I made the switch from TurboTax to Column Tax this year and honestly wish I'd done it sooner! Filed about 2 weeks ago and just got my refund yesterday - super quick turnaround. The whole process was way less stressful than dealing with TurboTax's constant upselling. Column's interface is clean and straightforward, plus it's significantly cheaper. For basic returns like mine (W-2, standard deduction, some student loan interest) it handled everything perfectly. The only thing I'd recommend is having all your documents organized beforehand since it moves through the process pretty efficiently. Overall really happy with the switch!

I actually just switched from TurboTax to Column Tax this year after dealing with their ridiculous price increases and constant upselling. Filed 3 days ago and the whole experience was so much smoother! The interface is way cleaner and more intuitive - no annoying popups trying to get me to upgrade every 5 seconds. Cost me like $25 compared to the $120 TurboTax wanted for basically the same service. Still waiting on my refund but based on what everyone's saying here, sounds like I should expect it pretty soon. Honestly kicking myself for not making this switch years ago. The only thing is you do need to be a bit more organized with your documents since it doesn't hold your hand as much, but that's honestly refreshing after TurboTax's hand-holding turned into aggressive upselling lol

The form 1065 instructions literally say "A partnership must file a return for every tax year" with no mentioned exception for zero income. I learned this the hard way. If there's any silver lining, the penalties are based on a per-partner-per-month calculation, so with just 2 members it won't be astronomical if you file soon.

I went through this exact situation two years ago with my multi-member LLC. The bottom line is that partnerships (including multi-member LLCs taxed as partnerships) are required to file Form 1065 annually regardless of income level - even $0 income. Here's what I wish I had known: even though you haven't generated revenue, those startup expenses you mentioned are actually reportable business activities. The IRS considers incurring business expenses as the beginning of operations, which triggers the filing requirement. Don't panic though - you have options. File your 1065 as soon as possible to minimize penalties. The penalty is $210 per partner per month (so $420/month for you two), but it caps at 12 months. More importantly, you can request penalty abatement for "reasonable cause" since this is likely your first partnership return and the rules aren't always crystal clear for new business owners. When you file, make sure to properly categorize those startup costs. Up to $5,000 in startup expenses can be deducted immediately, with the remainder amortized over 15 years. Getting this documentation right from the start will save you headaches when you do start generating revenue. The key is to file now rather than waiting - the IRS is generally more lenient when you self-correct versus when they discover the issue later.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation with our family bakery - filed our ERC claim in June 2023 for about $26,000 and we're now at 19 months with absolutely nothing. The frustration is beyond words at this point. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm planning to take a comprehensive approach: filing Form 911 with the Taxpayer Advocate Service immediately, reaching out to my representative's office, and keeping much better documentation of every attempt to contact the IRS (thanks for that spreadsheet tip @Amara Torres). What really bothers me is that we did everything right - qualified for the credit, kept employees on payroll during the worst of COVID, filed through a reputable CPA firm, and now we're being punished by the IRS's complete inability to process claims in a reasonable timeframe. Small businesses like ours operated on faith that the government would follow through on these programs, and instead we're left in financial limbo. The fact that so many of us are sharing the same nightmare experience really highlights how systemic this problem has become. It's not just a few isolated cases - the ERC processing system appears to be fundamentally broken. I'll definitely report back on which approaches work for our situation. Thanks to everyone for sharing real solutions instead of just the usual "call this number and wait" advice that clearly doesn't work anymore.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - your situation sounds exactly like what dozens of other restaurant owners are going through right now. 18 months is absolutely ridiculous for any tax refund, especially when your business is struggling with tight margins. Based on what I've seen work for others in similar situations, I'd recommend a multi-pronged approach: 1. **File Form 911 immediately** - This gets you into the Taxpayer Advocate Service system, which seems to be one of the few IRS channels that actually functions for ERC issues. Since you're at 18 months, you definitely meet their criteria for unreasonable delay. 2. **Contact your congressional representative's office** - They have dedicated caseworkers who can make inquiries through special IRS channels that aren't available to the public. Emphasize the economic impact on your restaurant and employees. 3. **Document everything systematically** - Keep a detailed log of every call attempt, reference numbers, dates, and responses. This documentation becomes crucial when you escalate through the Taxpayer Advocate Service or congressional inquiry. 4. **Try calling the ERC hotline (877-777-4778) right at 7:00 AM Eastern** - Several people here have had better luck getting through at that exact time, though it still requires multiple attempts over several days. The restaurant industry got hit harder than most during COVID, and you absolutely deserve the relief you qualified for. Don't let your accountant's "these things take time" response discourage you from pursuing every available avenue - 18 months is not normal processing time, it's bureaucratic failure. Keep fighting for what's rightfully yours, and please update us on what works. Every success story helps other small business owners know which approaches are worth trying.

Great question! Yes, you'll still get credit for all the federal taxes that have already been withheld this year, even if you switch to exempt status now. When you file your tax return, the IRS looks at your total tax liability for the entire year versus the total amount withheld throughout the year - it doesn't matter when during the year those withholdings occurred. A few things to keep in mind as you make this change: 1. **Safe Harbor Rule**: Make sure you won't owe more than $1,000 at tax time, or that you've paid at least 90% of this year's tax liability or 100% of last year's (whichever is smaller) to avoid underpayment penalties. 2. **State Taxes**: Don't forget to consider your state withholding situation separately. You can often adjust federal and state withholdings independently on your W-4. 3. **Set Aside Money**: Since you'll be getting larger paychecks, make sure to consistently set aside the amount you would have paid in taxes. It's easy to spend that extra money if you're not disciplined about saving it. 4. **Monitor Throughout the Year**: Consider using the IRS withholding calculator or tax software periodically to make sure you're still on track, especially if your income changes. Since you mentioned you're good with managing money, this approach can definitely work well and give you more control over your cash flow throughout the year.

Another thing to consider is how changing to exempt status might affect other deductions or credits you're planning to claim. For example, if you contribute to a traditional 401(k) or have other pre-tax deductions, those will still reduce your taxable income even if you're not having taxes withheld from your paychecks. I switched to exempt status a few years ago and found it helpful to create a simple spreadsheet tracking my gross pay, pre-tax deductions, and estimated tax liability each month. This gave me a clearer picture of exactly how much I should be setting aside. One unexpected benefit was that it made me much more aware of my actual tax situation throughout the year, rather than just getting surprised (good or bad) when filing. You might find that having this visibility helps you make better financial decisions, like timing certain deductions or planning major purchases around your tax obligations. Just remember that if your life circumstances change significantly (marriage, divorce, new dependents, major medical expenses), you'll want to recalculate your withholding strategy since these can all impact your tax liability.

I've been in your exact situation before and it's so frustrating! The "information not available" message is unfortunately very common after setting up a payment plan - the IRS systems just don't communicate well with each other. Here's what I'd strongly recommend: Don't make any payments until you know your exact balance. I made that mistake and it created more headaches later when trying to track what I still owed. Your best bet is to request an Account Transcript through the same ID.me portal you're already using. Go to "Get Transcript" and select "Account Transcript" for the tax year in question. This transcript typically shows your current balance including accrued interest and penalties, even when the main account page is broken. If the transcript still doesn't help, you'll need to call the IRS using the specific phone number on your payment plan agreement (not the general customer service line). Have your payment plan agreement number ready along with the usual identity verification info. One important thing to remember: interest is still accruing daily on your $2,800 balance at the current federal rate (around 8% annually). So on a 180-day plan, you're looking at roughly $110-120 in additional interest if you spread payments evenly. The sooner you start paying, the less total interest you'll pay. Also keep in mind that the IRS applies payments to interest first, then penalties, then principal - so you want to make sure you're paying enough to make meaningful progress on the actual tax debt. The account transcript method worked for me when nothing else would - hopefully it helps you too!

I completely understand your frustration - I went through this exact same issue about 6 months ago! The "information not available" message after setting up a payment plan is incredibly common and so stressful when you're trying to be responsible. Here's what worked for me: First, try getting your Account Transcript through the same ID.me portal (under "Get Transcript" then "Account Transcript"). The transcript usually updates much faster than the main account page and will show your current balance breakdown including interest and penalties. If that doesn't work or you want to double-check the numbers, definitely call the specific phone number listed on your payment plan agreement letter - NOT the general IRS customer service line. The payment plan specialists typically have shorter wait times and can give you your exact current balance over the phone. Whatever you do, don't start making payments without knowing the exact amount. Interest is still accruing daily (currently around 8% annually), and the IRS applies payments to interest first, then penalties, then principal. On your $2,800 balance over 180 days, you're looking at roughly $110-120 in additional interest if payments are spread evenly. The good news is that once you get the balance figured out, you have plenty of time with the 180-day plan to pay it off early and save on interest. The uncertainty is definitely the worst part - once you have the numbers, it becomes much more manageable!