Did you give notice or just walk out? I'm worried about how to handle it professionally if I do decide to leave. Also, were you able to use the tax experience on your resume effectively even though you didn't finish the season?

I gave one week's notice, which was less than they wanted but all I could handle mentally. I was honest but professional - just said the hours and stress were more than I anticipated and affecting my health. My direct supervisor was actually understanding even if upper management wasn't thrilled. I absolutely still list the experience on my resume! I just write the months I worked there (Jan-March) without drawing attention to the fact I left before April 15. During interviews, if asked directly, I'm honest that the 70+ hour weeks were not sustainable with my health, but I emphasize what I learned. Most interviewers seem to respect the honesty rather than seeing it as a red flag.

Most tax prep places already require using their specific software. The software itself isn't usually the problem - it's the volume of clients, unrealistic appointment scheduling, and dealing with people who are stressed about money and taking it out on you.

I actually used a small local tax preparer last year who has since closed their business. I tried reaching out to them directly but their phone is disconnected. I don't have access to whatever software they used. That would've been the easy solution!

That's unfortunate about your preparer closing shop. In that case, the transcript route others suggested is probably your best bet. For the future, I'd recommend always saving a PDF copy of your complete return somewhere secure like a password-protected cloud storage. I learned that lesson the hard way too. I've had good experiences with the IRS transcript system for basic stuff, but for something specific like Form 5329, you might need to go with one of the other suggestions here to get the full details.

Good question. I've had to reference previous 5329s when dealing with multiple years of early withdrawals. The IRS sometimes gets confused about which tax years penalties have already been paid for.

That's a really good point. Do they usually send these out at tax time or should I ask for something now before investing?

Most firms will provide some basic tax information when you first invest that explains the general tax implications. Then toward tax season (usually January-March), they'll send out more specific guidance along with any required tax forms. I'd recommend asking them for any tax overview documents before you invest, since that might help ease your concerns. They should be able to explain what forms you'll receive, approximate timing, and the general tax treatment of their specific investment products.

This is solid advice! I'd also add that you should keep really good records of when you invested and how much. Makes tax time way less stressful.

Thanks for mentioning this. I asked her and surprisingly, she says she's never received any notices from the IRS questioning her filing status. Which seems weird to me? Wouldn't they automatically catch that we're married but filing differently?

The IRS system isn't as automated and efficient as people think. They have matching programs that flag obvious discrepancies like reported income not matching W-2s, but filing status verification is more complex and often requires human review. The IRS is severely understaffed and underfunded, so many issues that should be caught slip through. This doesn't mean you're in the clear though - they can still discover it during a random audit or if another issue triggers a review of her returns. The fact that she hasn't received notices yet is actually pretty common, but doesn't mean it won't become a problem later.

This is crucial. If you've been claiming the same dependents on your return while she's also claiming them as HOH, that's definitely going to raise red flags for the IRS.

Oh that's a really good point I hadn't considered! I did have some taxes taken out of my paychecks that year. Do you know if I'd still be able to get that money back even though it's been a few years?

Yes, you can still get that money back! For 2018 returns, you have until April 15, 2022 to file and claim any refund owed to you. After that date, any unclaimed refund becomes property of the Treasury. If you're due a refund, there's actually no penalty for filing late. The penalties only apply when you owe taxes. So this might be a win-win - you comply with the IRS request and potentially get some money back at the same time.

Also worth noting that if you had self-employment income over $400, you're required to file too, even if your total income is below the standard threshold. Made that mistake my first year doing gig work.