Do you always receive acceptance letter for SCorp election? How to confirm status?

While it's common to receive an acceptance letter for your S Corporation election (Form 2553), it's not guaranteed that you'll get one. The IRS doesn't always send these confirmation letters, especially during busy processing periods or if they're backed up. You can verify your S Corp status in a few ways. First, call the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. Yes, wait times can be long, but they can confirm your election status. Second, you can file Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) to authorize your accountant to check on your behalf. Another option is to look at how the IRS processes your tax returns. If they accept your 1120-S (the S Corporation tax return) without issue, that's a good indication your election was approved. Many businesses operate for years without ever receiving the formal acceptance letter.

After going through this exact headache last year, I found this amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me so much stress. I was in your same position - filed my 2553 and heard nothing for months. I uploaded my documentation to taxr.ai and they analyzed everything, confirmed my filing looked correct, and even gave me the exact script to use when calling the IRS to check on my status. The best part was they could tell from my documents that I had actually made a small error on my tax basis reporting that might have caused issues down the road. They even helped me understand how to fix it before it became a problem. Seriously made the whole S Corp election process so much clearer.

I have to eat my words about taxr.ai. After being skeptical in my previous comment, I decided to try it anyway since my S Corp situation was driving me crazy. Uploaded my 2553 and related docs, and they spotted two issues I had no idea about - my fiscal year selection was inconsistent with my operating agreement, and I had a provision that could have disqualified my S Corp status. The guidance was actually really specific to my situation, not generic advice. When I called the IRS using their recommended approach, I got confirmation my election was being processed. Would've been rejected otherwise. Kind of amazed how well it worked.

Just want to share something that saved my sanity during this process. After waiting 5 months with no S Corp confirmation letter, I tried calling the IRS dozens of times but could never get through. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - they have this system that basically waits on hold with the IRS for you and calls you back when an actual human picks up. I was super skeptical but there's a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I tried it and got a call back in about 40 minutes with an IRS agent on the line! The agent confirmed my S Corp election had been accepted 3 months earlier but the letter was never generated due to a system glitch. Problem solved in one call instead of weeks of frustration.

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment above. After another frustrating morning trying to reach the IRS about my S Corp status, I tried Claimyr out of desperation. Not only did it work exactly as described, but I got connected to an agent in 27 minutes (after previously trying for DAYS). The IRS agent confirmed my S Corp election had been processed and approved two months ago! They said due to backlogs, many acceptance letters are delayed or sometimes not sent at all. She even gave me a confirmation number I could reference if there were any issues when filing my 1120-S. Worth every penny just for the peace of mind.

Something to remember with S Corp elections - if you don't hear back from the IRS, it could be because you filed late and need to request relief under Revenue Procedure 2013-30. I filed my 2553 about 4 months late, never received a confirmation letter, but included a statement with my first 1120-S explaining why I had reasonable cause for the late election. The IRS processed my S Corp return without any issues, which effectively means they accepted my late election. Sometimes silence from the IRS can actually be a good thing!

PSA for anyone dealing with this: I went through entire last tax year assuming my S Corp election was approved (never got a letter). Filed my 1120-S, took owner distributions, the whole setup. Then got a nasty letter saying they never processed my election and I had filing requirements for a C Corp instead! Had to refile everything. Total nightmare. My advice - ALWAYS get confirmation one way or another. Don't assume no news is good news with the IRS. Call or use one of these services people mentioned until you get actual confirmation.

This is such a stressful situation that so many small business owners face! I went through something similar last year and learned that the IRS has actually been inconsistent with sending acceptance letters, especially since COVID disrupted their processing. One thing that helped me was keeping detailed records of everything - the date I mailed Form 2553, certified mail receipt, copies of all documents. When I finally got through to the IRS (took multiple attempts), having those details made the call much more efficient. Also, don't panic if you're operating as an S Corp without formal confirmation. As long as you filed the election timely and correctly, you can generally rely on that status. The key is just getting that peace of mind confirmation. The suggestions about taxr.ai and Claimyr seem worth trying if you're at your wit's end with the phone calls. One more tip - if you have a business bank account, sometimes your banker can help facilitate contact with the IRS Business Services line. They often have better luck getting through than individual taxpayers.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my Form 2553 about 3 months ago and radio silence from the IRS. What's really frustrating is that I've already started operating under S Corp status - changed my payroll, started taking reasonable salary, the whole nine yards - but without that confirmation letter, I'm constantly second-guessing myself. My CPA keeps telling me not to worry, but it's hard not to when you're making tax decisions based on an assumption. I've tried calling the IRS business line twice but gave up after being on hold for over 2 hours each time. Has anyone here had success with the written inquiry approach? I'm thinking about sending a letter to the IRS with copies of my original filing asking for status confirmation. Might be slower than calling but at least I'd have a paper trail of trying to get confirmation. Really appreciate all the suggestions in this thread - definitely going to look into some of these services if I can't get through to the IRS soon. The stress of not knowing for sure is almost worse than just dealing with whatever the actual status is!

I can relate to this anxiety! I went through the same thing last year - filed Form 2553 in March and didn't get any confirmation until September. What finally worked for me was a combination approach. First, I documented everything meticulously like others suggested - certified mail receipts, copies of all forms, dates, etc. Then I called the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line (800-829-4933) early in the morning around 7 AM when they first open. The wait times were much shorter then, usually 30-45 minutes instead of hours. When I finally got through, the agent was actually very helpful. She explained that they've had major processing delays and many acceptance letters aren't being sent out due to staffing issues. She confirmed my election was approved about 2 months after I filed, but the letter was stuck in their system. The key thing she told me: if your Form 2553 was filed correctly and timely, and you haven't received a rejection notice, you can generally assume it's been accepted. The IRS is required to send rejection notices if there are problems, but acceptance letters are more of a courtesy that sometimes gets missed in their backlog. For immediate peace of mind, ask for a confirmation number when you call - that way you have something concrete to reference if questions come up later. Don't let this stress consume you too much; it sounds like you did everything right!

I'm going through this exact situation right now and the uncertainty is driving me crazy! Filed my Form 2553 back in December and it's now April with absolutely no word from the IRS. I've been operating as an S Corp this whole time - paying myself a reasonable salary, making quarterly estimated payments, the works. What's really frustrating is that I've called the IRS business line probably 8 times over the past two months. Either I can't get through at all, or I wait for hours just to get disconnected. The one time I actually reached a human, they said they couldn't find my election in their system but that it might just be a processing delay. Reading through all these responses is actually pretty reassuring though. It sounds like the IRS is just completely overwhelmed and many people are in the same boat. The early morning calling strategy someone mentioned sounds smart - I've been trying to call during lunch breaks which is probably the worst possible time. I think I'm going to try both approaches - the 7 AM calling method and maybe that written inquiry to the Ogden Service Center. At this point I just need some kind of confirmation one way or the other so I can stop second-guessing every payroll decision I make. Has anyone here successfully gotten through using the early morning approach recently?

I went through this exact same nightmare situation about 18 months ago and wanted to share what finally worked for me. Filed my Form 2553 in February, heard absolutely nothing until October - talk about stress! What ended up saving me was a three-pronged approach. First, I kept calling the IRS business line using that early morning strategy others mentioned (7 AM sharp works best). Second, I sent a certified letter to the Ogden Service Center requesting status confirmation with copies of everything. Third, and this was key - I started filing estimated tax payments as an S Corp anyway. Here's the thing nobody tells you: if you're making good faith efforts to comply (filing timely, paying estimated taxes as S Corp, keeping records), the IRS is generally reasonable about backdating acceptance even if there are processing delays. When I finally got through to an agent, she said my election had been approved 6 months earlier but got stuck in their correspondence backlog. My advice: document everything, keep operating as S Corp if you filed timely and correctly, and don't let the anxiety paralyze you. The IRS has been dealing with massive processing delays since COVID and they know it. Most people in your situation eventually get confirmation - it just takes way longer than it should. Stay persistent but don't panic!

I'm going through this exact same situation and it's reassuring to see I'm not alone! Filed my Form 2553 about 5 months ago and still no acceptance letter. My CPA keeps telling me it's fine, but the uncertainty is really stressful when you're making payroll and tax decisions based on assumed S Corp status. After reading all these responses, I'm definitely going to try the early morning calling strategy - 7 AM seems to be the magic time when wait times are shorter. I've been calling during regular business hours and either can't get through or wait forever just to get disconnected. One question for those who successfully got through to the IRS - when you called, were you able to get any kind of written confirmation or reference number? I'm worried about relying on just a verbal confirmation over the phone. Also, has anyone tried sending a written inquiry to the Ogden Service Center? I'm considering doing both approaches simultaneously. The advice about documenting everything and continuing to operate in good faith as an S Corp is really helpful. I've been second-guessing every decision, but it sounds like as long as I filed correctly and timely, I should be able to proceed with confidence while working to get that official confirmation.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and it's honestly such a relief to find this thread! Filed my Form 2553 back in November and it's now April with absolutely zero communication from the IRS. I've been operating as an S Corp this whole time - reasonable salary, quarterly payments, the works - but that nagging doubt is always there. What's been driving me crazy is that I've tried calling the business line probably a dozen times over the past few months. Half the time I can't even get into the queue, and the other half I wait 2+ hours just to get disconnected. It's incredibly frustrating when you're trying to run a business and make important tax decisions. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really eye-opening. It sounds like the IRS processing delays are much worse than I realized, but also that most people eventually get confirmation that their election went through. The early morning calling strategy (7 AM) that several people mentioned is genius - I've been trying to call during my lunch break which is probably when everyone else is calling too. I'm definitely going to try both the early morning calls and possibly the written inquiry to Ogden. At this point I just need some kind of confirmation so I can stop second-guessing every payroll decision. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really helpful to know this level of delay is unfortunately normal right now!

I'm going through this exact same frustrating situation! Filed my Form 2553 about 3.5 months ago and haven't received any acceptance letter from the IRS. Like many of you, I've been operating as an S Corp - paying myself a reasonable salary, making quarterly estimated payments, adjusting my bookkeeping - all based on the assumption that my election went through. The uncertainty is really getting to me, especially when making payroll decisions and planning for year-end tax filing. I've tried calling the IRS business line multiple times but either can't get through or wait hours just to get disconnected. After reading all these experiences, I'm definitely going to try that early morning calling strategy at 7 AM that several people mentioned - seems like that's when wait times are actually manageable. I'm also considering the written inquiry approach to the Ogden Service Center as a backup plan. It's honestly such a relief to see that processing delays of 4-6 months are unfortunately normal right now, and that most people eventually get confirmation their election was approved. The advice about documenting everything and continuing to operate in good faith as an S Corp while pursuing confirmation really helps with the anxiety. Has anyone had success with the written inquiry method, or is calling still the most reliable way to get status confirmation? I'm thinking of trying both approaches simultaneously since I really need that peace of mind before filing my first 1120-S.