Would using a different device altogether help? Like if my laptop isn't working, should I try my phone instead?

Yes, definitely try a different device! I've had success switching between my laptop and phone when one wasn't working. Sometimes the mobile browser handles the IRS site differently than desktop browsers. Also worth trying different networks - if you're on WiFi, try switching to mobile data or vice versa. The IRS website can be really finicky about network connections during peak times.

Thanks for sharing your solution! I'm definitely going to try the Firefox + early morning combination. I've been banging my head against the wall with Chrome during regular hours and getting nowhere. One quick question - when you say you bookmarked the direct transcript page, do you mean you bookmarked the login page or the actual transcript download page? I'm wondering if I can skip some of the navigation steps that might be causing timeouts. Also, has anyone noticed if weekends work better or worse than weekdays for accessing transcripts? I'm wondering if I should wait until Saturday morning to try again or if weekdays are actually better because the IRS systems might be more actively maintained during business days.

For the bookmarking question - I bookmarked the actual "Get Transcript Online" page (irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript) rather than just the main login page. This way I could skip the homepage navigation and go straight to where I needed to be. Regarding weekends vs weekdays, I've actually had better luck on weekdays in the early morning. Weekends can be hit or miss - sometimes they're doing maintenance on Saturday nights which can cause issues on Sunday. Plus I think fewer IRS staff are monitoring systems on weekends, so if something does go wrong it might not get fixed as quickly. My best success has been Tuesday-Thursday around 6-7 AM EST. Mondays can be rough because of weekend backlogs, and Fridays sometimes have issues if they're prepping for weekend maintenance. Just my experience though - your mileage may vary!

You'll definitely need at least Deluxe to itemize deductions like medical expenses. I used it last year for some medical procedures I had in Canada and it worked fine. Just make sure you have all your receipts converted to USD beforehand - TurboTax doesn't do the currency conversion for you.

I can help clarify the exchange rate question! You actually have a choice - you can use either the daily exchange rate from when you made each payment OR the IRS's average annual exchange rate for that year. Both are acceptable methods according to IRS guidelines. The daily rates are more precise but require more documentation. The annual average rates (published on irs.gov) are simpler to use and calculate, especially if you had multiple payments spread across different dates. I'd recommend sticking with daily rates since you mentioned you have all your payment documentation - it shows you're being as accurate as possible. For foreign language receipts, getting certified translations isn't always required, but having clear English translations of key details (date, amount, services provided, provider info) definitely helps. Many medical facilities in popular medical tourism destinations will provide English receipts if you ask, or you can get them translated by a qualified translator and keep both versions with your tax records.

Great question about the exchange rates! I found the IRS average annual rates much simpler to use and they're completely acceptable. You can find them in IRS Publication 15-T or on their website under "Yearly Average Currency Exchange Rates." The IRS actually prefers consistency, so using their published annual averages is often better than trying to track down exact daily rates for multiple payment dates. For the language issue, yes - my Indian receipts were in English thankfully, but they also had some Hindi text. I got them officially translated by a certified translator just to be safe, which cost about $150 but gave me peace of mind. The translator also provided a certification letter stating the accuracy of the translation, which I kept with my tax records. If your receipts are already in English or have English translations, you should be fine. Just make sure they clearly show the medical nature of the services, dates, and amounts paid.

Yes, there definitely is! As a family member, you can file Form 1310 "Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer" along with the final tax return if it wasn't filed yet. If it's been 3 years since the return was due, you're cutting it close though - the IRS generally only allows claims for refunds within 3 years of the original due date. You should file immediately if you want to try to claim it. You'll also need to establish who has the legal right to the refund (usually determined by state law or by who's administering the estate).

Yes, you can request copies of tax documents! You'll need to file Form 4506-T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return) with the IRS to get transcripts of any 1099s or other information returns that were filed for your uncle. As a family member dealing with the estate, you should be able to request these. You'll need to provide proof that you have the authority to request his tax information - this could be a death certificate plus documentation showing you're handling his affairs, or letters of administration if someone has been appointed by the court. The IRS is pretty strict about who can access deceased persons' tax information, but legitimate family members dealing with estates can usually get what they need. Another option is to contact his former clients directly if you know who they were - they should be able to tell you if they issued any 1099s. For his mail situation, you might want to file a change of address form with the post office to redirect his mail to someone in the family who can handle his affairs.

Yes, you can request tax transcripts and wage/income documents directly from the IRS! As someone handling the deceased person's affairs, you can file Form 4506-T to get transcripts of past returns and Form 4506-T with the "wage and income transcript" box checked to see what 1099s and W-2s were issued to him. You'll need to include a death certificate and documentation showing you have the authority to act on behalf of the estate. If there's no formal executor, you might need to check your state's laws about who can handle these matters - sometimes it's the surviving spouse, adult children, or closest relative. The IRS usually takes a few weeks to process these requests, but it's the most reliable way to see exactly what income was reported to them under his SSN. This will give you a complete picture of what needs to be included on his final return.

Thanks for mentioning that! I use QuickBooks for my online store. Is there a specific way I should record this in QB to match what I'll be explaining on my Schedule C?

In QuickBooks, you'll want to create an inventory adjustment entry. Go to Inventory > Adjust Quantity/Value on Hand. Select the items that had counting errors and enter the correct quantities. For the "Adjustment Account," it's best to use "Opening Balance Equity" since this is correcting a prior period error. Make sure to add a detailed memo explaining what happened (like "Correction of 2022 year-end count error"). This creates a clear audit trail in your accounting records that matches what you'll explain on Line 35 of your Schedule C. QuickBooks will then automatically adjust your COGS for the current year to reflect the accurate inventory values.