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
When I started getting contractor income, my taxes got way more complicated. That "selecting" section might be about selecting if you had self-employment income. If you're using tax software, just answer honestly about having contractor income and it should guide you through the right sections. The most important thing is keeping good records of any business expenses. Even if you just drive for Uber on weekends or do some freelance work, track your miles, supplies, portion of phone bill, etc. These deductions can significantly reduce what you owe on that income.
Is there an easy way to track all this stuff for next year? I'm just starting some side gig work and tax season already seems daunting.
just so you know, that contractor income means you'll probably owe more taxes than you're expecting. I made that mistake my first year - didn't set aside enough and got hit with a big bill. selfemployment tax is like 15% on top of regular income tax!! make sure to look into quarterly estimated payments for next year if you're continuing the contractor work. otherwise you might get hit with penalties too. wish someone had told me this my first time!
Oh no, I had no idea about the extra tax! Do you think I'll owe a lot on $3,400 of contractor income? I'm already getting a small refund from my W-2 job so I was hoping that would cover any extra taxes.
on $3,400 you're looking at around $480 just for self-employment tax (social security and medicare) before regular income tax. your refund might cover it, but it's definitely eating into what you would have gotten back. for next year, a good rule of thumb is to set aside about 25-30% of any contractor income for taxes. and yeah once you hit around $1000 in expected tax liability from self-employment, you're supposed to make quarterly payments to avoid underpayment penalties. it's a pain but better than a surprise bill!
Join the conversation
If your trust is really simple, I've used TurboTax Business for my family's trust for the past 3 years. It's not cheap (around $200) but still way less than an accountant. The interface is pretty easy if you have basic info like: - Trust's income sources (interest, dividends, etc) - Any expenses the trust paid - Info about distributions to beneficiaries Just make sure you have the right TurboTax version - the regular one won't do 1041s.
Thanks for the TurboTax suggestion. The $200 price tag is definitely more reasonable than $850! Is there a significant learning curve the first time you use it for trust returns? I'm trying to gauge how much time I should set aside to figure this out.
The first year took me about 3 hours to get everything set up and understand how the trust taxation works. The software walks you through everything step by step, but there are some trust-specific concepts that take a bit to wrap your head around. The second and third years were much faster - maybe 45 minutes total since all the trust's basic information was already saved in the system. If your trust has straightforward income like interest or dividends, it's pretty manageable. The only tricky parts tend to be understanding when income is taxed at the trust level versus passed through to beneficiaries.
Gonna throw out a different suggestion - check if your local library has a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program. Some locations have volunteers certified to do basic trust returns, especially if the trust income is mainly from interest, dividends, or basic investments. Totally free service and might be worth checking into!
VITA programs typically only handle basic 1040s with income under certain limits. I've never seen one that handles fiduciary returns like 1041s for trusts. Are you sure about this info?
Join the conversation
Former tax pro here. That quote is high but not outrageous given your situation and the Bay Area location. Here's what you can do: 1) Ask for an itemized breakdown of their services and associated costs. See if you can remove the review of past returns and consultations if you don't feel you need them. 2) Get at least 2 more quotes from other CPAs. Tax prep costs vary widely even within the same region. 3) Consider a tax pro who specializes in tech workers with RSUs - they'll be more efficient with your situation. For what it's worth, multi-state filing with RSUs at your income level is definitely complex and likely warrants professional help, but you should be able to find someone in the $2-3k range for just preparation of your current return.
Thanks for the insider perspective! If I do decide to just prep this year's return, can I still benefit from their expertise without paying for the full package? I'm worried that if I don't get the multi-year review, I might miss something important from previous years.
You absolutely can benefit from their expertise on just this year's return. A good tax professional will naturally flag any concerning items they notice while preparing your current return, even without doing a formal review of previous years. If they spot something that looks like it might have been an issue in prior years, they'll mention it to you. Then you can decide whether it's worth paying for a more thorough review of those specific past returns. This more targeted approach often saves money while still addressing the most important issues.
Have you considered a middle ground like H&R Block's premium service? They have CPAs and enrolled agents who handle complex returns with investment income and multi-state filing. Might cost around $500-800 which is way less than your quote but more thorough than basic TurboTax.
I used H&R Block's premium service for a similar situation (RSUs and multiple states) and it was a disaster. They missed several deductions and didn't properly account for the double taxation issues between states. Had to file an amended return with a real CPA later. Would not recommend for truly complex situations.
Join the conversation
One thing nobody's mentioned yet - the timing requirements for a 1031 exchange are super strict. You have 45 days to identify potential replacement properties and 180 days to close on the new property. If you miss either deadline, the whole exchange fails and becomes taxable. Also, you need to use a Qualified Intermediary to handle the funds - you can never touch the money yourself during the exchange or it becomes taxable. The QI will hold the proceeds from your sale and use them to purchase the replacement property. Given your multiple property strategy, you really need to map out the exact timing of each transaction to make sure everything qualifies as you expect.
Do you have any recommendations for a good Qualified Intermediary? Also, can you partially do a 1031? Like if I sell for $700k but only want to reinvest $500k, can I just pay taxes on the $200k difference?
I've used IPX1031 for my exchanges and they were very professional, but there are many reputable QIs out there. I'd suggest asking your real estate agent or attorney for local recommendations since you'll want someone familiar with your state's requirements. Yes, you can absolutely do a partial 1031 exchange. If you sell for $700k and only reinvest $500k, you'd pay taxes on the $200k difference (called "boot" in 1031 terminology). Just be aware that the mortgage rules get a bit tricky - if your debt goes down too much in the exchange, that reduction in debt can also be considered boot. So if you had a $400k mortgage on the old property but only get a $200k mortgage on the new one, that $200k reduction in debt might be taxable as well.
I went through almost this exact scenario last year. One thing to consider is that the "non-qualified use" rules have an important exception: periods where the property was used as a rental AFTER it was your primary residence don't count as "non-qualified use." But in your case, since you're going from rental→rental→primary, the gains from the original property would still be fully taxable when you eventually sell, regardless of how long you live there. The strategy that worked better for me was moving into my rental for 2 years FIRST, then doing the 1031 exchange from my new primary into another property that I then rented out. Different sequence, but much better tax outcome.
Thanks for sharing your experience! So if I understand correctly, it would be better tax-wise to: 1. Move into my current rental for 2+ years 2. Sell it as a primary residence (getting partial exclusion based on % of personal use) 3. Then do a 1031 on the taxable portion into a new rental property? That's an interesting approach I hadn't considered. Would definitely save on transaction costs too since I'd only be selling two properties instead of three in my original plan.
Yes, that's exactly right! By moving into your rental first, you establish it as a primary residence. Then when you sell, you can take the $250k exclusion on the portion of appreciation allocated to your personal use (based on time). The remaining portion (from the rental period) would still be taxable, but that's where you can use the 1031 exchange to defer those taxes by rolling that portion into a new investment property. This approach is much cleaner tax-wise and as you noted, reduces your transaction costs significantly. Just make sure you keep very clear records of when the property usage changed and get a good appraisal at the time you convert it from rental to primary to establish the value at conversion.
Nia Wilson
One thing to keep in mind - the deadline for providing 1099-NEC to contractors is January 31, but you have until February 28 for paper filing to the IRS (March 31 if filing electronically). So you might still have time depending on when you're reading this. Also, don't forget you need the contractor's W-9 form before filing the 1099-NEC. If you don't have their correct TIN (tax ID number), you could face penalties for incorrect information.
0 coins
Omar Zaki
•Thanks for this clarification! The deadline thing was confusing me. I do have their W-9s collected already, so that part is covered at least. Do you know if there's any benefit to filing electronically versus paper, assuming I can get either done by the right deadline?
0 coins
Nia Wilson
•Filing electronically has several advantages over paper filing. First, you get that extra month (until March 31) to file with the IRS. Second, electronic filing significantly reduces the chance of errors since validation checks happen automatically. Third, you get immediate confirmation that your forms were received, unlike paper filing where you have no proof of receipt. Also, if you have to file 1099s for more than 10 contractors, you're required to file electronically anyway. Even with fewer forms, electronic filing is generally faster, more secure, and gives you better records for your business.
0 coins
Mateo Sanchez
Another thing to consider - if you're using accounting software like QuickBooks, they usually have 1099 preparation built in. You can e-file directly through their system if you've been tracking your contractor payments correctly throughout the year. I've used this for the past 3 years and it's super simple - the system generates all the forms automatically based on how you've categorized payments. Worth checking if you're already using any accounting software!
0 coins
Aisha Mahmood
•Is this true for the cheaper versions of QuickBooks too? I have QB Self-Employed and wasn't sure if that includes 1099 filing or if it's only in the more expensive tiers.
0 coins