Great thread everyone! I had a similar issue with my W-2 showing "PARK" in box 14 with $480. Turns out it was for employer-provided parking benefits. Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, employer-paid parking over $280/month is now taxable income that needs to be reported. One thing I learned from my tax preparer is that if you're really unsure about a box 14 item, it's often safer to select "Other" and add a description rather than guessing at a specific category. TurboTax will still process it correctly, and you avoid the risk of miscategorizing something that could affect your tax liability. The IRS cares more about you reporting the income accurately than having it in the exact right bucket. Also, for future reference, keep your final paystub from December - it usually has way more detail about these deductions than the W-2 itself!

I had a similar frustrating experience with TurboTax's box 14 dropdown last year! One trick that really helped me was to first look up the abbreviation on the IRS website - they actually have a pretty comprehensive list of common W-2 codes buried in their forms and instructions section. For your "SUI-SDI" code, that's almost certainly State Unemployment Insurance and State Disability Insurance contributions. In the TurboTax dropdown, look for anything mentioning "state unemployment" or "state disability insurance" - sometimes they're listed separately, sometimes together. If you still can't find an exact match, don't panic! Select "Other" and type in "State Unemployment/Disability Insurance" as the description. TurboTax will handle it correctly, and these types of state withholdings typically don't affect your federal tax calculation anyway (though they might be relevant for your state return). The most important thing is that you don't skip over box 14 entirely - even if you're not 100% sure about the category, reporting the amount is what matters most to the IRS.

I went through almost this exact situation with my father's estate last year - executor named in will, revocable living trust holding all assets, no probate court involvement. The Form 1310 Part II questions can definitely be tricky when you're in this hybrid situation. You're absolutely right to check "No" on line 2a since that question specifically asks about court appointment, which doesn't apply when probate is avoided through the trust structure. Then check "Yes" on line 2b since you're the executor named in the will, and "Yes" on line 3 since you have the legal authority to claim the refund. For documentation, I included: death certificate copy, the relevant pages of the will showing my executor designation, and key sections of the trust document (establishment pages and successor trustee designation - you don't need the entire trust). What really helped was writing a brief cover letter explaining that while the trust structure eliminated the need for probate court proceedings, I remained the designated executor for tax purposes per the will. This gave the IRS clear context for the situation. The whole process took about 7 weeks from submission to receiving the refund check of around $4,200. Trust-based estates are quite common now, so the IRS is familiar with these setups. As long as your documentation clearly establishes your authority to act on behalf of the estate, it should process without issues. Don't forget to write "DECEASED" and the date of death on the amended return to help with proper routing.

I just dealt with this exact scenario when my grandmother passed last month - executor named in will, all assets in revocable living trust, no probate needed. Form 1310 Part II was confusing at first, but you're absolutely on the right track. You should definitely check "No" on line 2a since that specifically asks about court appointment, which doesn't happen when probate is avoided through a trust. Then "Yes" on 2b because you're named executor in the will, and "Yes" on 3 since you have authority to claim the refund. I included: death certificate copy, relevant will pages showing executor designation, and key trust sections (just the establishment pages and successor trustee info - not the whole document). The cover letter approach others mentioned is perfect - I explained that while the trust avoided probate, I remained executor for tax purposes per the will. My refund of $4,100 was processed in about 6 weeks with no questions asked. The IRS is very familiar with these trust-based estates now. Make sure to write "DECEASED" and date of death on your amended return for proper routing. Your situation is actually quite common and straightforward - don't overthink it!

Anyone know if having an EIN for my disregarded LLC means I need to file an annual report with the IRS? My state requires an annual LLC filing but I'm confused about federal requirements.

Your buddy is actually right about getting an EIN! Even though your LLC is a disregarded entity, there are some practical reasons why you'll likely need one: The biggest issue is banking - almost all banks require an EIN to open a business account, even for single-member LLCs. And if you're using this LLC for asset protection, you really need that separate bank account to maintain the legal separation between you and the entity. Using your personal account for LLC business could potentially "pierce the corporate veil" and undermine the asset protection you're trying to achieve. Also, having an EIN gives you more privacy since you won't have to use your SSN on business documents. Plus it's completely free to get one online through the IRS website - takes about 10 minutes. The EIN won't change your tax situation at all. You'll still report everything on your personal return since it remains a disregarded entity. But it gives you the administrative separation you need to properly maintain your LLC's legal protections.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Kiara. Losing a grandmother is incredibly difficult, and having to navigate these bureaucratic obstacles while grieving just adds insult to injury. I went through this exact same situation with my mother's estate about a year ago, and those restricted hours drove me absolutely crazy too. After reading through all the excellent advice in this thread, I can confirm that the early morning phone strategy really does work. Here's what I learned from my experience: The IRS system is restricted because EIN applications trigger real-time database updates across multiple federal agencies, and they need technical staff available to handle any sync failures that occur during processing. For immediate success, call 800-829-4933 at exactly 7:00 AM Eastern Time on Tuesday or Wednesday morning. Set your alarm for 6:58 AM and be ready to dial right at 7:00. Have everything organized on paper beforehand - your grandmother's full legal name from the death certificate, her date of death, your SSN as responsible party, and the exact legal name for the estate. I waited about 20 minutes and the actual conversation took only 13 minutes once I got through. The agent was very understanding about the estate situation and I received the EIN immediately. If the phone doesn't work out, Form SS-4 faxed to 855-641-6935 processes in 4-5 business days, which should still work for your bank timeline. Your grandmother would be proud of how you're taking care of everything for her during this difficult time. Once you get the EIN, opening the estate account becomes much more straightforward. You've got this!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Kiara. Dealing with estate matters while grieving is incredibly challenging, and the IRS's restricted hours just make an already difficult situation worse. I actually went through this same process with my aunt's estate about 6 months ago and experienced the exact same frustration. The online system kicked me out twice when I was almost finished, and I couldn't understand why a simple web form wasn't available 24/7. After reading all the excellent advice in this thread, I can confirm that the early morning phone strategy really works. I called 800-829-4933 at exactly 7:00 AM Eastern on a Tuesday morning (set my alarm for 6:58 AM), waited about 18 minutes, and had my EIN within 15 minutes of speaking to the agent. The key is being completely prepared before you call: have your grandmother's death certificate, the exact legal name for the estate, your SSN as responsible party, and any estate classification questions already resolved with your attorney. Write everything down so you don't fumble when you finally get through. The restricted hours exist because the system has to sync with multiple federal databases in real-time, and they need technical support available when things go wrong. It's frustrating but there are legitimate technical reasons behind it. If the phone doesn't work out, the fax backup (Form SS-4 to 855-641-6935) takes 4-5 days but should still meet your bank deadline. Your grandmother would be proud of how you're handling everything during this difficult time. Once you get past this hurdle, the rest of the estate process becomes much more manageable.

I've been following this thread closely since I'm having the exact same issue! After reading everyone's suggestions, I wanted to share what I'm planning to try and maybe we can update each other on what works. My approach is going to be: 1. First, try the early morning submission (around 5-6 AM) with a completely clean browser and wired internet connection 2. If that fails, use the taxr.ai tool to check for any hidden validation errors that might be causing the IRS system rejection 3. As a last resort, consider switching to TaxAct or using the Claimyr service to get through to OLT support What's really helpful about this thread is seeing that this isn't just a "wait it out" situation - there are actual technical issues and data validation problems that can be fixed. The fact that @Chloe Green and @Mila Walker had success with taxr.ai after struggling with the same submission freezing gives me hope. I'll report back on what works for me. In the meantime, has anyone tried contacting their bank or credit card company about getting a refund from OLT if we end up having to use a different platform? Seems unfair to pay twice for the same tax filing.

I'm experiencing the exact same freezing issue with OLT! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea so many others were dealing with this problem. Based on everyone's experiences, it sounds like there are multiple potential causes: server overload during peak hours, hidden validation errors in our tax data, browser/connection issues, or even antivirus software interference. I'm going to try @Admin_Masters suggestion about completely clearing all browser data first, then attempt submission during early morning hours like @Zoe Gonzalez recommended. If that doesn't work, the taxr.ai tool that helped @Chloe Green and @Mila Walker seems worth trying to identify any data validation issues that OLT isn't catching. Has anyone had success with OLT's live chat feature, or is phone support the only way to reach them? I noticed their website mentions live chat during business hours, but I haven't seen anyone mention trying that route yet. Really appreciate everyone sharing their troubleshooting experiences - it's reassuring to know this isn't just user error on our part!