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
Oliver Brown
The "free" tax software thing is such a scam. They all advertise as free but then hit you with fees as soon as you have anything slightly complicated. I started using the Free File Fillable Forms directly from the IRS website. It's completely free no matter what forms you need to file. Fair warning though - it's basically just the electronic version of paper forms with basic calculations. No hand-holding or guidance like the commercial software offers. You need to know what you're doing or be willing to research tax rules yourself.
Mary Bates
ā¢I tried Free File Fillable Forms last year and made a huge mistake on my Schedule C. Ended up having to file an amended return which was a massive headache. Sometimes paying a little for guidance is worth it if you're not super tax-savvy.
Just an fyi, Credit Karma Tax (now called Cash App Taxes) is actually completely free even for self-employed people. I used it last year for my freelance design work and didn't pay a penny for federal or state filing. They don't upsell or have hidden fees like TaxAct. Only downside is they don't support every tax situation - like if you have multiple state returns or certain less common forms. But for basic self-employment with Schedule C, it works great!
Thanks for this recommendation! I'll definitely check out Cash App Taxes. That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for - something that can handle Schedule C without surprising me with fees halfway through. Really appreciate everyone's suggestions here!
Join the conversation
Ava Garcia
21 One thing nobody has mentioned that tripped me up last year - if you have a mix of payment methods to the SAME contractor, you need to track them separately. I paid someone partly through PayPal and partly with checks, and ended up having to issue a 1099-NEC just for the check portion while PayPal handled their portion. Tax software doesn't always make this distinction clear.
Ava Garcia
ā¢16 That's a really good point! How did you handle the amounts on the 1099-NEC? Did you just report the check amounts or the total? I'm in this exact situation with a web designer I've been using.
Ava Garcia
ā¢21 I only reported the check amounts on the 1099-NEC I issued. The PayPal payments were handled by their 1099-K reporting. My accountant explained that if I included the PayPal amounts on my 1099-NEC, the contractor would have the same income reported twice to the IRS (once on my 1099-NEC and once on PayPal's 1099-K). It was a bit confusing because my tax software wanted me to enter the total paid to each contractor, and I had to manually adjust the reportable amounts. Definitely keep separate payment records by method for each contractor if you're using multiple payment types!
Ava Garcia
7 Has anyone actually gotten a solid answer from the IRS about the PayPal reporting threshold for 2024? Last I heard they delayed the $600 threshold for 2023, but I can't find clear info about what's happening for payments made in 2024 (for 2025 filing).
Ava Garcia
ā¢13 The $600 reporting threshold for third-party payment networks is supposed to be in effect for 2024 (filed in 2025). The IRS issued Notice 2023-10 for the delay that affected 2023 filings, but unless they issue a new notice, we should assume the $600 threshold applies for 2024 payments. It's always possible they'll announce another delay though.
Join the conversation
Luca Romano
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - you'll need to file a Schedule SE form along with your Schedule C for self-employment tax. That's the Social Security and Medicare taxes that would normally be withheld by an employer. When I started my photography business, I was shocked at how much I owed in self-employment tax! It's about 15.3% on top of regular income tax. Definitely set aside more than you think you'll need for taxes.
GalacticGuru
ā¢Wait seriously?? I have to pay EXTRA tax on top of regular income tax? I thought the whole point of writing off the equipment was to pay less taxes. Does this mean I'll end up owing more than if I just didn't report the photography income at all?
Luca Romano
ā¢You do need to pay self-employment tax, but don't panic! You'll still benefit from deducting your equipment expenses. Here's how it works: your business profit (income minus expenses) is what gets taxed. By deducting legitimate expenses like your camera equipment, you're reducing your taxable profit. Not reporting income isn't a good strategy. It's legally considered tax evasion, and the penalties can be severe if you're caught. Plus, reporting your business properly builds tax history that helps with things like qualifying for loans, retirement accounts, and health insurance. The short-term tax hit is worth the long-term benefits of having everything properly documented.
Nia Jackson
Don't forget about depreciation! Depending on the cost of your equipment, you might need to depreciate larger purchases over several years instead of deducting the full amount in one year.
There's also Section 179 deduction that lets you deduct the full cost of equipment in one year up to a certain amount. I think it's like $1,080,000 for 2023 so way more than most photographers would spend!
Join the conversation
Just to add some clarity to the original question - the Mortgage Interest Credit (Form 8396) is completely different from the regular mortgage interest DEDUCTION most homeowners claim. The deduction is available to pretty much anyone with a mortgage who itemizes. The credit is a special program you would've specifically applied for when buying your home. When you refinanced, the software probably just wanted to check if you had an MCC that needed to be reissued. If you never had one to begin with, it doesn't apply to you at all.
That's a huge help! So this is entirely separate from my regular mortgage interest deduction that I claim every year? I definitely itemize and take that deduction.
Yes, completely separate things! The mortgage interest deduction is taken on Schedule A when you itemize, and that's what most homeowners use. You'll still get that. The Form 8396 credit is an entirely different benefit that only applies to people who received a special certificate through a first-time homebuyer program. If you never received a Mortgage Credit Certificate when you first bought your home, then Form 8396 simply doesn't apply to you. Just answer "no" to that question in H&R Block and continue claiming your regular mortgage interest deduction as you've been doing.
PSA for anyone who refinanced recently: Even though you probably don't have Form 8396, make sure you're correctly reporting points paid on your refinance! Points for a refinance have to be amortized over the life of the loan, not deducted all at once like with an initial purchase.
Ravi Sharma
ā¢Good point! I completely forgot about this when I refinanced and ended up having to amend my return last year. Cost me an extra $120 for the amendment filing fee š«
That's a bummer about the amendment fee! Yeah, it's one of those details that's easy to miss. Most tax software should handle it automatically if you enter everything correctly, but it definitely requires entering all your refinance details properly.
NeonNova
Be really careful with writing off your flip materials from your landscaping business! I did this exact thing and got audited. The IRS reclassified everything, disallowed my deductions, and hit me with penalties and interest. My $12k tax savings turned into a $20k+ nightmare. The IRS is pretty strict about keeping these activities separate. For flips, you should be tracking all costs (materials, labor, permits, etc.) and adding them to the property's basis. You'll recoup these when you sell. If you've already been writing these off as landscaping business expenses, consider filing amended returns before they catch it.
0 coins
Yuki Tanaka
ā¢Did you have any warning signs before the audit happened? Like did they send letters first or just launch straight into a full audit?
0 coins
Carmen Diaz
I'm a rental property owner and wanted to add: while you can't immediately deduct the materials for building your rentals, consider exploring the BRRRP strategy (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat). This lets you pull cash out after establishing equity, which is untaxed since it's debt, not income. Also, look into Qualified Business Income deductions for your rental activity if you can qualify as a "real estate professional" for tax purposes. With your construction background, you might meet the hours requirement. For your specific question about the flip materials you already deducted - that's problematic. Those should have been capitalized to the property's basis. Consider talking to a tax attorney about amendment options before an audit happens.
0 coins