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 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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
Oliver Weber
With your income levels (~$230k + $105k), you're definitely going to want to file jointly. I'm a financial advisor and run these calculations all the time. MFJ will almost certainly be better than MFS in your situation. Regarding the Roth 401ks - just make sure you're not exceeding income limits. For 2025 filing, the income phase-out for Roth IRA contributions starts at $230k for MFJ. Your 401ks should be fine though.
Ava Williams
ā¢Thanks for the advice! Just to clarify - are there income limits for Roth 401k contributions? I thought those were just for Roth IRAs.
Oliver Weber
ā¢You're absolutely right, and I should have been clearer. There are no income limits for Roth 401k contributions - those limits only apply to Roth IRAs. With your combined income, you would likely be in the phase-out range for direct Roth IRA contributions, but your Roth 401k contributions are completely fine regardless of income level. That's one advantage of the 401k version.
Has anyone considered that they might be better off delaying the house purchase until they figure out their tax situation? My wife and I bought in 2024 and it completely changed our tax planning.
I wouldn't delay a major life decision like buying a house just for tax reasons. The benefits of homeownership typically outweigh any short-term tax optimization.
Good point. I guess I was just thinking about our experience where the timing of our home purchase affected which year we could first claim certain deductions. But you're right - probably not worth delaying such a major life decision.
Join the conversation
Yara Haddad
One thing nobody's mentioned yet - make sure you keep documentation about your mom living there all these years. The IRS might question why you're selling a property that wasn't your primary residence but also wasn't a rental property. Utility bills in her name, mail addressed to her at that address, her driver's license showing that address, etc. would all help establish that she was the actual resident even though you were the owner. You should definitely keep these records with your tax documents.
Would this documentation help reduce any tax liability though? Or is it just to explain the unusual situation if questioned?
Yara Haddad
ā¢It's primarily to explain the unusual situation if questioned during an audit. The documentation itself won't reduce your tax liability, as the property will still be treated as a non-primary residence for capital gains purposes. However, having this documentation ready could prevent potential complications if the IRS questions why you owned a property that wasn't your primary residence but also wasn't generating rental income. Without proper explanation, they might incorrectly assume it was an unreported rental property, which could trigger a more extensive audit.
Paolo Conti
Don't forget to check if your state has any different rules about this kind of property sale! Federal is one thing but some states have their own wrinkles. In NY where I am, there were additional forms needed for non-primary residence sales that my accountant almost missed.
Amina Sow
ā¢Good point! In California we have totally different rules for property tax reassessments when property transfers between family members. The fed and state systems barely talk to each other.
Join the conversation
Naila Gordon
Former tax preparer here - a tip most people don't know: if you filed through ANY paid tax preparation service (H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, local CPA, etc.), they are required by law to keep copies of your returns for at least 3 years. Call the office where you filed, and they can print you a complete copy, usually for a small fee (typically $25-50). This is often faster than going through the IRS, especially during busy periods. Just bring ID when you pick it up since it's sensitive information.
I appreciate the tip! Unfortunately I used TurboTax and did it myself online, but I'm still trying to figure out their system to download old returns. Their website navigation is not very intuitive. Do you know if online services like TurboTax have the same 3-year retention policy?
Naila Gordon
ā¢Online services like TurboTax typically store your returns for even longer than 3 years - many keep them for 7+ years. The challenge is usually navigating their interface to find them. For TurboTax specifically, after logging in, click on your name in the top right corner, then "Tax Returns & Documents." From that screen, you should see all your past returns with a "Download/Print PDF" option. If you're still having trouble, their customer support can guide you through it - they're pretty responsive if you use their chat feature.
Cynthia Love
If you're really in a pinch, call the Spanish university's international student office directly. I had a similar issue with a UK university, and when I explained the situation, they were willing to accept alternative documentation (my W-2 forms combined with the transcript). Sometimes they just need to verify your income/employment and can be flexible about the exact format. Worth a try before you go through all the hassle with the IRS!
This is seriously good advice! My son had the same issue with a German university, and when he called them directly, they told him the transcript plus his W-2s would be sufficient. Saved weeks of stress and waiting.
Join the conversation
Just to add a practical tip - when you mail in a return with zero income that's only claiming the recovery rebate credit, write "RECOVERY REBATE CREDIT ONLY" in big letters at the top of the first page of the 1040. This helps the IRS route it properly and can speed up processing. Also, use certified mail with tracking so you can prove when it was sent and received. The IRS is still dealing with massive backlogs, and these paper returns sometimes get lost in the shuffle.
Kylo Ren
ā¢Thanks for this advice! Would regular certified mail be good enough, or should I do certified mail with return receipt? And should my friend expect to wait a long time to get the rebate after filing?
Regular certified mail with tracking is sufficient - you just need proof it was delivered. Return receipt is extra protection but not strictly necessary. Your friend should definitely expect to wait several months for the rebate after filing. Zero-income returns claiming only the recovery rebate credit typically get flagged for manual review, which adds processing time. Current estimates I've seen suggest 3-6 months for these special case paper returns, though it could be shorter or longer depending on the IRS backlog at the time of filing. Make sure your friend keeps a complete copy of everything submitted so they can follow up if needed.
Sophie Duck
Has anybody had this experience? My sister filed a return like this last year just to claim her missing stimulus, and she got a letter from the IRS asking for ID verification before they would process it. She had to upload her ID through the IRS website and answer some questions to prove her identity.
Yes! This happened to my roommate too. It's actually pretty common for zero income returns claiming the rebate. The IRS is super cautious about fraud with these payments. He had to use the ID.me service to verify his identity. Once he did that, the payment was processed in about 4 weeks.
Connor Gallagher
Another key difference - cost! Tax lawyers typically charge $300-500/hour while CPAs are usually $150-350/hour. For routine tax prep and planning, a CPA is much more cost-effective. Save the lawyer for when you have actual legal tax problems.
0 coins
Yara Sayegh
ā¢Is it ever worth paying for both at the same time? Like could they work together on a complicated situation?
0 coins
Connor Gallagher
ā¢Absolutely! In complex situations, having both professionals work together can be extremely beneficial. For example, if you're creating a complex estate plan or setting up a business with significant tax implications, your CPA can provide the financial projections and tax calculations while your tax attorney ensures the legal structures are optimal. Many high-net-worth individuals and businesses have both a CPA and tax attorney on their professional team. They typically use the CPA for ongoing tax work and consult the attorney for specific legal tax matters. The cost is justified when the potential tax savings or risk mitigation significantly outweighs the professional fees.
0 coins
Keisha Johnson
A huge difference nobody mentioned is attorney-client privilege! If there's ANY chance you've done something the IRS might consider suspicious or fraudulent, DO NOT discuss it with a CPA. They can be forced to testify against you. Only communications with a tax attorney are protected by privilege.
0 coins
Paolo Longo
ā¢This is so important! I learned this the hard way when my CPA had to provide information to the IRS during my audit. Nothing illegal, but certainly embarrassing and led to more scrutiny.
0 coins