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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!
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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!
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Rudy Cenizo
Here's what people aren't mentioning - the type of settlement matters HUGELY for how it's taxed. If your settlement was for physical injuries or illness, that part is generally NOT taxable (even the attorney portion). If it was for emotional distress, lost wages, or punitive damages, different rules apply. What was your settlement for? That makes all the difference in whether you pay taxes on the full amount or not. Some settlements are completely tax-free while others are fully taxable.
It was an employment lawsuit - wrongful termination and some back wages. Does that change things? I'm still confused about whether I need to itemize to deduct the attorney fees or if I can take the standard deduction AND still deduct the attorney portion somehow.
Rudy Cenizo
ā¢That's actually good news! For employment-related lawsuits including wrongful termination, you can deduct your attorney fees as an "above-the-line" deduction. This means you can still take the standard deduction AND deduct your attorney fees. You'll want to look at Schedule 1, Line 24 "Other adjustments" and write "ATTORNEY FEES" next to it with the amount. This way you're not taxed on money that went straight to your attorney. Employment cases specifically have this special treatment thanks to a tax law change that was made specifically to address this unfair situation.
Natalie Khan
The issue isn't just with settlements - it's with our stupid tax code in general. You're being double-taxed on money you never received! Your lawyer also pays taxes on that same money as income. So the government gets to tax the same dollar twice. And depending on your income level and state, you might end up paying 40%+ in taxes on money that you never even saw. The whole system is designed to extract maximum revenue.
Daryl Bright
ā¢While I agree the tax code is complex, this isn't quite accurate. For employment-related cases (which OP mentioned in comments), the attorney fees can be deducted as an above-the-line deduction. Congress actually fixed this problem for certain types of cases, including employment claims, civil rights cases, and whistleblower claims specifically to prevent double taxation.
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Xan Dae
Don't forget state tax returns! Different states have different retention requirements. For example, California has a 4-year statute of limitations instead of the IRS's 3 years. If you've moved between states, you might need to check the rules for each state you've filed in.
Oh snap, I didn't even think about state returns! I've lived in three different states over the last decade (moved for work a couple times). Does that mean I need to look up each state's rules?
Xan Dae
ā¢Yes, you should check each state's rules where you've filed. The statute of limitations varies - California is 4 years, New York is 3 years, and some others have different timeframes. If you want to keep things simple without researching each state, just keep everything for 7 years. That covers the longest standard statute across all states and the federal extension for substantial underreporting. But if you're really tight on space, it's worth looking up the specific states where you filed.
I learned a neat trick from my accountant - take pictures of all tax docs with my phone and save them to a dedicated Google Drive folder each year. Then I have a reminder set for 7 years later to delete that year's folder if I want. Easy system and doesn't take up any physical space!
Thais Soares
ā¢Is that secure enough though? I'm worried about tax docs in the cloud. Wouldn't a local hard drive be safer?
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Carmen Ortiz
Has anyone noticed how dumb it is that they don't let you use your unused AOC years for grad school? Like... why does it matter what level of education it is if you haven't used all 4 years? The tax code makes no sense sometimes!
The AOC was specifically designed to encourage and support undergraduate education. The government allocated funds differently for different education levels. It's not about logic so much as different policy priorities. Graduate education is subsidized through other mechanisms like the Lifetime Learning Credit.
FYI - make sure to keep really good records of which education credits you claim each year. My son had his return flagged for review because we apparently claimed the AOC for too many years (we didn't realize his community college year counted toward the 4-year limit). The IRS is definitely tracking this stuff!
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Pedro Sawyer
This is another reason why I'll always check my Return & Analysis section in tax software now. Found out the hard way that you can see all the forms that have been reported to the IRS with your SSN before you file. Would have saved me a similar headache last year!
Mae Bennett
ā¢Wait, there's a way to see what forms have been sent to the IRS under your SSN before you file? How do you access that? That would be super helpful.
Pedro Sawyer
ā¢Not all tax software has this feature, but many do now. In TurboTax, there's a "Tax Data Verification" section where you can import forms the IRS has received. H&R Block has something similar called "Tax Identity Shield" where you can review reported forms. The most comprehensive way is to create an account on the IRS website and request a "Wage and Income Transcript" which shows all information returns (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) reported to the IRS. The only downside is that current year information might not be fully updated until summer, so it's most helpful for catching things you missed the previous year.
The same thing happened to me but with a 1099-MISC for some freelance work. I amended through TurboTax and it was accepted in about 12 weeks. Here's my advice - pay the estimated additional tax when you file the amendment. Don't wait for the IRS to bill you, because the interest keeps accumulating.
Did you have to pay a penalty too? I'm in a similar situation and wondering what the damage will be...
Mei Liu
I work at a bank (not for the IRS) and I can tell you that sending 183,000 money orders would probably result in them being returned to you unprocessed. We have policies about handling large volumes of instruments like this, and I'm sure the IRS does too. Plus, money orders usually cost $1-2 each to purchase, so you'd be spending an extra $183k-$366k just on fees! If you're serious about resolving your tax issue, consider reaching out to a tax attorney who specializes in IRS disputes. The upfront cost might seem high, but they often save you way more than their fee in the long run.
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Aisha Rahman
ā¢I never thought about the fees for the money orders! That would be wild to pay double just to make a point. Do tax attorneys actually have any success fighting the IRS? Everyone I've talked to makes them sound like an unstoppable force.
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Mei Liu
ā¢Tax attorneys absolutely can be successful against the IRS. The key is finding one who specializes specifically in tax controversy or tax resolution, not just a general tax preparer. The IRS makes mistakes all the time, and they have various programs like Offers in Compromise that can reduce legitimate tax debts. I've seen clients get tax bills reduced by 50-70% with the right representation. The IRS is powerful but not infallible, and they have internal procedures for resolving disputes. The biggest mistake people make is trying to handle complex tax issues themselves without understanding the technical aspects of tax law.
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Liam O'Sullivan
Have you considered requesting an audit reconsideration? If the amount is incorrect, you can submit documentation showing why the assessment is wrong. I had a $68k bill that was based on incorrect information from my employer, and after filing for reconsideration with the right documentation, it was reduced to under $4k.
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Amara Chukwu
ā¢This is the real answer! Audit reconsideration saved me when I had a similar issue. The key is having all your documentation extremely organized and being very specific about what errors were made in the original assessment.
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