This exact same thing happened to me when I moved to Philadelphia for work! The stress of realizing your employer isn't handling city taxes is real, but you're catching it early which is good. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure to check if your city has any first-time filer penalties or grace periods. Some municipalities in PA will waive penalties for your first year if you can show you made a good faith effort to comply once you discovered the issue. When I called my city tax office, they actually backdated my quarterly payment setup to avoid penalties since I contacted them within 30 days of starting the job. Also, keep detailed records of ALL your communications with HR about this. If they told you they "don't handle city tax withholding" in writing (email, etc.), save that. It can help show you were trying to do the right thing from the start if any questions come up later. The quarterly payment route everyone's suggesting is definitely the way to go. I set mine up to automatically deduct from my checking account so I don't have to remember the deadlines.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My employer also doesn't withhold city taxes and I've been scrambling to figure out what to do. Thanks for asking this question because the responses here are super helpful. One thing I discovered that might help you - check if your city has an online payment portal. Mine does and I was able to set up a profile there to make my quarterly payments directly. They even send email reminders before each deadline which is nice since I'm terrible at remembering dates. Also, if you're really worried about penalties, you could always overpay slightly on your first quarter just to be safe. Better to get a small refund than owe money with penalties. I calculated mine based on my full annual salary even though I only started partway through the year, just to make sure I'm covered. The whole situation is stressful but it sounds like you're on the right track by addressing it now rather than waiting until tax season!

As someone who works in tax compliance, I want to add a crucial point that hasn't been mentioned yet: if you're going to claim massage therapy as a business expense, make sure you're consistent with how you treat ALL your health-related expenses. The IRS looks for patterns during audits. If you're deducting massages as business expenses but claiming other work-related health costs (like ergonomic equipment, supportive shoes, etc.) as medical expenses, it could raise red flags. Pick one classification strategy and stick with it across all similar expenses. Also, since you mentioned you're a hairdresser - if you rent a booth or chair rather than being a direct employee, you're likely self-employed and would have much better luck with the business expense route on Schedule C. Employee hairdressers have very limited options for unreimbursed employee expenses after the 2017 tax changes. Keep receipts, document the connection to your work, and consider having your chiropractor write a brief letter explaining how regular massage prevents work-related injuries in your specific profession. That documentation could be invaluable if you're ever questioned about these deductions.

I'm a massage therapist who works with a lot of professionals in physically demanding jobs like hairdressers, and I wanted to add some perspective from the provider side. When clients ask me about tax deductions, I always recommend they get documentation before we start regular sessions. I can write a detailed treatment plan that specifically addresses work-related muscular issues and prevention of repetitive stress injuries. This creates a paper trail from day one rather than trying to justify it retroactively. For hairdressers specifically, I document how the treatment addresses cervical strain from looking down at clients, shoulder impingement from extended arm positioning, and lower back tension from prolonged standing. The more specific the documentation connects to your actual job duties, the stronger your case becomes. One thing I've noticed - clients who treat these sessions as preventive maintenance rather than just relaxation tend to have better success with deductions. Keep a brief log after each session noting which work-related issues were addressed and how it helps you maintain your productivity. The IRS seems to respond better to "this prevents injury that would stop me from working" rather than "this makes me feel better.

For those items where you absolutely can't establish a cost basis through any reasonable method, keep in mind that the IRS could potentially consider your basis to be $0, meaning you'd pay capital gains tax on the entire proceeds. That's the worst-case scenario you want to avoid. This happened to a friend with a coin collection - couldn't establish basis for about 20% of it, and ended up paying tax on the full amount for those pieces. Pretty painful tax hit!

This is such a valuable discussion! I've been putting off dealing with my stamp collection for years because I was worried about this exact issue. One thing I'd add - if you're in a similar situation, start documenting everything NOW before you sell. Take photos of your items with current dates, write down everything you remember about when and where you bought them, and gather any supporting evidence you can find (old bank statements, insurance records, etc.). I learned the hard way that trying to reconstruct this information after you've already sold items is much harder than doing it beforehand. The IRS appreciates seeing that you made a systematic effort to establish your basis rather than just scrambling at tax time. Also, for anyone dealing with inherited collectibles - the rules are different! You might get a "stepped-up basis" equal to the fair market value when you inherited them, which could save you a lot in taxes. Definitely worth looking into if that applies to your situation.

I just went through this verification process about 6 weeks ago, so your timing with this question is perfect! Here's what I learned from my experience: The verification itself was actually pretty straightforward once I got through to someone. I tried the 7am calling strategy that everyone mentions here, and it worked - got through on my third attempt. The agent asked me to confirm some basic info from my 2023 and 2022 returns (previous addresses, filing status, AGI amounts, etc). The whole call took maybe 15 minutes. After verification, it took exactly 5 weeks for my refund to hit my account. I obsessively checked my transcript every few days and watched for those code changes people mentioned - saw the 570 hold code disappear and then got the 846 refund issued code about a week before the money actually arrived. One thing I wish someone had told me: save the date you completed verification and mark your calendar for the 9-week point. That way you have a realistic expectation and won't drive yourself crazy checking daily. The IRS really does seem to be processing these slower than they used to. For your home repairs - definitely have a backup plan for financing just in case it takes longer than expected. But based on most experiences here, you should see your refund sometime in the next 6-8 weeks if you get verified soon. Good luck!

I went through identity verification earlier this year and wanted to share my experience since I see you're just starting this process. The verification itself isn't too bad - I did mine over the phone after calling the number on my letter at exactly 7am (that timing tip really works!). They asked me to confirm info from my 2022 and 2023 returns like previous addresses, AGI amounts, and filing status. The waiting period after verification is definitely the hardest part. Mine took about 7 weeks from verification to refund, which was longer than I hoped but shorter than the 9 weeks they quoted me. I found that checking my transcript once a week (not daily) helped me stay sane - you'll want to watch for code 571 (hold released) followed by 846 (refund issued). Since you mentioned needing the money for home repairs this summer, I'd suggest having a backup plan just in case it takes the full 9 weeks or longer. Some people here have waited much longer unfortunately. But the good news is that almost everyone eventually gets their refund processed. The key is just patience and persistence with getting through to verify in the first place. Good luck!

I went through identity verification in January 2024 and can share my exact timeline to help ease your anxiety! Here's what happened: Jan 8: Received 5071C letter Jan 10: Called verification line (got through after 2 hours of redials) Jan 10: Completed phone verification (took about 20 minutes once connected) Jan 24: Transcript updated with refund date Jan 29: Refund deposited So 14 days from verification to transcript update, 19 days total to money in account. The verification itself was straightforward - they asked for my SSN, filing status, refund amount, and a few line items from my return. Since you mentioned urgent medical expenses, definitely emphasize this when you call. The IRS has expedited processing for financial hardship cases. Also, call first thing in the morning (7-8 AM) for shorter wait times. One thing that helped my peace of mind was checking my online account transcript every few days after verification. You'll see the 570 "additional account action pending" code clear, then 971 "notice issued" will appear, followed by 846 "refund issued" with your actual deposit date. The waiting is the hardest part, but most people get their refunds within 2-3 weeks of verification. You've got this!

I went through identity verification just last month and wanted to share my experience to help calm your nerves! Here's my timeline: Dec 15: Filed return electronically Dec 28: Received 5071C letter in mail Jan 2: Called verification number (took 3 attempts to get through - kept getting busy signal) Jan 2: Completed phone verification in about 25 minutes once connected Jan 18: Checked transcript and saw code 846 with refund date Jan 22: Direct deposit hit my account So exactly 16 days from verification to transcript update, and 20 days total to getting my money. The agent was actually very helpful and walked me through each step. A couple things that made the process smoother for me: - I had my prior year AGI written down (they always ask for this) - Made sure to call from the phone number that matched what was on my tax return - Had my ID, Social Security card, and tax return spread out in front of me Since you mentioned urgent medical expenses, definitely lead with that when you call. I've heard they can flag accounts for expedited processing in hardship situations. The verification process itself really isn't as intimidating as it sounds - they're just confirming basic info from your return and ID. You'll get through this and have your refund soon!