Do you know if there's a time limit for filing these complaints? The taxes were from 2022 but we just found out about the error when we got the IRS notice last week. Also, how would I find out if he has liability insurance? He hasn't mentioned anything about insurance, just offered to pay the penalties.

The time limit for filing complaints with state boards of accountancy varies by state, but typically it's between 1-5 years from when the incident occurred or was discovered. Since you just found out about the error, you should still be well within the timeframe. You can directly ask the accountant if they have professional liability insurance (sometimes called errors and omissions insurance). Most legitimate accounting practices carry this coverage. If they're hesitant to answer, that's a red flag. You can also mention that you're considering filing a complaint with the state board - this often motivates professionals to reach out to their insurance carriers rather than risk disciplinary action or damage to their reputation.

This is good advice. My sister got all her penalties waived when her accountant messed up. The IRS was actually pretty reasonable once she explained and had documentation.

Do Acceptance Agents charge a lot? And would using one make the process faster? My main concern is the timeline since I have potential clients waiting for me to get all this paperwork sorted out.

Acceptance Agents typically charge between $50-$300 depending on the complexity of your situation and their location. Some offer additional services like reviewing your entire application package. Using an Acceptance Agent can potentially make the process faster because they help ensure your application is complete and correct the first time, reducing the chance of rejection and resubmission. They also eliminate the risk of your original documents getting lost in the mail. However, they don't actually speed up the IRS processing time - once your application reaches the IRS, it still goes through their standard processing queue. That said, a complete and accurate application will move through that queue without delays.

Unfortunately there's no online tracking system for ITIN applications like there is for tax refunds. You have to call the IRS ITIN department directly at 1-800-908-9982. Make sure you have your application confirmation if you received one, or at least the information about when and how you submitted it.

Do you happen to know what the threshold is for 2025? I'm trying to plan ahead and figure out if I'll be close to that 22% bracket.

For 2025, the threshold between the 12% and 22% brackets for single filers is projected to be around $47,150 (up from about $44,725 in 2023). For married filing jointly, it's projected to be about $94,300. These are estimates based on inflation projections, and the IRS will announce the official numbers later this year. But they should be pretty close to these figures unless inflation changes dramatically.

While I agree the system favors the wealthy, that's not entirely accurate. The top 1% pays about 40% of all federal income taxes collected. The issue is more about proportional tax burden and the different treatment of earned income vs capital gains.

Would this browser trick work with Edge too? I don't have Firefox installed and don't want to download another browser just for this if I don't have to.

I haven't personally tested Edge, but other users have reported success with it. The key seems to be avoiding Chrome, which has some weird compatibility issues with the Free File system's PDF handling. Edge should work better than Chrome since it uses a different rendering engine. The main thing is that some browsers handle the form submissions differently, especially with checkboxes and special characters. If you're getting the same rejection repeatedly in one browser, it's definitely worth trying a different one before giving up.

I actually tried that method last year with a different form (not 8863) and it failed because the Free File system requires certain forms to be filled electronically so their system can read the data. You can't just attach a scanned form as a PDF - the system needs the actual data in the fields.

Is there any repository or website where you can look up these specific state rules? Trying to figure out what counts as "payment" in Colorado.

You can usually find these rules in your state's tax code or administrative code, which should be available online through your state's legislative website or department of revenue site. Search for terms like "date of payment" or "timely payment" along with "tax." For Colorado specifically, I believe they follow what's known as the "timely mailed, timely filed" rule, which means the postmark date is considered the payment date if sent by U.S. mail. They also have specific provisions for electronic payments. You can find these details in the Colorado Revised Statutes and the Department of Revenue's tax regulations. Their taxpayer service division can also provide this information if you call them directly.

Electronic payments aren't always an option for everyone though. My small business has to make special estimated payments for a particular industry tax that our state still requires to be submitted by mail with a special voucher form. It's ridiculous but that's how they want it.

That's a fair point. I didn't consider that some specialized tax types might still require physical payments. In those cases, I'd probably still try to use my bank's bill pay service rather than writing personal checks, since the bank creates an electronic record of when the payment was sent out, which gives you an additional layer of documentation. It's frustrating that some tax departments haven't fully modernized their systems yet, especially for business-specific taxes. Hopefully more states move toward comprehensive electronic payment options soon, as it's clearly better for both the taxpayers and the tax departments in terms of record-keeping. Profile: 1