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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 ā 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 :)
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Jamal Carter
Another option to consider is asking your university if they offer free tax preparation help for international students. My school partners with a tax service that provides free basic tax prep for students on F-1 and J-1 visas. They have volunteers who are specifically trained on nonresident tax issues. I think the program is called VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). Worth checking if your university's international student office has something similar!
Did they help with state taxes too? I heard nonresident aliens sometimes have to file state returns differently than the federal.
Jamal Carter
ā¢Yes, they helped with both federal and state returns. You're right that state filing can be different - some states follow the federal definitions of residency while others have their own rules. In my case, I needed to file as a nonresident for federal purposes but was considered a resident for state tax purposes since I lived there the entire year. The VITA volunteers were trained on both federal and state requirements for international students. Just be aware that these programs usually have income limits (I think around $58,000), but most students fall under that threshold anyway.
Mei Liu
Quick warning from someone who messed this up last year - if you use standard tax software and incorrectly file as a resident (Form 1040 instead of 1040NR), you might actually get a BIGGER refund than you're entitled to because you'll get tax credits that nonresidents can't claim. It might seem like a win at first, but the IRS eventually caught my mistake and I had to repay the excess refund PLUS interest. It also created a headache when I was applying for a visa extension. Not worth the trouble!
Oh no, did you have to file an amended return? How did you fix the situation?
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Mei Zhang
Pro tip: If you used direct deposit, check your bank account directly instead of just relying on the Where's My Refund tool. Sometimes the money gets deposited before the tool updates. Happened to me last year - I was checking the tool daily while the money was already sitting in my account for 3 days!
This happened to me too! I was freaking out because the status was stuck on "return received" for weeks, then randomly checked my bank account and boom - full refund was there. The IRS tracking system can definitely lag behind the actual deposit.
Mei Zhang
ā¢Exactly! The IRS systems don't always communicate with each other in real-time. The processing department might release your refund while the status update for the tracking tool is queued in a different system. Another thing to check is whether you have any past-due federal or state debts. Things like unpaid student loans, child support, or state taxes can result in your refund being offset (reduced) or delayed. The Where's My Refund tool doesn't always show this information clearly.
Did you check both the IRS website AND the IRS2Go app? Sometimes one updates before the other. Also make sure ur entering the EXACT info from ur return - even a dollar off will give u the "information can't be found" message.
I find the app actually updates faster than the website. Got my status on the app a full day before it showed up on the website version. Worth trying both!
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Logan Scott
One thing nobody's mentioned yet - consider setting up an LLC or S-Corp once you're established! I waited two years before doing this and regret it. As an S-Corp, you can pay yourself a reasonable salary and take the rest as distributions, which aren't subject to self-employment tax. Saved me about $7,500 last year alone. Talk to a CPA about when this makes sense for you - usually around $80-100k is when the savings outweigh the extra paperwork and fees.
Chloe Green
ā¢Doesn't setting up an S-Corp mean you have to run payroll and deal with a bunch of extra filings though? Is it really worth the hassle?
Logan Scott
ā¢Yes, with an S-Corp you do need to run payroll (even if it's just for yourself) and there are additional tax forms and requirements. You'll need to file Form 1120-S for the corporation, issue yourself a W-2, and potentially make quarterly payroll tax deposits. The breakeven point varies by situation, but generally if you're making over $80-100K in profit, the self-employment tax savings usually outweigh the extra costs and hassle. I pay about $800/year for payroll services and additional accounting fees, but save around $7,500 in taxes. For me, it's definitely worth it, but everyone's situation is different. It's definitely something to consider once your business is stable, not necessarily right away.
Lucas Adams
Quick tip if you're just starting out - open a separate checking account for your business transactions right away! I mixed personal and business in the same account my first year and tax time was a complete nightmare trying to sort it all out.
Harper Hill
ā¢Yessss! This saved me so much trouble. And get a separate credit card for business expenses too. Makes everything so much cleaner come tax time.
Lucas Adams
ā¢Thanks for the credit card tip! I actually have a dedicated business credit card now too, and it makes categorizing expenses so much easier. Most cards even give you year-end summaries by category which is super helpful for Schedule C. Plus you can often get better rewards on business cards for things like office supplies or internet services.
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One thing to consider - if you can't afford to pay the additional tax right now, don't ignore the notice! You can set up a payment plan on the IRS website pretty easily. I had to do this last year when I got hit with a surprise $3,600 tax bill. The online payment agreement lets you choose monthly payments that fit your budget. The interest rates aren't great, but they're better than ignoring it and getting hit with bigger penalties later. Just search "IRS payment plan" and you'll find the application.
Thank you for mentioning this. If I end up owing the full amount, a payment plan might be my only option. Do you know if they run a credit check or anything for these payment plans?
They don't run a credit check for standard payment plans. The IRS offers short-term plans (paying within 180 days) with no setup fee, or long-term plans with a small setup fee. For amounts under $10,000, it's usually automatic approval as long as you've filed all required tax returns. The current interest rate is around 7% annually, plus a small failure-to-pay penalty of 0.25% per month while you're on the plan. Still way better than ignoring it and getting hit with the full 0.5% monthly penalty plus potential collection actions.
Kaitlyn Otto
Make sure you check the letter carefully for any signs it might be a scam! Real IRS letters have a notice number (like CP2000) in the upper right corner. Scammers are getting really good at making fake IRS notices. The real IRS never asks for payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. And they'll never threaten immediate arrest or deportation. If the letter seems fishy, you can always call the IRS directly at their main number (not a number listed in the letter) to verify it's legitimate.
Axel Far
ā¢This is really important advice. My parents almost fell for a scam last year that looked EXACTLY like a real IRS letter. The only thing that tipped me off was they wanted payment through Zelle.
The letter does have CP2000 in the corner and it doesn't ask for any weird payment methods, so I think it's legitimate. But thank you for the warning - I've heard about those scams too and they're getting super sophisticated.
Romeo Quest
I'm a tax preparer and I see this situation all the time. File your 2024 return on time no matter what! The systems for different tax years are separate, so a new return won't interfere with resolving the old ones. You can request an automatic extension until October if you need more time to gather documents, but remember that any taxes owed are still due by the April deadline. One thing to check: did you elect to apply any portion of previous refunds to this year's taxes? If so, that could complicate things since those credits might be in limbo. Make sure your 2024 return doesn't rely on carryover credits from those unprocessed returns.
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Val Rossi
ā¢What about amended returns? I'm in a similar situation but need to amend my 2023 return. Should I wait until my original 2023 return finishes processing before filing the amendment?
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Romeo Quest
ā¢Yes, for amended returns you absolutely need to wait until the original return has been processed before filing the amendment. The IRS can't process an amendment to a return that hasn't been processed yet - it would just create more confusion in the system. If you file an amendment before the original return is processed, it will likely be rejected or get stuck in processing limbo. Wait until you can verify your original return has been processed (check your transcript or account online) before submitting Form 1040-X.
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Eve Freeman
Has anyone tried requesting a Taxpayer Advocate? I had a similar issue last year and the local Taxpayer Advocate Service office was able to resolve it within 6 weeks after I'd been stuck for almost a year. You have to show that you're experiencing a financial hardship though, like facing eviction or utility shutoff, or that the IRS has made the same error repeatedly.
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Clarissa Flair
ā¢I tried using the Taxpayer Advocate Service but they're completely overwhelmed right now. I submitted my request 3 months ago and still haven't been assigned an advocate. Might be better in some locations than others though.
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