Is CCH Axcess something you can learn on your own though? I thought you needed to work at a firm that uses it to get access. Are there any training resources available for people who don't already work somewhere with these specialized tax software packages?

You're right that it's difficult to get hands-on experience with CCH Axcess without working somewhere that uses it. However, CCH does offer some free webinars and training materials on their website that can at least familiarize you with the interface and capabilities. For specialized tax software, your best bet is to look for YouTube tutorials and documentation online. Many vendors have published training materials that you can access. While it's not the same as hands-on experience, being able to speak intelligently about the software and its capabilities can still give you an edge in interviews. Some universities also have partnerships with these vendors to provide student access - worth checking if your school offers this.

This is a really important point. I think there's often a gap between what companies say they want and what they actually use day-to-day. Have you seen any shift toward using more advanced tools in recent years? Or is it still primarily Excel-based?

That's interesting about the state provisions. Do you know which states besides California allow home office deductions for employees? I'm in New York if that helps.

New York does allow itemized deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses, including home office expenses in some cases. You'd need to file IT-196 to claim these deductions on your state return. Other states that may allow employee business expense deductions include Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and several others. Each has different rules and thresholds though, so you'll need to check your specific state's guidelines or consult with a tax professional familiar with your state's tax code.

I haven't heard of this before. How does it work exactly? Did you have to provide documentation or anything? My company is pretty flexible so they might go for something like this.

14 I tried that route last year for my unfiled taxes. You can't just walk in - you have to make an appointment through their phone system first... which gets you right back to the impossible phone situation. And when I finally got an appointment 6 weeks out, they couldn't even help with multiple years of returns. They just gave me some forms and told me to mail everything in. Waste of time honestly.

10 Thanks for letting me know. That sounds super frustrating and not helpful at all. Guess I'll look into the other options mentioned here since showing up in person won't skip any steps in the process.

22 Be careful with this approach. If you owe money, you need to know how to properly calculate penalties and interest. I tried doing it myself and ended up with the IRS sending me letters saying I calculated everything wrong, which just created more headaches. Sometimes paying for proper help is worth it to avoid mistakes.

Can it import the already completed Sch D and 8949 forms that OP mentioned, or would they have to re-enter all their crypto transactions manually?

Unfortunately it doesn't have a direct import feature for already completed forms. You would need to manually re-enter the information from your Schedule D and Form 8949. This is actually one downside compared to some other options mentioned. If you have a lot of crypto transactions, re-entering everything could be quite time-consuming.

Learned this the hard way too. Also date everything! I wrote notes on some of my forms but didn't put dates and couldn't remember which version was final when I got audited.

Thanks for bringing this up. I haven't received any notices about a tax sale yet, just the regular past due notices. I think I'm still in the penalty/interest phase rather than the actual lien sale process. I'm hoping to get the house sold before it gets to that point.

Then you're likely still in good shape. Most counties go through multiple steps before actually putting a property up for tax sale - first notices, then liens, then more notices, and finally the tax sale process. It usually takes 3+ years of non-payment in most places before they move to sell. Just make sure to disclose the situation to your real estate agent and potential buyers. The title company will find the tax liens during their search anyway, so it's better to be upfront. As others have mentioned, the unpaid taxes will just be deducted from your proceeds at closing.

Seconding this! My county had an "economic hardship" form that reduced my penalties by 75% when I provided proof of medical bills that had caused my financial problems. Definitely worth asking about.