I've been following this thread and I'm really glad you're being so careful about verifying this notice! After reading through all the excellent advice here, I wanted to add one more verification step that helped me when I was dealing with questionable IRS correspondence. If you have an online IRS account (you can create one at IRS.gov if you don't already have one), you can actually check your "tax records" section to see all official notices they've sent to you. Any legitimate CP05A would show up there with the exact date it was mailed and a brief description. This is completely separate from the "Where's My Refund" tool and gives you another independent way to confirm whether the IRS actually sent you that specific notice. The identity verification request in your CP05A is definitely suspicious based on what others have pointed out. Most CP05A notices I've seen just say something like "We're reviewing your tax return and will contact you in 30-60 days if we need additional information." They don't typically ask you to take immediate action or verify your identity. When you call the IRS tomorrow, I'd also ask them to confirm the exact mailing date of any notices they've sent to your address. If the date doesn't match what's on your letter, that's another red flag. Good luck with your call - you're handling this exactly the right way!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding how to verify IRS correspondence! As someone who's dealt with tax scams targeting elderly family members, I want to emphasize one more important point: always trust your gut instinct when something feels off. The combination of a legitimate notice code (CP05A) with identity verification requests is exactly the kind of sophisticated tactic scammers use now. They research real IRS procedures and addresses to make their fakes more convincing. The fact that you questioned this and sought verification shows great judgment. When you call the IRS tomorrow, I'd also suggest asking them about any recent scam trends they're seeing that use CP05A notices. Sometimes the agents can give you additional context about current fraud patterns that might help you and others spot similar attempts in the future. One final tip: if this does turn out to be a scam, consider reporting it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at reportphishing@tigta.treas.gov. They track these schemes and use the information to help protect other taxpayers. Good luck with your verification call!

What about state tax consequences of missing the Form 966? I dissolved my Scorp in 2023 but didn't file the 966 either, and now I'm getting letters from my state revenue department saying I owe penalties for unfiled state returns for 2024. I filed all my federal final returns correctly. Is this related?

I went through this exact same situation last year with my dissolved S-corp. I was 6 months late on filing Form 966 and was really stressed about potential penalties. Here's what I learned: The IRS rarely penalizes small S-corps for late Form 966 filings when you've properly handled everything else. Since you already filed your final 1120-S and distributed assets correctly, you're in good shape. Form 966 is mainly informational - it tells the IRS about your dissolution plan, but the real substance is in your final 1120-S. I'd definitely recommend filing the Form 966 now with a brief explanation letter. Something simple like "Form 966 filed late due to oversight. Final 1120-S was timely filed and all assets properly distributed." This creates a clean paper trail and shows good faith. One thing to watch out for - make sure your asset distributions on the Form 966 match what you reported on Schedule K-1 of your final 1120-S. Any discrepancies there could raise questions. Also double-check that you handled any built-in gains properly if you had appreciated assets. Don't stress too much about this. The IRS is way more concerned about unpaid taxes than late informational returns, especially for small businesses that clearly tried to do things right.

PSA: If your refund is significantly higher than normal (over $10,000), it might get flagged for additional verification which can delay the deposit regardless of what your transcript says. This happened to me with Wells Fargo last year - date came and went with no deposit, had to call the IRS to sort it out.

Wells Fargo typically sticks to the exact date on your transcript - no early releases for tax refunds unfortunately. I've been banking with them for 5+ years and they're very consistent about this. Your June 12th date should be accurate, though sometimes it might not show up until later in the day or even the next business day depending on when the IRS processes the batch. Set your expectations for June 12th and you won't be disappointed. If you really need early access to funds in the future, consider opening a secondary account with an online bank like Chime or Current that does early deposits - many people keep both traditional and online banks for this reason.

Has anyone used the IRS's Direct Pay system for making estimated payments online? Is it easy to use? I need to make my first payment soon and wondering if there's anything tricky about it.

I was in a very similar situation two years ago - lost my job in March but had significant stock gains from my previous employer's equity compensation. The quarterly tax thing was completely new to me too! One thing I learned the hard way is that you should also consider your state's estimated tax requirements. Some states have different thresholds and due dates than the federal system. I focused so much on the federal payments that I almost missed my state obligations. Also, keep detailed records of when you received the capital gains versus the dividend income. The IRS allows you to use the "annualized income installment method" if your income was uneven throughout the year. Since you got a big lump sum from stock sales but steady monthly dividends, this method might reduce your required payments for the quarters before you actually received the gains. I'd definitely recommend at least one consultation with a tax professional given the amounts involved. Even a one-hour session can save you from costly mistakes and give you confidence in your approach.

Has anyone used those donation kiosks at checkout where they ask if you want to round up or add $1 to your purchase for charity? Are those tax deductible too or not worth tracking?

Something to keep in mind is that the standard deduction amounts have increased significantly over the past few years, making it harder for many people to benefit from itemizing. For 2024, it's $14,600 for single filers and $29,200 for married filing jointly. This means your total itemized deductions (charitable donations, mortgage interest, state/local taxes, etc.) need to exceed these amounts to get any tax benefit from your charitable giving. If you're nowhere close to these thresholds, you might consider timing your donations strategically. For example, if you normally donate $3,000 per year, you could donate $6,000 every other year instead. This "bunching" strategy might help push you over the standard deduction threshold in alternating years. Also, don't forget that volunteer mileage for charitable work is deductible at 14 cents per mile, and out-of-pocket expenses for volunteer work can add up too if you track them properly.