But weren't tariffs the main source of government revenue before the income tax was created? So it's been done before, right?

Yes, tariffs were the primary federal revenue source in the 19th century, but the federal government was also tiny compared to today - no Social Security, Medicare, modern military, etc. The entire federal budget in 1900 was about $0.5 billion (adjusted for inflation, that's still less than 0.1% of today's federal budget). The global economy is also completely different now. In the 19th century, international trade was a much smaller percentage of the economy, and supply chains weren't globally integrated like they are today. Imposing massive tariffs in today's interconnected global economy would have far more significant and immediate disruptive effects than it did 150 years ago.

Tax software companies would definitely take a hit, but they'd probably pivot to helping businesses comply with the new tariff system. Companies like Intuit (TurboTax) and H&R Block are pretty good at adapting to tax changes. They might focus more on helping businesses understand import costs and tariff implications.

That's really good to know but unfortunately I'm single so that won't help in my situation. Do you know if there's anything similar for individual filers? Like some kind of hardship exception?

There is a hardship exception you can request, but it's very specific to each type of debt. For federal student loans, you'd need to contact your loan servicer directly to request a hardship exception to the offset. They'll send you paperwork to prove extreme financial hardship. For state tax debts, you'd need to contact your state tax authority directly - each state has different criteria for hardship exceptions. Just be aware that these exceptions are pretty rare and usually require documented evidence of severe financial distress. Things like pending eviction, utility shutoffs, or medical emergencies sometimes qualify.

I did this after getting burned by an offset two years in a row. Changed my withholding so I'm just about even at tax time instead of getting a big refund. Now I put the extra amount from each paycheck into a separate savings account. Even if I still owe the debt, at least I'm controlling when and how much I pay instead of having the whole lump sum taken.

Any idea if there's a specific time of day TPG usually updates the status? I've been checking mine literally every hour lol.

In my experience, TPG tends to update their systems overnight, so many status changes appear first thing in the morning. I noticed my status changed from "amount showing" to "funded" around 4am when I checked (I was up with a sick kid). The actual deposit to my bank account happened mid-afternoon the following day. If you filed with a major tax preparer that partners with TPG, you might also be able to set up text or email alerts for status changes so you don't have to keep checking manually.

TPG usually handles your refund if you chose to have your tax preparation fees deducted from your refund instead of paying upfront. They're basically fronting the money for your preparation fees, then getting paid back when your refund comes.

So does that mean if something old gets stolen, you basically get no deduction because it was already depreciated in value? Like if thieves take a 10-year-old TV that's practically worthless now but costs $500 to replace?

That's exactly right - and it's why casualty losses often end up being less than people expect. If your 10-year-old TV had depreciated to a fair market value of only $50 before it was stolen, that's your deduction amount (not the $500 replacement cost). However, for the business/rental portion of your property, you've likely been taking depreciation deductions already, so your adjusted basis should align more closely with the current value. This is actually one advantage of the business portion of casualty losses - they're generally calculated based on the depreciated value that you've been reporting for tax purposes all along.

What if you don't have before photos of everything? My storage shed at my rental got broken into last month and I honestly don't have pictures of what was in there before.

I haven't heard about the penalty abatement before! That would be amazing if I could reduce the amount at all. And yes, I fixed my W-4 immediately when I discovered the issue - now they're withholding the correct amount (actually a bit extra to try to make up some ground). Is the penalty abatement something I can apply for myself or do I need to hire someone?

You can absolutely request penalty abatement yourself! Call the IRS (or use that Claimyr service someone mentioned if you're having trouble getting through) and specifically ask for "First-Time Penalty Abatement." Explain that you've had a good compliance history before this mistake, and that you've already fixed your W-4 to prevent it from happening again. Be polite and straightforward with the IRS agent. They can often approve this over the phone. If they do deny you for some reason, you can also submit a written request. Just make sure you're specific about requesting the First-Time Abatement provision - sometimes less experienced agents aren't familiar with it.

Did you get hit with a lot of penalties and interest? I'm curious how much extra you ended up paying because of the mistake.