Did you have to schedule the Live help in advance or could you just click and get someone right away? I'm trying to finish my taxes tonight and wondering if I can get help immediately if I upgrade.

When I used it, I didn't need to schedule in advance. I just clicked the "Get expert help" button that appears throughout the TurboTax interface, and I was connected with someone within about 5-10 minutes. They do show you the current wait time before you connect, and I imagine it might be longer during peak filing times (like early April). But generally the experience was pretty seamless - once connected, the tax expert could see my screen and walk me through exactly what I needed to do.

You're definitely not alone! I've been saying this for years. TurboTax and H&R Block actually lobby against tax simplification so they can keep charging us. It's ridiculous that we have to pay to comply with laws that are mandatory.

Do you use the standard SmartVault folders or did you have to set up a custom structure? I've been looking at SmartVault but wasn't sure how flexible it is.

We created a custom folder structure. The basic setup is: - Main client folder (always accessible) - Tax documents subfolder (always accessible for uploading) - Completed returns subfolder (becomes visible after payment) - 8879 forms subfolder (becomes visible after payment) You can absolutely customize it however you want. We also have different permission templates for business vs individual clients since the workflow is a bit different. The permission management is pretty granular - you can control access at the folder level and change it based on certain triggers or manual status changes.

I looked into it last year. They do have a feature that's similar but it's much more basic. You can't really "lock" the 8879 to the invoice - it just gives you a status dashboard where you can see if clients have paid and if they've signed the 8879. You still have to manually coordinate the two actions. Their client portal is also really dated compared to most modern options. Wouldn't recommend it personally.

Thanks for this tip! When filling out Form 843, is there specific language I should use about the reasonable cause? I'm worried about saying the wrong thing and making it worse.

For Form 843, you want to be clear but concise. Explain that you made all required deposits on time through EFTPS (include proof if you have it), and that you believed the returns were properly submitted through the same system. State that you're promptly correcting the issue as soon as you became aware of it, which demonstrates your compliance history and good faith. The IRS is generally reasonable about abating penalties when you've paid the actual tax on time, especially during 2020-2021 when their systems were overwhelmed.

Form 4549 is typically used during audits, not for voluntarily filing missing returns. You're thinking of Form 941-X "Adjusted Employer's QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return or Claim for Refund" which can be used to correct previously filed returns.

Thanks for the correction. I must have misunderstood what my accountant was saying. I'll look into the 941-X form instead!

Thanks for the insider perspective! What credentials should I be looking for when choosing someone? Is there a big difference between a CPA and an EA when it comes to regular tax prep?

For most individual returns, both CPAs and EAs are qualified, but there are differences. CPAs have broader accounting education and can handle financial planning beyond taxes. EAs specifically focus on taxation and representation before the IRS. Both have to pass rigorous exams and maintain continuing education. What's most important is finding someone with experience in your specific situation. Ask how many similar returns they've prepared and what their process is for staying current with tax law changes. Also inquire about their availability throughout the year - you want someone who's accessible if you have questions or receive IRS notices, not just during tax season.

Yeah I had a similar experience with Jackson Hewitt. Got a "free" $25 discount but ended up paying way more than my friend who used a local accountant. The preparer seemed to be following a script rather than actually looking at my specific situation.

That's really helpful! I didn't know about Form 8843 potentially affecting health insurance requirements. She does have some coverage from her home country that her parents pay for, but we weren't sure if that was relevant for US tax purposes. Do you know where specifically on Form 8962 I should look for the provisions you mentioned about income below 400% of poverty level? Her income is definitely well below that threshold.

Look at the instructions for Form 8962, specifically the "Repayment Limitation" section. There's a table that shows the maximum amount someone has to repay based on their income as a percentage of the federal poverty line. For someone making less than 200% of the poverty line (which sounds like your friend's situation), the maximum repayment amount is capped at $325 for individual filers in 2024. The Form 8843 connection is a bit complex, but essentially if she qualifies as an exempt individual for substantial presence test purposes, that status sometimes affects marketplace eligibility. Have her check with her university's international student office - they often have tax specialists who understand these specific situations for international students.

I used FreeTaxUSA for a similar situation last year and it handled the 1095-A with partial year coverage much better than TurboTax did. It asked clearer questions about why there were zeros in certain months and calculated everything correctly. The Form 8962 reconciliation worked perfectly even with the weird mid-year changes.

Thanks for the suggestion! I might give FreeTaxUSA a try instead. TurboTax kept giving me error messages when I entered zeros for some months but values for others. It seemed like it wasn't designed to handle these unusual situations that are actually pretty common for international students.