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
One thing nobody's mentioned is that if your relative decides to file Form 3115, they'll need to calculate the correct depreciation basis from when they FIRST converted the property to rental use, not from today. This means figuring out the lower of: 1) Original purchase price + improvements - land value 2) Fair market value when converted to rental use - land value Then they apply the appropriate depreciation schedule (typically 27.5 years straight-line for residential rental property). I made this mistake when fixing my missed depreciation and had to redo everything. Make sure they get the starting basis right!
What if they don't know what the fair market value was when they started renting it? Is there a way to figure that out after the fact? My property was inherited so I have no idea what it was worth when I started renting it out 8 years ago.
You can establish the fair market value retroactively. One approach is to look at comparable sales in the same neighborhood around that time period. Real estate websites sometimes have historical data, or you could ask a realtor to help with a retroactive market analysis. You could also check property tax assessments from that year, though these are often lower than actual market values. Typically you'd take the assessed value and apply a multiplier based on your county's assessment ratio. Another option is to get a professional retroactive appraisal. Some appraisers specialize in this. It costs money but provides good documentation if you're ever audited.
Quick warning to the OP - I was in almost the exact situation (missed depreciation on a duplex for 7 years). When I filed Form 3115, it triggered a correspondence audit. Not saying it will happen to your relative, but they should be prepared with good records just in case. The audit wasn't terrible, but I had to provide: purchase documents, proof when I converted to rental use, rental income records, and documentation of my depreciation calculations. Everything worked out fine in the end, but it was stressful for a few months.
How did you calculate the land value portion? That's the part I'm stuck on with my rental. I know you can't depreciate the land, but I'm not sure how to determine what percentage is land vs building.
Join the conversation
There's another historical reason for the marriage penalty that hasn't been mentioned yet. The tax system was originally designed when most households had a single income earner. When the system was created, giving married couples higher brackets and deductions made sense because one income supported multiple people. As women entered the workforce in greater numbers, two-income marriages became more common, but the tax code didn't fully adjust. There was also some social engineering at play - some policymakers believed tax benefits should go to "traditional" family structures. The technical term for the issue is "joint return stacking" - when two individual incomes are "stacked" together, progressive tax rates push more income into higher brackets compared to filing separately.
This is really interesting history! Do you know if other countries handle this differently? Like do European countries have marriage penalties too?
Many European countries use individual taxation regardless of marital status, which eliminates the marriage penalty entirely. Countries like the UK, Sweden, and Spain tax individuals rather than couples, so getting married doesn't change your tax situation. Some countries like France use a family quotient system where total household income is divided by the number of family members (with children counting as partial members) before applying tax rates. This creates marriage bonuses rather than penalties. Germany has a system where married couples can effectively split their income evenly for tax purposes, which benefits couples with disparate incomes but is neutral for equal earners. The US system is actually unusual in how it potentially penalizes dual-income married couples compared to most developed nations.
Something nobody's mentioned is that the marriage penalty isn't just about tax brackets! It also hits with phase-outs for deductions and credits. For example, two single people earning $70k each ($140k total) might qualify for certain deductions that phase out at $100k for singles. But as a married couple with $140k combined, they'd be over the married phase-out threshold if it's less than $200k. This happens with student loan interest deductions, Roth IRA contribution limits, and lots of other benefits. These phase-outs often don't double for married couples.
Omg yes! This is exactly what happened to us with student loan interest! When we were both single we could each deduct our student loan interest, but after marriage we lost most of the deduction because of the phase-out. Wasn't expecting that at all!
That must have been an unpleasant surprise! The student loan interest deduction is a perfect example - singles can deduct up to $2,500 if their income is under $85,000 (phasing out starting at $70,000). But for married couples, it starts phasing out at $145,000 and completely disappears at $175,000. So two people each making $75,000 would get partial deductions as singles, but married they might get nothing. It's these little details that can really add up to a significant marriage penalty that goes beyond just the tax brackets themselves.
Join the conversation
Has anyone tried the IRS Direct File pilot program? I heard they're expanding it for 2025 and it's completely free with no income limits. Curious if it's user friendly or if it's basically just like using the forms directly.
I was in one of the test states last year. It's pretty basic but works fine for simple returns. The interface is clean but there's minimal guidance - it basically asks you questions and fills in the forms. No fancy explanations or hand-holding like commercial software. The big limitation is it doesn't support all tax situations yet. I couldn't use it because I had HSA contributions. But if you have W-2 income, some 1099 interest, and standard deduction, it works perfectly fine. And you can't beat the price!
One thing to consider - sometimes the paid versions DO get you more money back if your situation is complicated. I switched from TurboTax to H&R Block last year and got an extra $720 back because their question sequence helped me realize I qualified for the Lifetime Learning Credit that TurboTax somehow missed. So maybe try running your info through a couple different free options before filing?
I've had the opposite experience. I did a test last year and entered identical info in TurboTax, H&R Block and FreeTaxUSA. All three gave me exactly the same refund amount. The difference was TurboTax wanted $120, H&R Block wanted $75, and FreeTaxUSA only charged $15 for state filing (federal was free). Tax math is tax math - a deduction or credit works the same way regardless of which software you use.
Join the conversation
In my experience as someone who's been through several audits, just pay it and move on. If the mistake was genuinely a typo, then amending would show the same result anyway. The $200 interest is pretty standard - remember that money has time value, and you essentially had an interest-free loan from the government for 5 years. One thing to consider: check if your state tax was also affected by this typo. Often errors on federal returns impact state returns too, and you might have a state tax notice coming as well.
Good point about the state tax! I didn't even think of that. How long would the state typically take to catch up after an IRS audit?
States usually find out within a year after the IRS audit is completed. The IRS and state tax authorities share information, though the timing varies by state. Some states automatically adjust your state tax when they receive info about federal changes, while others require you to file an amended state return within a specific timeframe (usually 30-90 days) after your federal adjustment. If I were you, I'd be proactive and check with your state tax department now. It's always better to address it early rather than let additional interest accumulate if you do owe more.
I had almost the exact same situation! Freaked out when I got the audit letter but it was just a stupid typo on my W-2 transcription. I was wondering about amending vs just paying too.
I'd just pay it. In my experience, amending old returns is a headache and often triggers more scrutiny. Plus you'd still owe the interest regardless.
Alexis Robinson
Did you recently file for bankruptcy? If not, that 1099-C with Code A might be wrong. I had a creditor send me a 1099-C with Code A even though my debt was settled through a debt management program, not bankruptcy. Had to call them to get a corrected 1099-C with the right code.
0 coins
Aaron Lee
•I see this happening a lot actually. The coding on 1099-Cs is often wrong! Another common mistake is using Code B (insolvency) when it should be Code A (bankruptcy) or vice versa. Always double-check these forms because the codes determine how you'll need to complete Form 982.
0 coins
Chloe Mitchell
Yes to your question! If the 1099-C has Code A in Box 6, that means the creditor is reporting the debt was canceled in a bankruptcy. Line 1a on Form 982 corresponds to discharge of debt in a Title 11 case (which means bankruptcy). So check line 1a. As for why they issue the forms at all - it's because the IRS requires creditors to report ALL canceled debt over $600, regardless of whether it's taxable or not. The 1099-C doesn't determine taxability; it just reports the cancellation. You then determine if it's excludable on your tax return using Form 982.
0 coins