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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!
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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.
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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!
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Lara Woods
Been trading full-time for 4 years now and have used both regular CPAs and trading specialists. Here's my take: If you're doing 100+ trades a year, particularly with options or futures, a trading specialist is usually worth it. Regular CPAs often mess up wash sales, don't understand the nuances of trader tax status qualification, and miss specialized deductions. That said, $3300 as a MINIMUM seems steep. I use a trading tax specialist who charges $2100 flat for my returns which include trading (500+ trades annually), rental property, and W-2 income. They only charge extra if I need specialized consultation on specific tax strategies. I'd keep shopping around. There are reputable trading tax specialists with more transparent pricing models.
Nathan Kim
ā¢Thanks for sharing your experience! Can you tell me roughly how many trades you do annually and what kinds of securities? I'm doing about 300-400 trades a year, mostly stocks and some options. Also, did your specialist help you with trader tax status qualification or are you filing as an investor?
Lara Woods
ā¢I do about 500-600 trades annually, primarily options on indices and individual stocks, with some futures contracts mixed in. My volume increased significantly over the past two years. My specialist was crucial in helping me properly document and qualify for trader tax status. They guided me through maintaining a separate trading business entity, proper record-keeping for establishing trading as my primary business activity, and documentation of my trading hours and strategy. Without their help, I likely wouldn't have met the requirements convincingly enough for the IRS standard.
Something nobody has mentioned yet - ask if they offer an "audit defense" guarantee with their service. Many trading tax specialists who charge premium rates include this, meaning they'll represent you at no additional cost if you're audited based on returns they prepared. This can be SUPER valuable for traders since trading activity, especially if you're claiming trader tax status, can trigger more scrutiny. When I switched to a trading specialist (I pay about $2800 annually), the peace of mind from knowing they'll handle any audit issues without charging me more was worth the higher upfront cost. Just make sure to get that audit protection in writing and understand exactly what it covers!
100% this. Got audited 2 years ago specifically about my trading activity and trader tax status qualification. My specialist handled EVERYTHING with the IRS without charging a penny more. My buddy who went with a cheap general CPA ended up paying the CPA another $3k just to handle the audit communication. Audit protection is essential for active traders.
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Don't forget about Form 1096! It's basically a cover sheet that you submit to the IRS with your 1099-NECs. A lot of new business owners miss this one. Also, if you're in certain states (CA, NY, NJ especially), check if you need to file state equivalents of the 1099. Some states require separate filings even though the federal 1099 is done.
Is Form 1096 still required if you e-file the 1099s? I thought it was only for paper filing.
You're absolutely right - Form 1096 is only required if you're paper filing your 1099s. If you e-file directly with the IRS, you don't need to submit a 1096. E-filing is actually required if you have more than 10 forms, and it's generally easier anyway. But for a small startup with just a few contractors, either method works.
Quick tip for new LLC owners - start collecting W-9s BEFORE you pay your contractors, not after! I made this mistake and had to chase people down months later. Some contractors disappeared or changed contact info, and it was a nightmare getting their tax information.
Omar Farouk
ā¢This is great advice. I'd also recommend keeping a spreadsheet tracking all contractor payments throughout the year. Makes it way easier when January rolls around and you need to figure out who exceeded the $600 threshold.
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Alice Pierce
One thing nobody mentioned is that you should absolutely file an amended return (Form 1040-X) for that tax year ASAP. Even though you've been audited and received a notice, filing the amended return yourself shows good faith and might help with penalty abatement. Make sure to include a written statement explaining the situation with the late 1099. Also check if you had any additional business expenses related to earning that income - they could offset some of what you owe.
Tyler Murphy
ā¢Wouldn't filing an amended return be redundant at this point? The IRS already knows about the income and has calculated what I owe. Would there be any benefit to going through that process now?
Alice Pierce
ā¢Filing an amended return is still beneficial even after receiving an audit notice. When you file your own amendment, you have the opportunity to present the complete picture of your tax situation - including any deductions or credits related to that income that the IRS might not have considered. The IRS calculation in the notice only adds the income they discovered and recalculates your tax. They don't automatically apply any potential deductions you might be entitled to from that business relationship. By filing Form 1040-X, you're taking control of the narrative rather than just accepting their adjustment.
Esteban Tate
You might want to file Form 843 (Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement) to request elimination of the penalties. I had success with this after a similar situation. The IRS can waive penalties for "reasonable cause" - and while the late 1099 isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card, it does support your case that you were missing information.
I second this. I had penalties waived using Form 843 when I had a similar situation with a late 1099-K from PayPal. Make sure to include dates, copies of when you received the 1099, and a clear explanation. Be super polite and straightforward in your letter!
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Emma Johnson
Something nobody's mentioned - are you checking the "single" filing status or "head of household"? If you're supporting yourself through college, you might qualify for head of household which gives better tax rates. Also, are you claiming the student loan interest deduction if you have any loans? That's an "above the line" deduction you can take even if you don't itemize.
Arjun Kurti
ā¢I've always checked "single" since I'm not married and don't have dependents. Didn't realize head of household might apply! I do have some student loans but they're pretty new. How would I know if I qualify for HOH status?
Emma Johnson
ā¢To qualify for Head of Household, you generally need to be unmarried and pay more than half the cost of keeping up a home for yourself and a qualifying person (like a dependent child). If you live alone or with roommates but don't support a qualifying dependent, you'd still file as Single. For student loan interest, you can deduct up to $2,500 in interest payments per year, depending on your income. You should receive a Form 1098-E from your loan servicer showing how much interest you paid. Even new loans can generate interest while you're in school, so definitely look into this!
Liam Brown
Have you checked if your employer is withholding properly? I had this exact issue and found out my company's payroll system was calculating my withholding incorrectly. Ask for a copy of your W-4 on file and make sure it matches what you think you submitted. Also, if you have multiple jobs or income sources, that can mess things up too.
This! My employer had me as "married" instead of "single" on my W-4 for some reason, which meant they were withholding at a lower rate. Took me three years to figure this out! Check your paystub and see what filing status they're using for your withholding.
Chloe Martin
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned ATX. It's what I use for my small tax business, and it's much more affordable than TaxAct. Think it was around $800 for the basic package that covers all individual returns including Schedule C. The interface isn't super modern but it's functional and their support is decent. They also have a pay-per-return option if you're just starting out.
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Natasha Volkova
ā¢Does ATX include all the forms I'd need for basic 1040s with some small business clients? And do they offer any kind of training or is it mostly learn-as-you-go?
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Chloe Martin
ā¢Yes, the basic package includes everything you'll need for 1040s including all schedules (A, B, C, D, E) and common small business forms. They actually have pretty good built-in help content - when you're on a specific form, you can access relevant IRS instructions and explanations right there. They do offer some training webinars too, usually around the beginning of tax season. The learning curve isn't too steep if you already have some tax knowledge. Their customer service can help with software questions, but they won't give tax advice (no software company really does that for liability reasons).
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Diego Rojas
One thing to consider - whatever software you choose, factor in the cost of tax research resources too! I learned this the hard way. You'll inevitably get client situations where you need to look up regulations or rulings. Tax Act Pro is decent for the price, but I ended up subscribing to TheTaxBook online ($90/year) for research. Made a huge difference in my confidence level with more complex returns.
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Anastasia Sokolov
ā¢Absolutely agree about need for research tools! I use both TheTaxBook and sometimes CCH answers when things get complex. Do you think the online version of TheTaxBook is better than the physical books? I'm old school and like having the paper versions.
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