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
International student from Germany here! I found FreeTaxUSA to be a solid option that no one mentioned yet. It costs way less than TurboTax and handled my tax treaty benefits correctly. You do need to know more about tax rules yourself though, as it doesn't have as much hand-holding for international situations. For maximizing returns, don't forget about education credits like the Lifetime Learning Credit if you qualify based on your tax residency status. Also, if you paid interest on student loans, you might be able to deduct up to $2,500 of the interest paid.
I thought international students couldn't claim education credits? When I tried last year using TurboTax it said I wasn't eligible because I was on an F-1 visa. Now I'm confused...
It depends on your tax residency status, not just your visa type. If you've been in the US long enough to pass the "substantial presence test" (usually after about 5 semesters for most students), you might be considered a "resident alien" for tax purposes, which would make you eligible for education credits. Many tax software platforms (especially ones not specialized for international students) automatically assume F-1 visa holders are nonresident aliens, which isn't always the case. This is actually one of the most common mistakes that costs international students money on their returns.
Has anyone tried H&R Block for international student taxes? My roommate used them last year and got a pretty big refund, but I've heard mixed things about whether they accurately handle nonresident tax situations.
I used H&R Block in-person (not the software) last year and had a bad experience. The tax preparer didn't understand tax treaty benefits and incorrectly filed my taxes. I ended up having to file an amended return later which was a huge hassle. If you do use them, make sure to ask specifically if they have experience with international student taxes.
Join the conversation
In my experience, TurboTax is pretty comprehensive but it doesn't always ask the right questions for complex situations. Last year I switched to a CPA and he saved me about $3,800 compared to what TurboTax calculated. The biggest areas where I found savings: - Business expense deductions I didn't realize qualified - More advantageous treatment of some investment losses - Home office deduction I didn't know I was eligible for For your situation with S-corp income, a good tax pro might find some legitimate business expenses you could deduct. They also might have strategies around timing of income recognition or loss harvesting that could help reduce your tax bill.
How much did the CPA charge? I'm trying to figure out if the cost would be worth it compared to potential savings.
My CPA charged $450 for my return, which included W-2 income, investment income, and some small business income from consulting. Given that he saved me $3,800, it was definitely worth it! Most CPAs I researched charged between $350-700 for returns with complexity similar to yours. The key is finding someone who specializes in the areas relevant to your situation - in your case, someone experienced with S-corporations and investment income.
Join the conversation
I'd like to add one more important piece to this HSA discussion - even though you can't contribute to an HSA while on a PPO, you might want to look into a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) if your wife's employer offers one. FSAs also allow pre-tax contributions for medical expenses, though they typically have a use-it-or-lose-it policy at year end. Then when you do switch to the HDHP in 2025, you can start funding the HSA. Just remember you generally can't have both an FSA and HSA simultaneously unless the FSA is a "limited purpose" one that only covers dental and vision expenses.
I actually hadn't thought about the FSA option! Does it provide the same tax advantages as an HSA? And what happens to any FSA funds when we transition to the HDHP with an HSA in 2025?
FSAs do provide a similar tax advantage by allowing pre-tax contributions that reduce your AGI, similar to an HSA. However, they typically have much lower contribution limits (usually around $3,050 for 2023) compared to HSA limits ($7,750 for family coverage). Regarding your second question, FSA funds generally need to be used by the end of your plan year, though some employers offer either a grace period (usually 2.5 months) or a carryover option (usually $610 maximum). If you don't use the funds within these timeframes, you forfeit them - that's the big downside compared to HSAs. When you transition to an HDHP with HSA in 2025, you'll need to either spend down your FSA funds before the new plan year or see if your employer offers that limited purpose FSA I mentioned that can coexist with an HSA.
One thing to consider that nobody's mentioned - if your wife's employer offers an HSA-eligible plan NOW, you might be able to switch to it mid-year if you have a qualifying life event (like marriage, birth, loss of other coverage). You don't always have to wait for open enrollment. If you can switch to an HDHP sooner, you could start making prorated HSA contributions for the months you're eligible this year.
This is great advice! When I had my second child last year it counted as a qualifying life event and I was able to switch from a PPO to an HDHP mid-year. Started contributing to my HSA right away for the remaining months.
Join the conversation
Something nobody's mentioned yet - the state statute of limitations may be different from federal. In California for example, it's 4 years instead of 3 for the standard period, and some states follow the IRS if they make adjustments even after their normal statute has expired. I'd double-check your state's rules too if the distributions were significant. I got burned by this a few years back when I thought I was in the clear federally but then got a notice from my state.
I didn't even think about state implications! I'm in Texas so no state income tax for me thankfully, but that's a really important point for others in this situation. Did your state come after you even after the federal statute had passed?
Yes, exactly what happened to me. The feds identified unreported income right at the end of their statute period, and then my state (New York) piggy-backed on that assessment even though their normal 3-year period had passed. They have a provision that gives them an additional year to make assessments if the IRS makes changes to your federal return. It was a mess to sort out because the federal issue was relatively minor but triggered state penalties and interest that had been accumulating longer. So even in Texas with no income tax, make sure there aren't any other state tax implications from the unreported distributions.
Has anyone considered that the IRS might actually already know about these distributions but hasn't acted on them? The 1099-Rs get filed with the IRS directly, so they've had this information since 2018-2019. I'm surprised they haven't sent a CP2000 notice.
From my experience working in tax resolution, there's a huge backlog at the IRS. They're still processing some mismatches from 2018-2019, especially with COVID delays. Just because they haven't sent a notice yet doesn't mean they won't. Their automated matching system will eventually catch 1099-R discrepancies.
Tony Brooks
Just to add another perspective - I'm a student who claimed education expenses including computer equipment. The key is how you document the "required for coursework" part. Get an email from a professor or advisor stating that the equipment is necessary for your online program. Even a syllabus mentioning required technology access can help. For the cash purchases, what I did was create a detailed log including: - Exact date of purchase - Seller's name and contact info (if possible) - Description of item - Amount paid - Educational purpose Then I took photos of the equipment with my student ID visible to show it was for educational use. My tax preparer said this type of documentation is acceptable if you're ever questioned.
0 coins
Alice Coleman
•That's super helpful! Did you submit all that documentation with your tax return or just keep it on hand in case of an audit? And did you use any specific tax form for claiming these expenses?
0 coins
Tony Brooks
•I just kept all the documentation on hand in case of an audit - you don't actually submit receipts or proof with your tax return. The IRS works on an honor system with verification only if they have questions. For the form, it depends on which education tax benefit you're claiming. If it's the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit, you'd use Form 8863. If it's the tuition and fees deduction (which was available for previous tax years), that would be on Schedule 1. In my case, I claimed the equipment under the Lifetime Learning Credit on Form 8863 since my program qualified.
0 coins
Ella rollingthunder87
One thing nobody's mentioned - if you paid cash and have no receipts, you could try reaching out to the sellers to get some kind of written confirmation of the sale. Even a text message or email that confirms "Yes, I sold you a monitor for $1050 on [date]" could help document the transaction. Also, take pictures of the items with something showing the date (like a newspaper or your phone's date display). This won't prove what you paid, but at least confirms you actually have the items. I've been through an education expense audit before and having SOMETHING is always better than nothing!
0 coins
Yara Campbell
•This is actually really smart. I never thought about contacting sellers after the fact. Do you think a Facebook Marketplace conversation history would help too? I have messages discussing the monitor price there.
0 coins