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
7 One thing nobody has mentioned yet is that Section 179 also has business income limitations. You can't claim more in Section 179 deductions than you have in business income for the year. So if your business only made $40,000 in net income this year, you couldn't take the full $60,000 truck deduction under Section 179 (though you could carry forward the excess to future years). Also, make sure you actually need the vehicle for business. Buying an expensive truck just for the tax deduction is never a good idea since you're still spending more than you're saving.
11 Wait, so if my business is just starting out and hasn't made much profit yet, Section 179 might not help me much? What about bonus depreciation as an alternative?
7 That's exactly right. If your business is just starting and hasn't generated much profit, the immediate benefit of Section 179 would be limited to your business income amount. Bonus depreciation is a great alternative to consider in that situation! Unlike Section 179, 100% bonus depreciation doesn't have the business income limitation. For 2023, you can still take 80% bonus depreciation (this percentage is decreasing each year), and it applies after any Section 179 deduction you take. So you could potentially use a combination of Section 179 up to your business income amount, then apply bonus depreciation to the remainder. Just keep in mind that for both Section 179 and bonus depreciation, the business use percentage matters. If you only use the vehicle 60% for business, you can only deduct 60% of the cost using these accelerated methods.
4 Has anyone considered leasing instead of buying? For my concrete business, I found that leasing heavy equipment and writing off the full lease payment each year was actually more advantageous than Section 179 for purchasing.
20 Leasing might be better for some businesses but doesn't work for me. I put a lot of miles on my vehicles and most leases have mileage limits. Plus at the end of the lease you've got nothing to show for all those payments.
Join the conversation
Just to add another perspective - I've been doing my own taxes for 15 years using various software options. Last year I finally hired an EA because I started a small business and was terrified of making mistakes. Cost me $375 for both federal and state, which seemed high until I realized all the deductions she found that I would have missed. She literally saved me over $2,100 in taxes! What surprised me most was how much I learned during the process. She explained everything and gave me tips for better record-keeping this year. Software can ask questions, but it can't look at your specific situation and proactively suggest strategies like a human can.
Did your EA charge a flat fee or hourly? And how did you find them? I'm in a similar situation and worried about getting overcharged.
Mine charged a flat fee based on the forms needed. She quoted the price upfront after our initial consultation once she understood my situation. Some do charge hourly, especially for more complex situations or ongoing advice throughout the year. I found her through the National Association of Enrolled Agents website (NAEA.org) which has a directory. I interviewed two before choosing. Definitely ask potential tax pros about their experience with your specific situation, their fee structure, and their availability throughout the year if you have questions. A good tax professional should be willing to explain their pricing clearly.
Does anyone know if most CPAs or EAs offer some kind of free initial consultation? I'm not sure if I need help or not and don't want to pay just to find out.
Most of the ones I've contacted do offer free 15-30 minute consultations. Just be prepared with specific questions about your situation so you can make the most of that time. And don't expect detailed tax advice during that free session - it's really more for them to assess your needs and for you to assess if they're a good fit.
Join the conversation
One thing to consider - even though you probably won't owe capital gains tax, you may still have to FILE a tax return to properly document the home sale. The IRS likes to see that paperwork even if no tax is due. You'll need to report the sale on Form 8949 and Schedule D. Make sure you have good records of: - Original purchase price - Substantial improvements you made (can increase your basis) - Selling costs like realtor fees (these reduce your gain
What if the sale price is less than the $250k exclusion amount? Do you still need to file all those forms?
Yes, you still need to file and report the sale even if the gain is well under the exclusion amount. The IRS requires you to report the transaction on Form 8949 and Schedule D regardless of whether you'll ultimately owe any tax on it. This is important because it creates a record of you using the exclusion, and documents that you properly handled the transaction. If you don't report it, the IRS might send you a notice later asking about the sale since they receive information about real estate transactions.
Does anyone know if selling now with no income might actually be BETTER than waiting until you have a job? I'm wondering if the lower income bracket could help somehow, even with the exclusion.
If your gain is under the $250k exclusion, your income level doesn't matter at all - you won't pay tax either way. But if your gain is OVER $250k, then yes, selling during a low-income year could be strategic since any amount above $250k would be taxed at lower capital gains rates.
Join the conversation
Former TurboTax employee here. This was a known issue with the 2018 version. The easiest workaround is to claim the affordability exemption (Code G) instead of the hardship exemption if your income was low enough that insurance would have cost more than 8.05% of your household income for 2018. If you navigate to the Health Insurance section, select "Claim exemptions" and then choose "Coverage was unaffordable" instead of "Hardship," you'll be able to proceed without an ECN. Based on your self-employment income of around $8,100, you should qualify for this exemption anyway.
That's super helpful! Would I need to calculate that 8.05% threshold manually first to make sure I qualify? My total income was only around $8,100 for the year as you mentioned.
With an income of $8,100, you would definitely qualify for the affordability exemption. The calculation is pretty straightforward - 8.05% of $8,100 is about $652. If the annual premium for the lowest-cost plan in your area minus any premium tax credits you'd be eligible for exceeds $652, then coverage would be considered unaffordable. Given your income level, the lowest-cost Bronze plan in almost any region would have cost more than $652 annually after tax credits, so you should easily qualify. TurboTax should actually perform this calculation for you once you select the affordability exemption path and enter your income details.
Has anyone else noticed that TurboTax seems to have more and more issues with each passing year? I had a similar problem with claiming education credits in 2018.
I switched to FreeTaxUSA after years of TurboTax frustration. FreeTaxUSA handled my 2018 hardship exemption correctly right out of the gate. Federal filing is free and state is only $15. Way better than paying $60+ for TurboTax that can't even keep up with tax law changes.
Jessica Nolan
Just to add something I learned the hard way - even if you're a resident alien for tax purposes under the substantial presence test, make sure you check if you qualify for the "closer connection exception" if you genuinely plan to return to your home country after your studies/work. I declared myself as a resident alien and filed that way, then found out I could have maintained nonresident status (which would have been more beneficial in my case due to scholarship taxation differences). Had to file an amended return which was a huge hassle. Also, don't forget that state residency rules can be different from federal! My state doesn't follow the substantial presence test and has its own criteria.
0 coins
Sophie Footman
•This is a good point I hadn't considered! How do you determine if the closer connection exception would apply? I do plan to return to my home country after my co-op, but I'm not sure if that's enough to qualify for the exception.
0 coins
Jessica Nolan
•The closer connection exception requires you to be in the US for less than 183 days in the current year, maintain a tax home in a foreign country, and have a closer connection to that country than to the US. You'd need to file Form 8840 to claim this exception. Since you've been here 5.5 years, including full-time study and now working a co-op, it might be difficult to claim you have a closer connection elsewhere - especially if you've established significant ties here (apartment lease, bank accounts, social connections). The exception works better for people who are truly temporary visitors with minimal US connections. If you're uncertain, this is definitely something to discuss with a tax professional who specializes in international taxation.
0 coins
Angelina Farar
Make sure you understand exactly what "exempt" means in the ADP system! There are different kinds of exemptions and selecting wrong can get you in trouble. "Exempt from withholding" means you expect NO federal income tax liability for the entire year (very rare). "Exempt due to tax treaty" is for specific nonresident alien benefits. If you're truly a resident alien now, you usually shouldn't be selecting either exemption option - you should just fill out the W-4 with your appropriate filing status, adjustments, deductions, etc.
0 coins
Sebastián Stevens
•This is SO important! I selected "exempt" thinking it meant I was exempt from being classified as a nonresident alien (basically saying "I'm exempt from the nonresident rules"). Completely wrong interpretation! Ended up having zero federal tax withheld for 3 months before I caught the error on my paystub. Had to make a huge estimated tax payment to catch up.
0 coins