I'm going through this exact same frustrating process right now with my mother's estate. Filed Form 706 back in August and we're coming up on the 8-month mark with absolutely zero communication from the IRS. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both helpful and terrifying - the idea of waiting 18+ months is just unacceptable when you're dealing with grieving family members who don't understand why the government needs over a year to review paperwork. I'm definitely going to look into both taxr.ai and Claimyr based on the success stories shared here. The idea of proactively catching filing errors before the IRS does makes a lot of sense, and being able to actually speak to a real person at the IRS sounds almost too good to be true after my own failed attempts at calling. One thing I'm curious about - for those who successfully used these services, did you wait until you were closer to the 9-month mark, or did you use them earlier in the process? I'm wondering if there's an optimal timing for trying to accelerate things. Also, has anyone had success with congressional inquiry? I've heard that contacting your representative's office can sometimes help with IRS delays, but I wasn't sure if that applies to estate tax matters or just individual returns. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences - this thread has been more helpful than months of trying to get information from the IRS directly!

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation with my stepfather's estate - filed Form 706 in November and we're now at the 5-month mark. This thread has been incredibly valuable, but I wanted to add one thing that might help others. Our estate attorney mentioned that if you have any foreign assets or accounts that were reported on the 706, those cases automatically get additional scrutiny and longer processing times. We had a small investment account in Canada that was properly reported, but apparently that alone can add 3-6 months to the review process. Also, I've noticed a lot of people mentioning the 9-month minimum wait before requesting a closing letter, but I recently learned you can actually submit a written request for an "expedited review" if you have compelling circumstances (like pending litigation, imminent property sales, or financial hardship for beneficiaries). The IRS website doesn't advertise this option well, but it exists under Revenue Procedure 81-27. Based on all the success stories here with taxr.ai and Claimyr, I'm planning to try both services. The idea of getting ahead of potential issues rather than waiting for the IRS to find them makes perfect sense. Will definitely report back on my experience to help others in this frustrating situation. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice you can't find anywhere else!

Don't forget to consider harvesting more losses strategically each year! If you have investments that are temporarily down but you still believe in long-term, you can sell them to capture the loss, wait 31 days (to avoid wash sale rules), and rebuy. This gives you more losses to offset any gains and potentially increase your $3k deduction against ordinary income.

One additional tip that's saved me headaches - create a simple spreadsheet or document each year that lists your starting carryover balance, any gains/losses for that year, and ending carryover balance. Even though the tax software tracks this automatically, having your own record helps if you ever need to switch software or if there's a discrepancy. I also recommend keeping detailed records of which specific investments generated your original losses. While it doesn't affect the tax calculation, it's helpful context when making future investment decisions. For a $27k loss, you'll want to be extra careful about wash sale rules if you're tempted to buy back into similar positions. The good news is that even at $3k per year, you're getting a meaningful tax benefit - that's potentially $600-900+ in tax savings annually depending on your marginal rate. Think of it as a silver lining to an unfortunate investment outcome.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who had this same problem last year - if you're married filing jointly, make sure both you and your spouse update your W-4s. I fixed mine but my husband didn't update his, and we still ended up with a huge refund because his withholding was still too high! Also, if u have multiple jobs, there's a special multiple jobs worksheet you should fill out. The IRS withholding calculator handles this pretty well though.

This is such a common problem! I went through the exact same thing earlier this year. Here's what worked for me: 1. **Submit a new W-4 immediately** - Don't wait! Your employer has to process it for your next paycheck. Use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator online to get the right numbers. 2. **Check your most recent pay stub carefully** - Make sure you understand what's being withheld. Sometimes there are additional deductions that look like taxes but aren't (like voluntary insurance or retirement contributions). 3. **Consider your total tax situation** - If you have other income sources, side gigs, or investment income, that might explain why more is being withheld than expected. The frustrating part is that you won't get that $3800 back until you file your return next year, but at least you can stop the bleeding for your remaining paychecks. I was able to increase my take-home by about $400 per month once I fixed my withholding. One tip: Keep detailed records of your pay stubs and the new W-4 you submit, just in case there are any issues when you file your taxes next year.

can someone clarify wat counts as "deferred compensation" for form 990? our ED has a 457b plan and im not sure if thats supposed to go in subpart F or somewhere else?

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation as our nonprofit's treasurer. One thing I'd add about subpart F is to make sure you're being consistent year over year with how you calculate and report these benefits. We had an issue where we were estimating health insurance premiums one way in 2022 and a completely different way in 2023, which created some confusing variances when our auditor reviewed the forms. Now we keep a detailed worksheet that breaks down exactly how we calculate each component of subpart F - retirement contributions, health premiums, life insurance, etc. Also, don't forget that if your organization provides any kind of housing allowance or parsonage allowance to clergy, those typically need to be included in subpart F as well, even though they might be excludable from income tax. The key is documenting your methodology so you can explain it to auditors or the IRS if needed. Good luck with your filing!

I'm currently waiting for my California state refund too - it's been showing "authorized" since Monday and still nothing in my Wells Fargo account as of today (Friday). This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding the normal timeline! What really surprised me is learning about the batch processing system that California uses. I had no idea that "authorized" doesn't mean the funds are immediately released - it sounds like there can be an additional 1-2 day delay while they process batches. That explains why the timing can vary even when people get authorized on the same day. The early morning checking strategy is genius. I've been guilty of obsessively refreshing my app throughout the day, which just makes the waiting feel longer. Going to switch to checking once around 6am and leaving it alone the rest of the day. It's also reassuring to know that 2-4 business days is completely normal, especially during tax season when volumes are higher. Since I'm at the 4 business day mark, I'm optimistic it'll show up Monday morning. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps with the anxiety of waiting for money you need for bills!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My California state refund has been "authorized" since Wednesday and it's now Saturday morning with still nothing in my Wells Fargo account. Reading through all these experiences has been such a huge help - I was starting to panic that something was wrong! The explanation about batch processing really makes sense. I had no idea that "authorized" just means approved for payment, not that the funds are actually released yet. That extra 1-2 day delay for California to process their batches explains why the timing varies so much between people. I've definitely been guilty of the obsessive app checking! I probably refresh my Wells Fargo app 30+ times a day, which just makes the waiting feel eternal. Going to follow everyone's advice and switch to just checking once early Monday morning around 6am instead of torturing myself all weekend. It's so reassuring to know that 3-4 business days is totally normal, especially during busy tax season. Since I'm right at that mark now, I'm feeling much more confident it'll show up Monday. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - this community really helps with the anxiety of waiting for money you're counting on for bills!