Can't reach IRS? Claimyr connects you to a live IRS agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the IRS
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the IRS drops your call
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!
Really made a difference
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!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
One thing to consider is that the Schedule B threshold hasn't been adjusted for inflation in forever. $1,500 was set as the threshold back in the 1970s when interest rates and dollar values were completely different. If they'd adjusted it for inflation, it would probably be around $10,000-$12,000 today. It's one of those tax rules that never gets updated and ends up affecting more people over time. With today's high-yield savings accounts paying 4-5%, even a modest emergency fund can trigger Schedule B requirements. It's definitely outdated.
Is there any chance they'll update it anytime soon? Seems ridiculous that they haven't adjusted it for inflation in 50 years.
Unfortunately, there's almost no chance they'll update it. These thresholds rarely get changed unless there's a major tax overhaul. The last big tax reform in 2017 (TCJA) didn't address it, and most smaller tax changes focus on bigger issues. It's just too minor for Congress to bother with, even though it affects more people every year. The IRS doesn't have the authority to change the threshold on their own - it requires legislative action.
Has anyone else noticed that Credit Karma Tax (now part of Cash App) lets you file Schedule B for free? I've been using it for a couple years now and haven't had to pay anything even with interest income over the threshold.
Yes! Cash App Taxes is completely free and handles Schedule B, D, and even some self-employment forms. Been using it for 3 years and it's saved me hundreds compared to TurboTax. The interface isn't quite as polished but it gets the job done.
Join the conversation
I got my Masters of Taxation online from a different university in 2019. Personally, I think the content knowledge is the same whether online or in-person. The bigger question is whether you're disciplined enough to keep up with an online program without the structure of physical classes. One tip if you do go online - join tax-focused LinkedIn groups and professional organizations. The biggest disadvantage I found was missing out on networking opportunities that come naturally in a classroom. I had to be more proactive about making connections in the industry.
That's a really good point about self-discipline. Did you work while getting your degree? I'm considering working part-time in a tax preparation office while studying to get some practical experience alongside the theory.
I worked full-time at a regional accounting firm while getting my degree, and it was definitely challenging to balance both. The upside was that I could immediately apply what I was learning to real client situations, which reinforced the concepts. Working part-time at a tax prep office while studying is an excellent idea. Tax season will be intense, but you'll gain invaluable practical experience that will make the academic concepts click. Plus, having that experience on your resume alongside your Masters will make you much more marketable when you graduate.
What tax software do most online Masters programs teach? I'd hate to spend all that time learning on a platform that isn't widely used in practice.
Most programs I've seen don't focus on specific software but rather on tax concepts and research skills. They might use CCH or RIA for research databases, but the actual tax preparation software varies. My program had optional workshops for UltraTax and ProSeries, but it wasn't part of the core curriculum.
Join the conversation
For what it's worth, you might be overthinking this. The software is just trying to determine if your state refund is taxable income. Quick rule: If you took the standard deduction (didn't itemize) on your federal return for 2022, then your state refund received in 2023 is NOT taxable. If you did itemize and included state taxes as part of your itemized deductions, then the refund might be taxable. So it's asking about state/local withholding specifically, not federal. Find boxes 17 and 19 on your W-2 like someone mentioned above.
That makes a lot of sense now. I was definitely mixing up the federal and state parts. Looking at my W-2s now, I can see the state withholding amounts in box 17. One more question - do I need to enter anything for local tax withholding if my state doesn't have local income taxes?
If your state doesn't have local income taxes, then you would just enter zero for the local tax withholding amount. Some states have both state and local income taxes (like New York with NYC tax, or Ohio with municipal taxes), while others only have state-level income tax. Just be sure to enter the state withholding amount from box 17, and if there's nothing in box 19 for local taxes, enter zero there.
When I was doing my taxes, I spent hours trying to figure out what "state/local refund amount" meant in TurboTax. Finally realized they just want to know how much your state refunded you last year to determine if it's taxable. The key is whether you itemized or took standard deduction last year. Did you get a refund from your state for tax year 2022 that was paid to you in 2023? If yes AND you itemized in 2022, you need to report it. If you took standard deduction, you can ignore it completely.
This cleared it up better than anything else I've read! So simple when explained that way. Software tax questions are so confusing sometimes.
Join the conversation
Be super careful about private lending! I did something similar last year (switched from marketing to private lending) and didn't realize I needed special licenses. Got hit with a $5,000 fine from the state banking department. Turns out most states consider lending to be a highly regulated activity unlike IT services. You might need: 1) NMLS registration 2) State lending license 3) Surety bond Plus lending to consumers has way more regulations than business-to-business lending. Make sure you know which type you're doing!
Did you need all those licenses even if you were just doing loans to friends and family? Or were you advertising to the general public?
I'm going through this right now! The surety bond was like $1,500 for me - totally didn't budget for that expense when switching my business. And the application process took almost 3 months.
I never updated any paperwork when I switched my LLC from graphic design to dropshipping. Been running it for 2 years with no issues. As long as you're paying your taxes, nobody cares what your LLC does imo.
That approach might work for some businesses, but private lending is much more heavily regulated than either graphic design or dropshipping. Banking/lending activities often require specific licenses and registrations regardless of your LLC structure. While the LLC itself might be flexible in its business purpose, certain industries have regulatory requirements that exist separately from business entity rules. Not complying with lending regulations can result in significant penalties, as another commenter mentioned about their $5,000 fine. It's always better to do things properly from the start rather than risk regulatory issues down the road, especially in financial services.
Yuki Ito
Don't forget that if you're buying photo printing supplies, paper, ink, etc. specifically for the school projects, those ARE deductible! My accountant helped me claim about $275 in deductions last year for similar volunteer work at my son's theater program. Just make sure you're keeping separate receipts for the school stuff vs personal printing.
0 coins
Sean Doyle
•Thanks for the tip! I do actually print a bunch of the photos for them to use in the yearbook and for display cases. Been using my own photo paper and ink cartridges. Should I be asking the school for some kind of receipt or documentation that these supplies were used for them?
0 coins
Yuki Ito
•Yes, definitely get some documentation from the school! What worked for me was getting a simple letter from the school's administration acknowledging my volunteer work and confirming that I provided the supplies for school purposes. I also kept a log of what I printed, when, and for which school events. Taking photos of the finished displays or yearbook pages with your printed photos can also serve as supporting evidence. My accountant said having this documentation is crucial if you ever get questioned about these deductions.
0 coins
Carmen Lopez
Just a heads up that these volunteer expense deductions only help if you itemize! With the standard deduction being $25,900 for married filing jointly in 2022, it might not be worth itemizing unless you have lots of other deductions like mortgage interest. I found that out the hard way after tracking all my scout leader expenses!
0 coins
AstroAdventurer
•This is such an important point! I spent hours tracking volunteer expenses last year only to find out at tax time that the standard deduction ($27,700 for married filing jointly in 2023) was still higher than all my itemized deductions combined. Total waste of time for me tax-wise, though the volunteer work was still worth it of course.
0 coins