Could also be worth asking if she's part of a larger firm with specific policies or if she's independent. Different firms have different document retention policies. I've worked with H&R Block before and they never asked for copies of my SSN card, just needed to see it once to verify.

I'm a CPA and I can confirm that requesting copies of SSN cards is NOT standard practice in our industry. We need your SSN to prepare your return, but we don't need physical copies of the cards themselves. The IRS Due Diligence requirements for tax preparers focus on verifying identity through government-issued photo ID (like driver's license) and ensuring the SSN matches the taxpayer, but keeping copies of SSN cards isn't part of these requirements. Her explanation about "security issues" doesn't make sense from a professional standpoint. If someone tries to fraudulently use your SSN, having a copy of your card won't help prevent or resolve that situation. What WOULD help is proper data security practices on her end - encrypted storage, secure client portals, and following IRS Publication 4557 guidelines for data protection. I'd recommend asking her to provide written documentation of her firm's document retention policy and why specifically she needs copies rather than just verification. A legitimate tax professional should be able to explain their practices clearly and provide documentation of their security protocols.

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I was in the exact same situation as Diego and almost fell for the same upsell from my registered agent. They quoted me $225 for "enhanced privacy protection" when getting my EIN. Based on everything discussed here, I'm going to skip their service entirely and just file for the EIN myself through the IRS website. It's good to know that the privacy protection is essentially meaningless since my SSN will be linked to the EIN in IRS systems regardless of who files the paperwork. One quick follow-up question though - once I have my EIN, should I be using it on all business documents going forward instead of my SSN? Or are there specific situations where I'd still need to use my SSN even with an EIN?

This thread perfectly highlights why it's so important to do your research before paying for these "premium" services. I work in business formation and see clients get upsold on meaningless services all the time. The bottom line is simple: for a single-member LLC, your SSN will ALWAYS be connected to your EIN in IRS records. There's no way around this - it's a federal requirement. Any registered agent claiming they can provide "privacy protection" from the IRS is misleading you. Here's what I tell my clients: Get your EIN for free directly from IRS.gov. It takes 10-15 minutes online and you'll have your number immediately. Use that EIN for banking, vendor forms, and business transactions to avoid sharing your SSN unnecessarily. But understand that the IRS will always have both numbers linked in their system. Save your money for things that actually matter - like proper business insurance or accounting software. Don't waste hundreds of dollars on fake privacy services.

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in the comments - Republic Bank is a tax refund processor that many tax preparation companies use. They aren't actually your bank. They receive the funds from the IRS, take out any preparation fees you owed (if you opted for fees to be taken from your refund), and then forward the remainder to your actual bank (Navy Federal). This process typically takes exactly 24-48 hours. I've tracked this for the past 3 tax seasons, and the average time between Republic notification and Navy Federal deposit was 37.5 hours.

Navy Federal member here! Just went through this exact scenario last month. Got my Republic notification on a Tuesday, transcript showed DDD for Friday, and I was checking my account obsessively every few hours like you probably are right now 😅 Here's what happened: Navy Federal posted my refund Thursday at 3:47 AM (yes, I checked my phone at some ungodly hour and it was there). Never showed as pending - just appeared as a completed deposit. The joint filing thing shouldn't cause any delays in the banking side of things. That verification happens at the IRS level before they even send it to Republic. Since you already got the Republic notification, you're in the clear. My advice? Stop checking your account every 30 minutes (easier said than done, I know). Set a phone alert to check Friday morning. If it's not there by end of business Friday, then you can start worrying. But honestly, based on my experience and what I've seen in this community, you'll probably wake up Friday morning to a nice surprise in your account balance.

Another angle to consider - if your sister ends up having any questions about her specific tax situation after filing (or if she doesn't file and later worries she made the wrong choice), she can always contact the IRS directly. I know that sounds intimidating, but they actually have a helpline specifically for tax law questions where they'll walk you through your situation. The key thing is not to panic. At her income level and age, this is a very common situation and there are no "gotcha" penalties waiting for her. Whether she files or doesn't file, she's not going to get in serious trouble. The worst case is she misses out on a refund if she doesn't file when she should have, or she does some extra paperwork if she files when she didn't technically need to. Both are pretty low-stakes outcomes! I'd suggest having her check her final paystub from December to see exactly how much federal tax was withheld for the whole year. If it's more than like $50, definitely worth filing to get it back. If it's just a few dollars, then it's really her choice whether the hassle is worth it.

One thing that might help reduce your sister's stress is understanding that the IRS actually has pretty good resources for first-time filers. Their website has a "Do I Need to File?" interactive tool that walks you through questions about your specific situation - it's designed for exactly cases like your sister's where the rules seem confusing. Also, since she's 17 and this is likely her first tax experience, this could be a great learning opportunity. Even if she ends up not being required to file, going through the process of organizing her documents and understanding the thresholds will make her way more confident about taxes in the future. Plus, if she does file and gets a refund, that's a nice little bonus for her responsible work ethic! The main thing is that she shouldn't worry about "getting in trouble." The IRS isn't sitting around waiting to pounce on teenagers with part-time jobs. They're way more focused on people who are actually trying to evade taxes or have complicated business situations. Your sister is clearly trying to do the right thing by asking questions, which is exactly what responsible taxpayers do.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation as Pedro but from the contractor side - I received both a 1099-K from Stripe and a 1099-NEC from my client for the same payments in 2024. What I found particularly useful from this discussion is understanding that this isn't necessarily a mistake, but rather an overlap in reporting requirements. Jake's explanation about ACH through Stripe creating this "middle ground" really clarified things for me. For other contractors dealing with this, I'd recommend keeping a spreadsheet that matches your invoices to both the 1099-K transactions and 1099-NEC amounts. This way you have clear documentation showing they represent the same income streams. I also plan to reach out to my clients proactively (like Dylan suggested) to discuss payment methods for 2025 to avoid this confusion next year. One question I still have: if I'm working with multiple clients who all pay through different platforms (some via Stripe, others through Square, etc.), should I expect to potentially receive multiple 1099-Ks plus individual 1099-NECs? The record-keeping is going to get complex pretty quickly.

As someone who recently went through this exact situation, I can confirm that what everyone is saying here is correct - you absolutely did the right thing by issuing the 1099-NEC even though Stripe issued a 1099-K. This is one of those unfortunate gaps in the current tax reporting system. What I learned from my CPA is that the IRS recognizes this overlap exists and has built-in systems to detect when the same income might be reported on multiple forms. The key is proper documentation - both you and your contractor should keep records showing that these represent the same payments, not additional income. For 2025, I'd suggest having a conversation with your contractors about payment preferences. Some of mine actually preferred switching to direct ACH transfers from my business account to avoid the 1099-K complexity altogether. Others were fine with the dual reporting as long as I gave them a heads up about what to expect. One tip that helped me: I now include a brief note on my 1099-NEC transmittals explaining that the contractor may also receive a 1099-K from the payment processor for the same amounts. It saves confusion and shows you're being proactive about compliance. Your contractor will probably appreciate the transparency!