Thank you for this clear explanation! Since my current CPA isn't being very responsive, do you think this is something I could potentially handle myself with tax software? Or is it too complex for DIY?

I wouldn't recommend DIY for this particular situation. The amendments will need to properly document the IDC and depletion adjustments, and most consumer tax software doesn't handle these specialized oil and gas calculations well. If your current CPA continues to be unresponsive, I'd suggest finding a new preparer who has specific experience with oil and gas partnerships. Look for someone who regularly works with clients who have working interests rather than just royalty interests. This distinction is critical, as they have very different tax treatments, and it's where many CPAs get confused. The investment in a knowledgeable preparer will likely pay for itself many times over given the tax amounts at stake.

Is the 3-year clock from the original due date or the actual filing date? My 2020 return was on extension and filed in October 2021.

Does the Free File program have a mobile app or is it desktop only? My laptop died last month and I'm only using my phone right now.

Most of the Free File options are designed primarily for desktop, but several have mobile-responsive websites that work on phones. TaxSlayer and TaxAct specifically have decent mobile experiences through their Free File programs. If you're limited to just your phone, Cash App Taxes (mentioned in another comment) might be your best bet - it was literally designed as a mobile-first experience and works great on phones. It's free regardless of whether you access it through Free File or directly, and handles education credits without charging.

Yes, Credit Karma Tax is now Cash App Taxes. I used it this year with a W-2, 1098-T, and even some 1099-INT from my savings account. Completely free for both federal and state, and it handled my American Opportunity Credit without any issues. The interface is pretty streamlined and worked well on both my laptop and phone.

That's actually a really good point that I hadn't considered! My income is definitely below the Roth limits (about $95k for 2023), but maybe my advisor was assuming I'd be doing a backdoor Roth? I'll ask them specifically if that's what they were suggesting. If they were just mistaken about regular Roth contributions needing Form 8606, it might be time to find a new advisor...

Definitely worth a clarifying conversation with them. If your income is $95k, you're well within the limits for direct Roth contributions ($138,000 for single filers in 2023), so backdoor wouldn't be necessary. Some tax advisors who deal primarily with higher-income clients get so used to recommending backdoor Roth strategies that they sometimes default to that advice without checking if a direct contribution is possible. Or they might just be confusing the reporting requirements between traditional and Roth IRAs.

This happened to me too! Fidelity assumed my April contribution was for the current year not the previous year. Took forever to get fixed and they had to generate corrected tax forms.

That's actually a really smart idea I hadn't considered. I could probably scrape together about $3,000 by the deadline. Would I just make a partial payment through the IRS website and then pay the remainder later? Or do I need to indicate somewhere that it's a partial payment?

Just make the payment through the IRS Direct Pay or another official payment method for whatever amount you can afford. There's no need to mark it as "partial" - the IRS system automatically matches your payments to your tax liability and will show any remaining balance due. Then when you get the rest of the money, make another payment for the remaining balance. The penalties and interest will only apply to the unpaid portion. Both payments would be made exactly the same way - there's no special process for making multiple payments.

For a 4-day late payment of $5,650, the math works out to: Failure-to-pay penalty: 0.5% per month, prorated for 4 days = about 0.067% × $5,650 = $3.78 Interest: Currently about 7% annually, prorated for 4 days = about 0.077% × $5,650 = $4.35 So total damage would be roughly $8.13 if paid exactly 4 days late.

This is exactly right. Business losses from scams are still deductible as business expenses if they occurred in the normal course of business. It's only personal theft losses that got eliminated (except for federally declared disasters). OP, was this investment somehow connected to any business activities or was it purely personal? That makes a huge difference in deductibility.

You can also try contacting CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) if a bank or financial institution was involved in any way with the transactions. They sometimes can put pressure on financial institutions that may have facilitated the scam.

Thanks for the suggestion! I did file a report with IC3 already but haven't heard anything back yet. It's been about 3 months since I filed the report. I'll check out the CFPB option too. My bank wasn't much help since I authorized the transfers myself (stupid, I know), but maybe CFPB could still do something.