Has anyone successfully gotten the IRS to waive penalties for late 941 filings? I'm in a similar position but afraid of getting hit with thousands in penalties even though we paid everything on time.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My small business also used QuickBooks for payroll and tax payments, but somehow we missed filing several 941 forms in 2022. I just got an IRS notice last week showing discrepancies between our W-2s and what they have on file for quarterly returns. One thing I learned from calling the IRS Business Tax Line is that they have a specific department for employment tax issues (different from individual tax problems). The representative told me that as long as you can show you made the payments on time through EFTPS or QuickBooks, they're usually willing to work with you on penalty abatement. She also mentioned that many small businesses run into this exact issue when winding down operations - the focus shifts to closing everything up and sometimes the quarterly filings get overlooked even though the payments continue automatically. I'm planning to gather all my QuickBooks payment confirmations and file the missing quarters this week. The IRS gave me 30 days to respond to their notice, but they said filing sooner rather than later shows good faith compliance.

Just to clarify for everyone - the PATH Act only applies to returns claiming EITC or ACTC. If you're not claiming either of those credits, you're not actually under a PATH hold even if WMR shows that message. It's just their generic processing message they use for everyone during busy periods. Are you claiming either of those credits? That would explain why you're seeing the PATH message specifically.

Thank you so much for posting this! I've been checking WMR obsessively for the past two weeks and driving myself crazy. Just checked my transcript after reading your post and sure enough - there's my DDD for 3/31! The WMR tool still shows "Your tax return is being processed" with no mention of when I might get my refund. This is such a relief because I was starting to think something went wrong with my return. Really appreciate you taking the time to share this tip - it's going to save a lot of people unnecessary stress during an already stressful time.

Just got my audit notice too 😰 They're asking for detailed records of fuel purchases, business use logs, and proof of qualified activities. The letter mentions they're specifically targeting 8849 forms from 2022 due to "compliance concerns." Anyone know if there's a standard response template or should I just gather everything and send it in?

Same here - got the audit letter last week and I'm honestly terrified. I run a small landscaping business and claimed fuel credits for our equipment, but my record keeping wasn't the greatest in 2022. Does anyone know if they accept reconstructed records if you can prove the business expenses through bank statements and invoices? I have most of my fuel receipts but some are faded or missing completely. Really kicking myself for not being more organized 😣

Anyone else feel like we're living in a dystopian novel where the government just... doesn't work? 🤔

I'm in the exact same boat! Filed in March 2020 and still waiting. What's really frustrating is that they processed my stimulus payments just fine, but can't seem to handle a regular refund. I've tried the transcript route like @Giovanni Rossi suggested - turns out there was a code on mine indicating "additional review needed" but no explanation of what that means. Currently trying to get through to a human being but the hold times are absolutely insane. This whole situation is beyond ridiculous.

I went through this nightmare back in January! What worked for me was filing Form 9465 (Installment Agreement Request) with my tax return. No phone call needed. Just filled out the form with how much I could pay monthly, attached it to my return, and they approved it automatically. Worth a shot if you're still having trouble reaching someone!

I completely understand your frustration - I went through the exact same thing last year! The IRS phone system is absolutely maddening during tax season. Here's what finally worked for me: Try calling 1-800-829-0922 instead of the main number. This is specifically for payment-related issues and tends to have shorter wait times. Call right at 7 AM Eastern when they open - I know it's early, but it's your best shot at getting through. If you keep getting stuck in the automated system, try this sequence: Press 1 for English, then 2 for personal income tax, then 3 for payment issues, then when it asks what you're calling about, say "payment plan" clearly. Sometimes the voice recognition picks it up better than pressing buttons. Also, don't give up on the online option at IRS.gov - I know it can be glitchy, but clear your browser cache and try again. Make sure you have your prior year AGI handy from last year's return. One last tip: if you absolutely can't get a plan set up before April 15th, still file your return on time even if you can't pay. The failure-to-file penalty is way worse than the failure-to-pay penalty. You can always set up a payment plan after filing. Hang in there - you'll get through this!