I completely understand your frustration! I went through the exact same thing when I bought my first home two years ago. The "tax benefits" conversation really needs to come with a big asterisk explaining that it depends entirely on your mortgage amount, property taxes, and state. What helped me was reframing homeownership benefits beyond just taxes. Yes, the mortgage interest deduction didn't help me initially, but I was still building equity instead of paying rent, had a fixed housing payment (unlike rising rent), and gained the freedom to modify my space. The tax benefits might kick in later as your income grows, you accumulate more deductible expenses, or if tax laws change. In the meantime, you're still making a solid financial move even without the immediate tax savings. Don't let the tax disappointment overshadow the other real benefits of homeownership!

As someone who works in tax preparation, I see this exact confusion from new homeowners every single year! The mortgage interest deduction used to be much more valuable before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act significantly increased the standard deduction in 2018. Here's a quick way to think about it: if you're married filing jointly, you'd need MORE than $29,200 in total itemized deductions to see any tax benefit. Your $2,500 mortgage interest + $3,800 property taxes + other deductions would need to exceed that threshold. One thing to keep in mind - if you have a larger mortgage or live in a high-tax area, the math changes completely. Also, if you do any significant charitable giving, have high medical expenses, or qualify for certain home office deductions, those could potentially push you over the standard deduction threshold. Don't be discouraged though! Many of my clients see the tax benefits kick in after a few years as their situations change. The equity building and payment stability are still major financial wins even without immediate tax savings.

If all else fails, remember you can file your taxes using Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) with your best estimate of wages and withholding based on your final paystub. If you get the real W-2 later and the numbers are different, you can file an amended return.

I went through something very similar last year with a different major bank. Here's what ultimately worked for me: 1. Try calling ADP's main customer service line early in the morning (around 8 AM EST) - I found the wait times were much shorter and got through to a human faster. 2. When you do get through, ask them specifically about their "identity verification override process" for former employees who can't access 2FA. They have internal procedures for this but don't advertise it widely. 3. If ADP still won't budge without employer authorization, you can actually file a complaint with your state's Department of Labor. Many states have regulations requiring employers to provide tax documents to former employees within a reasonable timeframe. I filed one online and my former employer's HR suddenly became very responsive within a week. 4. Also check if your bank has a corporate headquarters phone number separate from the general HR line - sometimes corporate customer service can route you to someone who can actually help rather than the black hole that is typical HR. Don't wait too long on the IRS transcript route either - if your employer hasn't submitted your W-2 info to the IRS yet, that transcript won't help. Good luck!

I had this exact same issue a couple years ago! In addition to Form 8822 that Carmen mentioned, you might also want to contact your old address (if possible) to see if the check is still there. Sometimes neighbors or the new residents are helpful about forwarding mail. Also, if it's been more than a few weeks since the check was issued, you can request a trace on it by calling the IRS. Just have your SSN and tax info ready when you call. The whole process is annoying but totally fixable!

Hey Yuki! I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago. Here's what worked for me: First, definitely fill out Form 8822 like Carmen suggested - that's the most important step. But also call the IRS refund hotline at 800-829-1954 and let them know what happened. They can put a stop payment on the original check and reissue it to your new address once they process your address change. The whole thing took about 6-8 weeks total for me, but at least I didn't have to worry about someone else cashing my check. Also pro tip: set up direct deposit for next year so you don't have to deal with this again! Good luck!

I went through this exact same confusion last year! After doing a lot of research and talking to other indie developers, I can confirm that 511210 (Software Publishers) is definitely the right code for video game development companies. What helped me feel more confident about this choice was understanding that the IRS classifies businesses based on their primary economic activity, not necessarily the creative aspect. Since we're developing and publishing software products (games), we fall under software publishing rather than traditional entertainment categories. One tip that might help for next year - keep good records of your revenue streams. If you ever branch out into things like merchandise, licensing, or other non-software activities, you'll want to make sure game development/publishing is still your primary revenue source to justify using this code. But for most indie studios, 511210 is spot on. Don't beat yourself up about trying to do it yourself - we all learn these things somewhere! The important thing is you're getting it right now.

Great question! I run a small indie game studio and went through this same headache when filing our Form 1065. After consulting with our CPA and doing some research, we use NAICS code 511210 (Software Publishers) which is what most game development companies should use. The key thing to understand is that the IRS classifies video game developers as software publishers rather than entertainment companies, since we're primarily creating and distributing software products. Even though our games might be entertainment, the business activity itself falls under software publishing. A few additional tips from my experience: - Make sure your business description on the form matches this classification - Keep documentation showing that game development/publishing is your primary revenue source - If you do contract work or other services, those might need different treatment depending on the revenue split Code 511210 has worked well for us for three years now with no issues from the IRS. Don't overthink it too much - this is the standard classification that most indie studios use successfully!

Based on your description of My Health CCM's pitch, this has all the hallmarks of an abusive tax shelter. The combination of creating a special purpose LLC solely for tax benefits, making a large "investment" in software licenses, and promises of dramatic tax savings should be raising every red flag. The IRS has been cracking down hard on these types of schemes. They often involve overvalued intangible assets (like software licenses) to create artificial losses that get passed through to your personal return. Even if the promoters claim it's "legal," the IRS can disallow the deductions under the economic substance doctrine. I'd strongly recommend staying far away from My Health CCM. If you're looking to legitimately reduce your tax burden, consider working with a reputable CPA or tax attorney who can help you implement proven strategies like maximizing retirement contributions, proper business expense documentation, or legitimate business structures that serve actual economic purposes beyond tax avoidance. Remember: if someone is cold-calling you with a "tax strategy" that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Legitimate tax planning doesn't typically require you to invest six figures in questionable software licenses.

As someone who's been through multiple IRS audits, I can tell you that My Health CCM's pitch hits every single warning sign for what the IRS calls "abusive tax avoidance transactions." The fact that they're pushing you to create a special purpose LLC specifically for tax benefits rather than legitimate business operations is a massive red flag. I learned the hard way that the IRS doesn't care what promoters claim is "legal" - they look at the economic substance of the transaction. If you're paying $130k for software licenses that you'll never actually use in a real business, that's exactly the kind of artificial loss creation they go after aggressively. The penalties aren't just financial either. These schemes can put you on the IRS's radar permanently, making you a target for future audits. I'd recommend getting a second opinion from a licensed tax professional who has no financial interest in selling you this "strategy." Most legitimate CPAs will tell you to run from anything that sounds like what you've described. Trust your gut - if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. There are plenty of legitimate ways to reduce your tax burden without risking your financial future on schemes like this.