I'm also new to this community and dealing with this exact same stressful situation! Filed my Form 2553 about 5 months ago and still haven't received any acceptance letter from the IRS. Like so many others here, I've been operating as an S Corp - paying myself reasonable salary, making quarterly estimated payments, adjusting my bookkeeping - all based on the assumption that my election went through properly. The uncertainty has been absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when making important payroll and tax planning decisions. I've tried calling the IRS business line at least 8 times over the past few months with zero success - either can't get through at all or wait hours just to get disconnected right when I think I'm close to reaching someone. This thread has been incredibly reassuring though! Learning that 4-6 month processing delays are unfortunately the new normal (rather than a sign something went wrong) has really helped my anxiety. The 7 AM calling strategy that everyone keeps mentioning is genius - I never would have thought to time calls for right when they open instead of competing with everyone during peak hours. What gives me the most hope is that consistent pattern people describe of eventually learning their elections were approved months earlier but just got stuck in correspondence backlogs. It really suggests these are administrative delays rather than substantive problems with our filings. I'm definitely going to try the early morning calling approach this week, and I'm also considering the written inquiry to Ogden Service Center as backup. The advice about documenting everything while operating in good faith has been invaluable. Thanks to everyone for sharing - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in navigating these IRS processing nightmares!

I'm new to this community and going through this exact same frustrating experience! Filed my Form 2553 about 12 weeks ago and the silence from the IRS has been incredibly stressful. Like so many others here, I've been operating as an S Corp - reasonable salary, quarterly payments, updated accounting - but that constant uncertainty about whether the election actually went through is really affecting my ability to make confident business decisions. I've tried calling the IRS business line probably 15 times over the past two months with absolutely zero success. The phone system is a nightmare - either I can't get into the queue at all, or I'm on hold for 3+ hours just to get disconnected right when I think I'm about to reach someone. It's maddening when you're trying to run a business and stay tax compliant. This thread has been absolutely invaluable though! Reading everyone's experiences has been such a relief - learning that 4-6 month processing delays are unfortunately the new normal rather than a sign that something went wrong with my filing has really helped my peace of mind. The 7 AM calling strategy that multiple people have mentioned is brilliant and something I never would have thought of on my own. What gives me the most confidence is that consistent pattern where people eventually discover their elections were approved months earlier but just got stuck in processing backlogs. It really suggests these are purely administrative delays rather than actual problems with our filings. I'm definitely going to try the early morning calling approach first thing Monday, and I'm also planning to send a written inquiry to the Ogden Service Center as backup. The advice about keeping detailed documentation while continuing to operate in good faith has been incredibly helpful. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - it's such a comfort to know we're not alone in this IRS processing nightmare!

This whole discussion has been so reassuring! I'm in a very similar situation - received about $2,200 through Apple Pay last year from selling some old camera gear and electronics when I upgraded my setup, friends paying me back for shared concert tickets and group dinners, and a few small payments for doing photography sessions at local events. Reading through everyone's experiences has really helped me understand the distinction between personal transactions and actual business income. The camera gear sales were definitely at a loss (sold my old equipment for way less than I originally paid), and the friend reimbursements were clearly just people paying me back - so those don't sound taxable based on all the great advice here. But those photography payments were actual compensation for services, so I should report them on Schedule C even though they were small amounts. I had no idea there wasn't a minimum threshold for reporting self-employment income! The clarification about the current $20,000 AND 200 transactions threshold still being in effect (not the delayed $600 threshold) has been really helpful too. I was seeing so much conflicting information online and getting confused about what rules actually apply. I'm definitely going to start keeping much better records going forward. Maybe I'll add quick notes to transactions as they happen - "Tom's share of dinner" or "wedding photos for Smith family" - anything to avoid this stress next year! Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences. This community has been such a great resource for navigating these confusing payment app tax situations!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - received about $1,900 through Apple Pay last year from selling some old furniture when I moved, friends paying me back for shared dinners and trip expenses, and doing some occasional dog walking for neighbors. Reading through everyone's experiences has really clarified things for me. The furniture sales were definitely at a loss (sold everything for way less than I originally paid), and the friend payments were just reimbursements, so those clearly aren't taxable based on all the great advice here. But I should report the dog walking income on Schedule C since that was actual payment for services, even though the amounts were small. I had no idea there wasn't a minimum threshold for reporting self-employment income - that's such important information! The clarification about the $20,000 AND 200 transactions threshold still being in effect (not the $600 threshold) has also been really helpful. I'm definitely going to start keeping better records going forward. Adding quick notes like "Lisa's share of pizza" or "dog walking for the Johnsons" when transactions happen seems like such a simple way to avoid this stress next year. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences - this community has been a lifesaver for navigating these confusing payment app tax situations!

Has anyone else noticed that H&R Block's help section is absolutely useless for these specific issues? I spent like an hour going through their FAQs and couldn't find any clear answer about multiple Box 19 entries.

I just went through this exact same issue with my W-2 showing two local tax amounts in Box 19! After reading through all these helpful comments, I was able to find the solution in H&R Block. For anyone still struggling: the key is that you MUST complete the federal section first before the local tax options become fully available. Once you move to the state section and start entering your state info, the local tax area will appear. After you enter the first locality and amount, scroll down - there's a small gray "Add another local tax" button that becomes visible. It's really easy to miss because it blends in with the background. Don't make the mistake I almost made of just adding the two amounts together. Each locality needs to be entered separately so you get proper credit on your local tax returns. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - saved me hours of frustration!

Based on everyone's helpful responses, it sounds like you've got the right understanding now! Just to add one more perspective from someone who went through this exact situation: The confusion with RSU taxation is super common because most people (including me initially) assume that if shares are sold, that's when you get taxed. But with RSUs, the taxation happens at vesting regardless of whether you keep or sell the shares. Think of it this way: on your vesting date, it's as if your employer handed you $56,150.60 in cash (which gets taxed as regular income), and then you immediately used that cash to buy 220 shares at $255.23 each. The fact that 83 shares were automatically sold to pay taxes doesn't change that fundamental transaction. One practical tip: when you do eventually sell those 137 shares you're holding, make sure to note on your tax return (or tell your tax preparer) that these are RSU shares where the compensation income was already reported in a prior year. This helps avoid any confusion if you ever get audited. Also, keep that release confirmation document you mentioned - it's great documentation showing the vesting details and will be helpful for your records. Good luck with the rest of your tax prep!

I dealt with a very similar RSU situation last year and wanted to share what I learned from my CPA about the reporting process. The key insight is that your 1099-B is only telling part of the story. When you see proceeds of $20,990.58 and cost basis of $21,195.09 on your 1099-B, that's just for the 83 shares that were automatically sold to cover taxes. Your broker calculated the basis as 83 shares × $255.23 = $21,195.09, which is technically correct for those specific shares. However, many brokers don't properly account for the fact that you've already paid ordinary income tax on the full vesting value. This is where you need to be careful on your tax return. When you report this on Schedule D/Form 8949, you should show a small capital loss of about $204 ($21,195.09 - $20,990.58) for those 83 shares. The important thing is that this loss represents the difference between the vesting price and the actual sale price - not any additional compensation income. For your 137 remaining shares, your cost basis is definitely $255.23 per share. Keep this documented because when you eventually sell these shares, you'll need to prove to the IRS that you're not double-counting the compensation income that was already taxed on your W-2. One last tip: if you're using tax software, look for options specifically related to "employee stock plans" or "equity compensation" - most major tax programs have special workflows for this exact situation.

I actually just went through this process myself about two weeks ago and can share some recent experience! You definitely don't need to wait for the verification letter - I never received mine either. I went directly to idverify.irs.gov and completed the verification online. The process was straightforward but here are some tips that helped me: 1) Have your 2023 AGI ready (line 11 from your 2023 tax return), 2) Pull up your credit report beforehand so you can reference account details and previous addresses, 3) Make sure you're in a quiet space since some questions require careful thought about dates and amounts. The knowledge-based questions weren't too tricky - mostly about previous addresses, credit accounts, and loan information from the past few years. What really surprised me was how quickly it moved after verification - my return went from "under review" to "refund approved" in just 5 days! Given your financial aid situation, I'd definitely recommend being proactive rather than waiting for mail that might be delayed or lost. The IRS mail system has been particularly slow this season, and many people are successfully verifying online without ever receiving the physical letter. Good luck with both your verification and your financial aid disbursement!

I was in your exact situation last month - submitted my return in early February, got the identity verification notice, but no letter showed up for weeks! Don't wait any longer - I went straight to idverify.irs.gov and completed the verification without the physical letter. The system worked perfectly. You'll need your 2023 AGI (from line 11 of last year's return), your current filing status, and be ready for some knowledge-based questions about your credit history and previous addresses. Pro tip: have your credit report pulled up in another tab - it really helps with the verification questions about account details and dates. My return moved from "under review" to processing within 2 days of completing the online verification, and I had my refund a week later. Given your financial aid timeline, being proactive here is definitely the right move. The IRS mail system has been incredibly slow this season, and many of us have successfully verified online without ever seeing that letter. Don't let bureaucratic delays impact your education funding!