This is a great suggestion. Do you typically just call their main number and ask for accounts payable? I'm dealing with a medium-sized marketing agency if that helps.

For medium-sized agencies, I usually check their website first for direct contact info for their finance team. If that doesn't work, yes, calling the main number and asking for accounts payable or vendor management usually works. Marketing agencies tend to be more flexible than large corporations in my experience. Just be polite but firm that you're happy to provide your tax information but prefer to use the standard IRS form. I usually say something like "for consistency in my record-keeping" rather than making it sound like I don't trust their system.

I work in accounts payable and please don't do this. It creates a huge headache for us and will likely result in your documents being rejected or severely delayed. Most large companies have automated systems that flag modified forms for manual review, which puts your paperwork at the bottom of a very long queue.

Do you think it's worth going to a CPA versus an EA for K-1 stuff? I've heard mixed things and I'm not sure if I need the extra credentials for something like this or if I'm just paying for a fancier title.

Both CPAs and EAs are qualified to handle K-1s, but in my experience, the difference comes down to their business model and specialization rather than credentials. EAs often focus exclusively on tax preparation and may have more experience with unusual tax situations for individuals, while some CPAs split their time between tax work and other accounting services. What matters most is finding someone who regularly deals with K-1s and partnership taxation, regardless of which credential they have. I'd recommend interviewing a few preparers and asking specifically about their experience with K-1s from your type of investment rather than just looking at the credentials after their name.

I used FreeTaxUSA last year for my return with 2 K-1s and it only cost $15 total (federal was free, state was $15). Way cheaper than TurboTax's Premier or Self-Employed versions. It handled everything correctly including some complicated passive activity limitations. The interface isn't as polished as TurboTax but it gets the job done well.

Thank you for mentioning this. I'm hoping we can prove we don't owe this money, but it's good to know there are options if we end up having to pay something. Do you know if the payment plans have reasonable monthly minimums? I've heard horror stories about the IRS demanding huge monthly payments.

The minimum monthly payment is basically determined by the total amount owed divided by the number of months in your agreement (up to 72 months maximum for the standard plan). For your $12k situation, that would be around $167 per month if you stretched it to the max timeframe. The IRS does consider your financial situation though. If you can demonstrate that you can't afford the standard payment, you can apply for what's called a "Partial Payment Installment Agreement" where they may accept lower monthly payments based on your financial situation. This requires filing Form 433-F (Collection Information Statement) to show your income, expenses, and assets.

Great point! I got a fake IRS letter last year that looked SO convincing. The only thing that tipped me off was that they wanted payment via gift cards (lol). Real IRS letters don't ask for gift cards or wire transfers.

Thanks for bringing this up - I hadn't considered the basis limitations! Any simple way to calculate my basis? I've had the S-corp for about 5 years, started with $5K initial investment, and have been putting in some money each year to cover expenses (around $15K total over the years). Never taken any distributions.

Your basis starts with your initial investment ($5K) and increases by any additional capital contributions ($15K) and any income that was reported to you on K-1s over the years. It decreases by losses and any distributions you took. So if you never took distributions, your basis would be $5K + $15K + any income reported on K-1s from previous years - any losses from previous years. You'll need to look at all your old K-1s to track this properly. If your basis went to zero in a previous year, any excess losses would be suspended and carried forward until you have basis again. This is separate from the NOL rules and often catches people by surprise.

I tried using TurboTax for my S-corp NOL last year and it was a nightmare. It kept asking me questions that didn't make sense for an S-corp, and I don't think it properly tracked my basis. I ended up paying a CPA to fix everything and it cost me way more than if I'd just gone to them in the first place.

Is self-employment tax really that significant? I'm also in a new partnership and trying to figure out if I should be making quarterly estimated payments.