I'm in a similar situation as a freelance tutor and had the same panic about tax filing! You absolutely can report your income without a 1099-NEC. I used my bank statements showing the Zelle deposits and created a simple spreadsheet tracking the dates and amounts. The key thing is to keep good records going forward. I started screenshotting every payment notification and keeping them in a folder on my phone. Also, don't feel bad about not discussing this earlier with your employer family - most people don't realize the tax implications of household help until it's time to file. One tip: if you do end up owing a significant amount, you can set up a payment plan with the IRS. It's way less stressful than trying to come up with everything at once!

Don't stress too much about this! You're absolutely doing the right thing by wanting to report your income properly. As others have mentioned, you can definitely report your nanny earnings without a 1099-NEC. Since you're paid through Zelle, you actually have a great digital trail of your income. Here's what I'd recommend: Go through your Zelle history and add up all payments from this family for the tax year. Report this total on Schedule C as self-employment income. Yes, you'll pay the higher self-employment tax rate, but it's better than not reporting it at all. Regarding your question about paying penalties if your employer family files a late 1099-NEC - honestly, that's their responsibility as the employer, not yours. You brought it up as soon as you realized the situation, and you're taking steps to report your income correctly. Don't feel like you need to cover their potential penalties. For next year, definitely have the tax conversation earlier in your working relationship. Many families genuinely don't know about the "nanny tax" rules, so it's often up to us to educate them about proper reporting and documentation.

You're absolutely doing the right thing by maintaining your boundaries. As someone who's dealt with similar accounting disasters, I can tell you that a $340k retained earnings discrepancy with phantom assets and missing liabilities is not a part-time bookkeeping project - it's a full-scale forensic accounting engagement. The fact that the previous admin was making changes to closed years is particularly alarming from a compliance perspective. This suggests potential issues with previously filed returns that could trigger audit exposure. Here's my suggested approach: Create a detailed findings memo that includes (1) specific examples of the major discrepancies you've found, (2) an honest assessment that this requires 200-300+ hours of specialized work, and (3) a strong recommendation to engage a CPA firm experienced in multi-year accounting reconstructions. Don't feel guilty about saying no. You were hired for current operations, not to fix years of accumulated errors at below-market rates while managing health challenges. Your responsibility is to identify problems and recommend appropriate solutions - which you've done. The owner needs to understand this isn't about unwillingness to help, it's about ensuring the work gets done properly by someone with the right expertise, capacity, and professional insurance to handle this level of complexity. A botched reconstruction attempt could make things worse, not better. Document everything, make your recommendations clear, and help them find qualified professionals. That's the most responsible path forward for everyone involved.

You're in an absolutely impossible situation, and I completely understand the guilt you're feeling. But you need to remember - you didn't create this mess, and you're not responsible for fixing 6 years of accumulated errors, especially given your health limitations and part-time status. A $340k retained earnings discrepancy is not a "cleanup" - it's a full forensic reconstruction project. When you have phantom assets, missing liabilities, and evidence that someone was making changes to closed years, you're looking at potential tax compliance violations that could have serious consequences. Here's what I'd do: Create a comprehensive written report documenting every major issue you've identified. Include specific examples (like that $80k double-counted expense), categorize the types of errors, and provide a realistic scope estimate. Then recommend they engage a CPA firm that specializes in business tax reconstruction - not general bookkeeping, but specifically multi-year tax compliance cleanup. Make it crystal clear that this is a separate professional engagement requiring specialized expertise, appropriate insurance coverage, and significantly more hours than your part-time schedule allows. You were hired to handle current operations, not to perform forensic accounting on years of accumulated mistakes. Your job is to identify problems and recommend solutions - which you've done perfectly. The owner's job is to invest in proper professional remediation. Don't let guilt push you into taking on work that could compromise your health or professional standing.

One thing that really helped me when I amended was keeping detailed records of WHY I made each change. The IRS sometimes sends follow-up questions, and having your reasoning documented makes responding so much easier. Also, if you're getting a refund from the amendment, don't spend it right away - sometimes they do additional reviews that can take months to finalize.

Just wanted to add that if you're amending because you forgot to include income (like that 1099), the sooner you file the better. The IRS has matching programs that will eventually catch missing income anyway, so being proactive shows good faith. Also, double-check that all your Social Security numbers and names match exactly what's on file with the IRS - even small discrepancies can cause delays in processing your amendment.

I went through this same situation last year and the waiting was absolutely nerve-wracking! In my case (Illinois), it took about 9 weeks from when my ex's refund was supposed to hit his account to when I actually received the offset payment. The process is frustratingly slow because the money has to pass through multiple agencies: IRS → Treasury Offset Program → State child support enforcement → You. Each step can take 2-3 weeks and there's basically no visibility while it's in transit between systems. What helped me manage the process: - I called my state's child support office at the 4-week mark and asked specifically about "Treasury Offset Program status" (they were more helpful when I used that exact terminology) - Made sure all my contact info was updated since I learned offset payments can pull from different records than regular support - Set up text alerts through my state's online portal so I'd get notified immediately when they processed it The amount was about $52 less than his original refund due to processing fees, but honestly I was just relieved to finally get some of what he owed in back support. The worst part is definitely that period where nobody can tell you where the money is - it's like it just vanishes into the system for weeks. Hang in there! Every offset I've dealt with has eventually come through, even when it took longer than expected. Just don't count on any specific timeline or amount until it actually hits your account.

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago and totally understand your anxiety about the timeline! You should definitely receive the money since he owes back support and you're the custodial parent, but unfortunately the wait is pretty long. In my case, it took about 10 weeks from his deposit date to when I actually got the offset payment. The money has to flow through several agencies: IRS → Treasury Offset Program → Your state's child support enforcement office → You. Each step takes time and there's basically no way to track it while it's moving between systems. A few things that helped me: - Called my state's child support office around week 4 and asked specifically about "federal tax offset notifications" (they seemed more knowledgeable when I used that exact phrase) - Double-checked that my direct deposit info was current since I learned offset payments can sometimes use different records than regular support - Set realistic expectations that the amount would be less due to processing fees (mine was reduced by about $38) The most frustrating part is that 6-8 week period where literally nobody can tell you where the money is. The IRS says they sent it, Treasury says they forwarded it, and your state says they haven't received it yet. It's like the money just disappears into a bureaucratic black hole. But hang in there - every offset payment I've dealt with has eventually come through, even when it took longer than expected. Just don't plan any expenses around it until it actually hits your account!

I'm dealing with a Hurricane Ian assessment too - just received a $6,100 special assessment from my condo board last week. This thread has been absolutely incredible for understanding what I thought was a completely hopeless situation! After reading through everyone's experiences, I feel much more confident about the process. The key takeaways seem to be: send a formal written request directly to the HOA board, use that specific language about "tax documentation under IRS requirements for federally declared disasters," and get a clear breakdown between unit-specific damage and common area repairs. One thing I wanted to add based on my research after reading this thread - I found that IRS Publication 547 (Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts) has a specific section on federally declared disaster areas that's really helpful for understanding exactly what documentation you need. It also clarifies the distinction between personal property losses and assessments paid to HOAs, which helped me understand why the breakdown is so important. I'm planning to send my formal request to the board this week. My building had significant damage to balcony railings, sliding doors, and some windows, so I'm hopeful that a decent portion might qualify as unit-specific or limited common elements. Even if it's only 15-20% like others have mentioned, that could still provide meaningful tax relief. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this community has been incredibly valuable for navigating what seemed like an impossible tax situation!

I'm dealing with a very similar Hurricane Ian assessment situation - just received a $5,700 special assessment notice from my condo association yesterday. After reading through this incredibly helpful thread, I finally feel like I have a path forward instead of just accepting this huge financial hit with no relief! The consensus here seems clear: send a formal written request directly to the HOA board (not just the property manager) asking for a detailed breakdown of unit-specific damage versus common area repairs. That key phrase about "tax documentation under IRS requirements for federally declared disasters" appears to be crucial for getting boards to take the request seriously. What gives me the most hope is seeing how many people successfully got their HOAs to provide these breakdowns, and that 15-25% of assessments often qualify as unit-specific damage (windows, doors, balconies, etc.) that can potentially be deducted as casualty losses. Even at the lower end, that could mean real tax savings to help offset this unexpected expense. I'm planning to reference IRS Publication 547 in my formal request to show this is backed by official guidance, not just someone trying to avoid payment. My building had extensive sliding door and balcony railing damage, so I'm cautiously optimistic about getting a reasonable allocation. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this community has been infinitely more valuable than anything I could find on official IRS resources. Planning to send my board request this week!