Common IRS letter possibilities: • 1040-X acknowledgment (no action needed) • CP12 - adjustment notice (check if you agree with changes) • CP14 - balance due notice (payment required) • 5071C - identity verification (requires phone call) • 4883C - income verification (requires documentation) What to do: • Don't panic before reading it • Respond by the deadline if action is required • Keep copies of everything • Note the specific letter number for future reference Most amended return letters are routine. Just be prepared to provide documentation if requested.

I've been in this exact situation before! The disconnect between their systems is so frustrating - it's like each department operates in its own bubble. One thing I learned: if you're dealing with an amended return, the regular WMR tool isn't even designed to track those properly. You need to use the "Where's My Amended Return" tool instead, though honestly it's not much better. My experience: Got the mystery letter (turned out to be identity verification), blank transcript for another 2 weeks after that, then everything suddenly updated at once. The whole process took about 16 weeks total for my amended return. Pro tip: When you get that letter today, read it completely before doing anything. Some letters have very specific response methods (like calling a particular number vs. mailing documents) and using the wrong method can reset your processing timeline. Keep us posted on what the letter says! This community has been through it all and can help guide you based on the specific notice you receive.

Has anyone used QuickBooks to handle this Schedule L balancing issue? We're in a similar situation (4-member LLC, 3 years behind) and I've been told we should just start with QB to reconstruct everything.

I went through almost the exact same situation with our 3-partner LLC last year - multiple years behind on taxes and a completely messed up Schedule L. Here's what finally worked for me: First, don't stress too much about having perfect inventory numbers from 2020. The IRS understands that small businesses sometimes have incomplete records, especially when catching up on back filings. What matters is that your methodology is reasonable and documented. For the Schedule L balance, I found it helpful to work through it step by step: 1. Start with your cash accounts - these are usually the most accurate 2. Work through your fixed assets (equipment, furniture, etc.) - use purchase receipts or reasonable depreciated values 3. For inventory, since yours stays consistent, using current levels adjusted for any major changes is totally acceptable 4. Then tackle liabilities - loans, credit cards, accounts payable 5. Finally, capital accounts should reflect what each partner actually contributed The key thing that saved me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track each partner's contributions and distributions year by year. This helped me figure out the correct capital account balances. Also, once you get Schedule L sorted, definitely deal with the IRS sooner rather than later about the late filing penalties. They're surprisingly reasonable if you're proactive about catching up, and there are penalty relief options for first-time filers who are behind. You've got this - the hardest part is just getting started!

Based on your description of My Health CCM's pitch, this has all the hallmarks of an abusive tax shelter. The combination of creating a special purpose LLC solely for tax benefits, making a large "investment" in software licenses, and promises of dramatic tax savings should be raising every red flag. The IRS has been cracking down hard on these types of schemes. They often involve overvalued intangible assets (like software licenses) to create artificial losses that get passed through to your personal return. Even if the promoters claim it's "legal," the IRS can disallow the deductions under the economic substance doctrine. I'd strongly recommend staying far away from My Health CCM. If you're looking to legitimately reduce your tax burden, consider working with a reputable CPA or tax attorney who can help you implement proven strategies like maximizing retirement contributions, proper business expense documentation, or legitimate business structures that serve actual economic purposes beyond tax avoidance. Remember: if someone is cold-calling you with a "tax strategy" that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Legitimate tax planning doesn't typically require you to invest six figures in questionable software licenses.

As someone who's been through multiple IRS audits, I can tell you that My Health CCM's pitch hits every single warning sign for what the IRS calls "abusive tax avoidance transactions." The fact that they're pushing you to create a special purpose LLC specifically for tax benefits rather than legitimate business operations is a massive red flag. I learned the hard way that the IRS doesn't care what promoters claim is "legal" - they look at the economic substance of the transaction. If you're paying $130k for software licenses that you'll never actually use in a real business, that's exactly the kind of artificial loss creation they go after aggressively. The penalties aren't just financial either. These schemes can put you on the IRS's radar permanently, making you a target for future audits. I'd recommend getting a second opinion from a licensed tax professional who has no financial interest in selling you this "strategy." Most legitimate CPAs will tell you to run from anything that sounds like what you've described. Trust your gut - if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. There are plenty of legitimate ways to reduce your tax burden without risking your financial future on schemes like this.

@Morita Montoya - You're definitely not too late! I'm a tax professional and can confirm that as a US citizen, you were eligible for all three Economic Impact Payments regardless of where you lived during the pandemic. Here's your action plan: **For 2020 payments (1st: $1,200, 2nd: $600)** - File a 2020 tax return claiming $1,800 in Recovery Rebate Credit - Deadline is April 15, 2024 - so you need to move FAST - Will likely need to paper file (e-filing may no longer be available) - Current processing time for paper returns: 8-12 months **For 2021 payment (3rd: $1,400)** - File a 2021 tax return claiming $1,400 in Recovery Rebate Credit - Deadline is April 15, 2025 - you have more time - Can still e-file through most tax software including FreeTaxUSA - Processing time: 6-8 weeks typically Since you had no US income during those years, you'll just report $0 income and claim the credits directly on line 30 of Form 1040 for each year. No complex calculations needed. **Important:** Don't let the 2020 deadline slip by - that's $1,800 you'd lose forever. Focus on getting that 2020 return filed immediately, even if you tackle 2021 later. Send any paper returns certified mail for proof of timely filing. Total potential recovery: $3,200. Definitely worth pursuing!

@Morita Montoya - As someone who works with expat tax issues, I want to emphasize a few additional considerations for your situation: **Foreign Bank Account Reporting**: Even though you're filing just to claim stimulus payments, be aware that if you had foreign bank accounts with aggregate balances over $10,000 at any time during 2020 or 2021, you may need to file FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) separately. This has its own deadlines and requirements. **State Tax Considerations**: Depending on which state you're establishing residency in now, you may also need to consider whether you need to file state returns for those years. Most states don't have their own stimulus credits, but it's worth checking. **Documentation for Future**: Keep detailed records of your filing for these years, including proof of your foreign residence during 2020-2021. This could be helpful if you ever face questions about your residency status or tax obligations during that period. **Professional Help**: Given the complexity of your situation (citizen abroad, never filed before, claiming retroactive credits), you might want to consider consulting with a tax professional, especially for the 2020 return given the tight deadline. Many offer reasonable rates for straightforward returns like yours. The good news is you're absolutely entitled to these payments as a US citizen. Just make sure you handle the filing correctly to avoid any delays or complications!

Something nobody's mentioned yet - if you're making under 12k but over 400 bucks, you probably won't owe income tax, but you WILL owe self-employment tax (which is basically Social Security and Medicare). That's about 15.3% of your net profit. So if you made $2,800 but had $800 in expenses, your net profit would be $2,000, and you'd owe about $306 in self-employment tax. Don't be caught off guard by this! A lot of new freelancers don't budget for it and get surprised at tax time.

Unfortunately, there's no way to reduce the self-employment tax rate itself - it's a flat 15.3% on your net self-employment income. However, you can reduce what you pay it on by maximizing your business deductions. The reason self-employment tax kicks in at just $400 while regular income tax has higher thresholds is that self-employment tax is specifically for Social Security and Medicare contributions. When you're an employee, your employer pays half of these taxes for you, but when you're self-employed, you pay both the employee and employer portions. The good news is that you can deduct half of your self-employment tax when calculating your income tax, and you're building credits toward your future Social Security and Medicare benefits. It might seem unfair now, but you're essentially paying into your own retirement and healthcare system. Also, if you're making quarterly estimated tax payments (which you should be if you expect to owe more than $1,000), you can spread this cost out over the year instead of getting hit with one big bill at tax time.