailed questions about your work arrangement so the IRS can make a determination. 3. Document EVERYTHING. Save all communications, work schedules, evidence of supervision, etc. 4. If they've already paid you, you'll need to report that income regardless. But you can file Form 8919 with your taxes to pay only the employee portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. My former employer was furious when they got contacted by the IRS, but ultimately the determination came back that I was indeed an employee. They had to pay their portion of employment taxes plus penalties. It took about 7 months for the whole process.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Did you have any issues with the employer retaliating against you? I'm worried about using them as a reference for future jobs if I file an SS-8.
That's a valid concern. I did face some initial hostility - they definitely knew I was the one who filed the SS-8, and I received a pretty nasty email about it. However, I was fortunate that I had already secured another position and didn't need them as a reference. If you're concerned about references, I recommend lining up alternative references from colleagues or supervisors who might be sympathetic to your situation. Also, many employers now only confirm dates of employment rather than providing detailed references due to liability concerns. Another option is to be proactive and have a calm, professional conversation with your former employer explaining that you're simply trying to ensure your taxes are filed correctly. Sometimes approaching it from a "I need to make sure I'm doing this right" angle rather than an accusatory one can help maintain the relationship. That said, some employers will still be upset regardless of how you approach it.
Hey, just a heads up - my wife is an accountant and says you should request a copy of your Homebase time records ASAP before they potentially "disappear." Those records are gold for proving you were treated as an employee. One of her clients was in a similar situation and getting those timekeeping records was crucial to their successful misclassification case. Also, her firm sees these cases all the time and they've had great success with the SS-8 process. The typical turnaround time is 6-8 months for a determination, but it's absolutely worth doing. From what you've described, this is pretty much a textbook case of misclassification. One last thing - don't worry too much about the SSN issue. Your employer already has your SSN if you worked there, and filing the SS-8 doesn't create additional risk. If anything, having an open case with the IRS might actually provide some protection because they'll be more aware if something suspicious happens with your tax records.
Is there a time limit for filing the SS-8? I had something similar happen 2 years ago but never did anything about it.
Amara Torres
Something to consider that hasn't been mentioned yet - check if you qualify for any Section 195 startup expense treatment for some of those early LLC costs. Even if the LLC itself wasn't brand new, certain expansion activities might qualify. Also, did you have any personal guarantees on business debt during the LLC period? Sometimes there are loss opportunities related to at-risk rules that can offset some of the pass-through income.
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Alicia Stern
•Thanks for these suggestions! We didn't have the LLC for long (formed it about 4 months before converting to C-Corp), so the startup expense angle might be relevant. And yes, we did personally guarantee a business line of credit during the LLC period. How would the at-risk rules potentially help in this situation?
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Amara Torres
•Since your LLC was relatively new, you might be able to classify more expenses as Section 195 startup costs. This allows you to deduct up to $5,000 in the first year (subject to phase-out rules) and amortize the rest over 15 years. While not a complete solution to your problem, it could reduce the immediate tax hit. Regarding the personally guaranteed business debt - the at-risk rules essentially allow you to claim losses up to the amount you have "at risk" in the business. With a personal guarantee on business debt, you may have increased your at-risk amount, potentially allowing you to claim more losses against other income. This is complex territory though, so definitely have your tax advisor look specifically at your at-risk basis during the LLC period.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
Have you considered whether any of the LLC income might qualify for the Section 199A deduction? If so, you could potentially get a 20% deduction on the qualified business income that's passing through to your personal return. Also, if your C-Corp is doing R&D, you might be able to claim some R&D credits at the LLC level if any of that work started before the conversion. Those credits could help offset some of the personal tax liability.
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Mason Kaczka
•Doesn't the 199A deduction have income limitations though? If they made $675k in just two months as an LLC, I'm guessing they're well above the phase-out thresholds.
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