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
Lucy Taylor
Just to add some important info about 1099-Cs that others haven't mentioned - even when debt is cancelled and you get a 1099-C, there are several exclusions that might help avoid the tax hit: 1) Bankruptcy - Debts discharged through bankruptcy aren't considered taxable income 2) Insolvency - If you were "insolvent" (debts exceeded assets) when the debt was cancelled 3) Qualified Principal Residence Indebtedness - For certain home mortgage debt (though this exclusion has changed in recent years) 4) Certain farm debts 5) Non-recourse loans Your friend needs to understand that the 1099-C isn't a magic bullet to STOP foreclosure, but knowing about these exclusions might help with the tax consequences afterward. Either way, he needs to talk to the mortgage company ASAP and possibly a tax professional too.
The Qualified Principal Residence exclusion has been extended again, right? I thought it expired but then Congress renewed it. Do you know what the current status is?
Lucy Taylor
ā¢Yes, you're right about the Qualified Principal Residence Indebtedness exclusion. It has gone through several extensions. The Consolidated Appropriations Act extended it through December 31, 2025, but reduced the maximum amount of excluded debt from $2 million to $750,000 ($375,000 for married filing separately). This is definitely good news for homeowners facing foreclosure, but it only applies to debt used to buy, build, or substantially improve your principal residence. If the mortgage included cash-out refinancing used for other purposes (like credit card debt or vacations), that portion wouldn't qualify for the exclusion.
KhalilStar
Is your friend talking about some kind of "debt elimination scheme" where people claim they can create/file a 1099-C themselves to eliminate debt? If so, please warn him that this is a known tax SCAM that the IRS has explicitly warned about! Some shady "tax consultants" sell programs claiming you can issue your own 1099-C to "discharge" your debts. This is 100% illegal and the IRS considers it fraud. People who have tried this have faced serious penalties and even criminal charges. Only the lender can issue a legitimate 1099-C when THEY decide to cancel a debt. Your friend cannot create one himself to make his mortgage disappear. Please make sure he understands this before he gets into serious trouble!
Oh man, this might actually be what he's talking about! He mentioned something about "filing" the 1099-C himself, which confused me because I thought only banks could issue those. He said he found some guy online who helps people "eliminate mortgage debt" this way for a fee. I'm definitely going to warn him - last thing he needs on top of losing his house is getting in trouble with the IRS!
KhalilStar
ā¢You absolutely need to warn him immediately. This is a well-known scam that the IRS actively pursues. These "debt elimination specialists" typically charge thousands of dollars for worthless advice that can lead to serious consequences. The IRS has specifically identified these self-filed 1099-C schemes in their "Dirty Dozen" tax scams list. People who follow this advice can face penalties for filing fraudulent tax documents, back taxes with interest, and in serious cases, criminal prosecution. Some victims have ended up owing even more money than they started with after penalties and interest were applied.
Join the conversation
My dad went through something similar with a CP2000 payment earlier this year. His check didn't get cashed for almost 8 weeks! What we did was take pictures of the check before sending it, along with the envelope and the CP2000 response letter. We also went to the post office and got a Certificate of Mailing (costs like $1.50) which proves the date it was sent. When the IRS finally did process everything, they tried to add interest for the "late" payment, but we were able to fax them the Certificate of Mailing showing it was sent on time. They ended up removing the additional interest charges. The important thing is to document EVERYTHING. Don't stop payment unless absolutely necessary because that just complicates things further.
Carmen Vega
ā¢Thanks for mentioning the Certificate of Mailing option! I didn't know that was a thing. Did you have to request the interest removal specifically or did they do it automatically once they saw your documentation?
We definitely had to request the interest removal specifically - nothing happens automatically with the IRS! We had to call (took forever to get through) and explain the situation, then fax the Certificate of Mailing to the number they provided. It took about 3 weeks after sending the fax for them to process the adjustment and remove the interest charges. The key was getting a specific reference number for our request when we called, so we could follow up if needed.
Just wondering - did your relatives send the check to the correct IRS address? Different types of payments go to different processing centers. I made the mistake of sending a CP2000 payment to the regular tax payment address once, and it took MONTHS to get sorted out because it went to the wrong department.
Dylan Cooper
ā¢This is such an important point. The IRS has like a dozen different addresses, and they change sometimes too! I always double-check the address on the actual notice rather than using a general IRS address.
Join the conversation
Mia Alvarez
I've used FreeTaxUSA for the last 4 years and it's been fantastic. The federal filing is completely free, and state is only $15 which is way better than TurboTax or H&R Block's ridiculous upsells. The interface is straightforward without all the flashy marketing stuff. I tried VITA once but they couldn't handle my side gig income. If your taxes are simple though, they're great. Just make sure to bring ALL your documents - they're super thorough. I've never heard of GetYourRefund but if it's connected to VITA then it should be legitimate.
Does FreeTaxUSA handle self-employment income well? I started driving for Uber this year and I'm worried about messing up all the deductions.
Mia Alvarez
ā¢Yes, FreeTaxUSA handles self-employment income really well. They walk you through all the potential deductions for your specific situation. For Uber specifically, they'll guide you through vehicle expenses (standard mileage rate vs. actual expenses), phone costs, and other deductions. Just make sure you've been tracking your mileage carefully - that's usually the biggest deduction for rideshare drivers. Also keep receipts for things like car washes, snacks for passengers, etc. FreeTaxUSA has a pretty good checklist for self-employment expenses that will help you maximize your deductions.
Sophia Long
Honestly, i used to pay H&R Block like $200 every year but switched to FreeTaxUSA last year and my refund was exactly the same lol. Only difference was i kept that $200 in my pocket!! The "paid" services are DEFINITELY not worth it if your taxes are basic. They just run the same numbers through the same formulas. Only reason to pay someone is if you have complicated stuff like investments, rental properties, or own a business.
That was my experience too! They act like they're doing some magic calculation that gets you more money, but tax laws are tax laws. If you can follow basic instructions, the free services work just as well.
Join the conversation
3 One additional consideration - if your business buys the vehicle instead of you personally, there are different rules. My S-Corp actually purchased my vehicle, and we were able to take advantage of bonus depreciation. Talk to your CPA about Section 179 deductions too if vehicle weight is over 6,000 lbs. Just be aware that if the company owns the vehicle, any personal use needs to be tracked as a taxable fringe benefit to you. We track this using a mileage log and then calculate the personal use value using IRS tables. This gets added to my W-2 at year end. For many S-Corps, this can actually be more advantageous than personal ownership with reimbursement, but it really depends on your specific situation and driving patterns.
10 How difficult is the paperwork for having your S-Corp own the vehicle? I'm considering this approach for my next car purchase.
3 The paperwork isn't particularly difficult. The vehicle is purchased and registered in the company name, and you'll need commercial auto insurance rather than personal insurance. Your S-Corp makes the payments directly. The main ongoing requirement is diligent record-keeping. You must maintain a mileage log distinguishing between business and personal use. At year-end, your accountant will calculate the value of your personal use based on IRS rules (there are a few different methods), and this amount gets added to your W-2 as taxable compensation. The company can still deduct all vehicle expenses and take depreciation (potentially including Section 179 if applicable). The biggest considerations are making sure this approach makes financial sense based on your business use percentage and having the discipline to maintain proper documentation. Many business owners find it worthwhile, but it's definitely something to discuss with your tax advisor based on your specific circumstances.
22 Whatever you do, make sure you keep DETAILED mileage logs. I got audited last year and that was the first thing they asked for. I had been lazy with tracking and just estimated. Ended up losing about $4,300 in deductions that I had claimed but couldn't substantiate with proper records. Lesson learned the hard way!
9 What kind of mileage log did the IRS accept? Is a spreadsheet enough or do you need something more official?
AaliyahAli
Just a heads up - when I filed my W7 with multiple years of returns, they processed the returns in order (oldest first). Make sure both returns are completely filled out with "ITIN Applied For" written where the SSN would go. Also, if you're claiming any refundable credits, be prepared for additional scrutiny.
0 coins
Ellie Simpson
ā¢Do you remember how long it took to process everything? I'm concerned because one of my returns has a refund I really need.
0 coins
AaliyahAli
ā¢My entire process took about 3.5 months from submission to receiving the ITIN and having both returns processed. The first return (older one) was processed about 2 weeks after I received my ITIN letter, and the second return was processed about 2 weeks after that. If you're counting on that refund, just be prepared for the wait. Unfortunately, there's no way to expedite the process unless you qualify for one of the very specific expedite criteria (which most people don't).
0 coins
Arjun Kurti
Quick question - I'm in a similar situation but I actually have THREE years of returns I need to file with a W7. Has anyone done more than two at once? Is there a limit?
0 coins
Oscar O'Neil
ā¢There's no official limit to how many years you can attach to a W7 application, but I typically don't recommend more than three years at once. The package gets unwieldy, and the more complex your submission, the higher the chances of processing errors.
0 coins