Form 8832 Late Election - Reasonable Cause Statement for Missed Deadline

The IRS is actually quite understanding about late Form 8832 elections if you provide a legitimate reasonable cause. I've helped several clients with this exact situation. For a reasonable cause statement, you'll want to explain that you weren't aware of the filing requirement due to lack of professional guidance when initially forming your LLC. Be specific about when you discovered the requirement (during your quarterly review) and how you're taking immediate action to correct it. The IRS generally accepts "lack of knowledge" as reasonable cause, especially for small business owners who didn't initially have professional tax help. Make sure your statement is truthful, detailed, and shows that you're taking responsibility by hiring an accountant and filing now that you're aware. Include any specific circumstances that prevented you from knowing about this requirement.

Just wanted to share my experience with this. I was in the exact same boat last year - formed an LLC and had no idea about Form 8832 until way past the deadline. I used taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to help me draft the reasonable cause statement and it made a HUGE difference. Their system analyzed my specific situation and created a tailored reasonable cause statement that addressed exactly what the IRS looks for. It also helped me understand how to properly complete the rest of Form 8832. The IRS accepted my late election with no issues!

Just wanted to update everyone. I was really worried about my situation so I decided to give taxr.ai a try after seeing it mentioned here. It was actually way more helpful than I expected! The system walked me through my specific situation (operating for 3 years without filing) and created a reasonable cause statement that directly addressed the length of time issue. It included specific references to relevant IRS guidance that I never would have known about. I submitted my Form 8832 with the statement about 6 weeks ago and just got notification yesterday that it was APPROVED! Such a relief. The statement really seemed to hit all the right points about reasonable cause that the IRS was looking for.

If you're still waiting for a response from the IRS about your Form 8832, you might want to consider using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually talk to someone at the IRS about your case. I waited 4 months with no response on my late election, then used their service and got through to an actual IRS agent in less than 30 minutes who was able to check on my case. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when they reach an agent. Saved me HOURS of hold time and the agent I spoke with was able to expedite my form processing!

I need to eat my words and apologize to Profile 10. After my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr for my Form 8832 situation, and it ACTUALLY WORKED. I got a call back after about 1 hour 40 minutes (during which I was able to work instead of sitting on hold), and was connected with an IRS agent who was able to look up my case. Turns out my form had been received but was sitting in a processing backlog. The agent flagged it for review and I got my approval letter just a week later. I can't believe I wasted so many hours on hold before trying this. If you're waiting on a Form 8832 response, definitely worth using to check on your status.

Just a heads up - I submitted a late Form 8832 back in March with what I thought was a good reasonable cause statement (basically said I didn't know about it), and it got REJECTED. Make sure you're really specific about why you didn't know and what steps you took once you found out. I had to resubmit with a more detailed statement that explained I was a first-time business owner, didn't have an accountant initially, and submitted immediately after learning about the requirement during tax prep. Second submission was accepted.

I think everyone is overthinking this. The IRS actually has a simplified method for late Form 8832 elections called Revenue Procedure 2009-41. If your late filing is within 3 years and 75 days of the requested effective date, you can use this simplified procedure.

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago with my LLC. I was about 18 months past the deadline when I discovered I needed Form 8832. My reasonable cause statement focused on three key points: 1) I was a first-time business owner with no prior knowledge of entity election requirements, 2) I didn't have professional tax guidance when I formed the LLC, and 3) I took immediate action to file once I learned about the requirement during a consultation with a CPA. The IRS approved my late election after about 10 weeks. The key is being very specific about your circumstances and demonstrating that you acted promptly once you became aware of the requirement. Don't just say "I didn't know" - explain WHY you didn't know and what changed that made you aware of it. Also, make sure you sign and date the reasonable cause statement and attach it to your Form 8832. Good luck!

I'm currently dealing with a similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I formed my LLC about 8 months ago and just discovered I missed the Form 8832 deadline. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope that the IRS will accept a well-crafted reasonable cause statement. Based on what I'm seeing here, it sounds like the key elements are: being specific about why you didn't know about the requirement, explaining when/how you discovered it, and showing you took immediate action once you learned about it. I'm planning to emphasize that I'm a first-time business owner who initially handled the LLC formation without professional help to save costs. One question for those who've been through this - should I mention in my reasonable cause statement that I'm now working with a CPA to ensure I don't make similar mistakes in the future? It seems like showing you've taken steps to prevent future issues might strengthen the case. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the specific timelines and outcomes. It's reassuring to know that rejections aren't the end of the world and you can resubmit with a better statement.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. I was about 10 months past the deadline when I discovered I needed Form 8832 for my single-member LLC. My reasonable cause statement was very detailed and included specific dates - when I formed the LLC, when I first learned about the election requirement (during a meeting with my new accountant), and when I immediately began preparing the form. I also explained that as a first-time business owner, I had relied on online resources and basic legal services that didn't mention this tax election requirement. The IRS approved my late election after about 12 weeks. One thing that I think helped was that I included a timeline in my statement showing I took action within days of learning about the requirement - I scheduled the CPA meeting, gathered all necessary documents, and filed within 2 weeks of discovering the issue. Don't lose hope if you're well past the deadline. The IRS seems to genuinely understand that many small business owners aren't aware of these requirements, especially when they're trying to handle things themselves initially to save on professional fees.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My LLC has been operating for about 16 months and I just found out about Form 8832 last week during my first meeting with a professional tax advisor. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me a lot of hope. It sounds like the IRS is generally reasonable about these late elections when you have a legitimate reasonable cause. I'm particularly encouraged by the success stories from people who were 10+ months past the deadline. Based on what I'm seeing here, I'm planning to structure my reasonable cause statement around: 1) Being a first-time business owner with no prior knowledge of entity election requirements, 2) Initially handling the LLC formation myself to save costs without professional guidance, 3) Learning about the requirement during my recent consultation with a tax professional, and 4) Taking immediate action to file once I became aware. I'm also going to mention that I've now engaged professional tax help to ensure I don't miss any other important requirements going forward. It seems like showing you've taken steps to prevent future issues really strengthens the case. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and outcomes - it's really reassuring to know that even rejections can be overcome with a better statement on resubmission!

I just wanted to add my experience to this helpful thread. I was in a very similar situation about a year ago - LLC operating for 13 months when I discovered I needed Form 8832. I was panicking because I thought I had completely missed my chance. My reasonable cause statement emphasized that I was a solo entrepreneur who formed the LLC using online services to keep costs low, and that none of the formation materials or online resources I used mentioned the 75-day election deadline. I specifically noted the date I learned about the requirement (during a consultation for my first business tax return) and that I filed the form within 10 days of that discovery. The IRS approved my late election after about 8 weeks. What I think really helped was being very specific about my timeline and demonstrating that I took immediate action. I also mentioned that I had been operating in good faith, making quarterly estimated payments and maintaining proper business records, which showed I wasn't trying to avoid tax obligations - I just genuinely didn't know about this specific requirement. For anyone still waiting on their determination, don't give up! The success stories in this thread show that the IRS really does consider each case individually when there's a legitimate reasonable cause.

I'm going through this exact situation right now and this entire thread has been a lifesaver! My LLC has been operating for about 11 months and I literally just found out about Form 8832 three days ago when I started working with a new CPA for year-end planning. Reading everyone's experiences here is giving me so much hope. It's clear that the IRS does understand that many small business owners genuinely don't know about this 75-day requirement, especially those of us who tried to handle the initial setup ourselves to save money. Based on all the advice here, I'm crafting my reasonable cause statement to include: when I formed the LLC, that I used online resources and didn't have professional guidance initially, the exact date I learned about this requirement (during my CPA consultation), and that I'm filing immediately. I'm also going to mention that I've been making quarterly payments and maintaining proper records, which shows I wasn't trying to avoid tax obligations. The success stories from people who were 10+ months late are especially encouraging. It sounds like being specific about your timeline and showing immediate action once you discovered the requirement are key factors. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support means everything when you're stressed about making tax mistakes!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My LLC has been operating for about 15 months and I just discovered the Form 8832 requirement during a consultation with my new accountant last week. Reading through all these experiences gives me so much hope. It's reassuring to see that the IRS genuinely seems to understand that small business owners often aren't aware of these technical requirements, especially when we're trying to bootstrap everything initially. Based on all the successful cases shared here, I'm structuring my reasonable cause statement around four key points: 1) First-time business owner with no prior knowledge of entity election requirements, 2) Used online formation services initially to keep costs down, which didn't mention this deadline, 3) Discovered the requirement during my first professional tax consultation, and 4) Taking immediate action to file now that I'm aware. I'm also planning to mention that I've been making quarterly estimated payments and maintaining proper business records throughout my operation, which shows I wasn't trying to avoid tax obligations - I just genuinely didn't know about this specific form. The timeline details and immediate action emphasis seem to be crucial factors based on everyone's shared experiences. Thanks to this community for providing such valuable real-world guidance during a stressful situation!

I'm currently in the exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly valuable! I formed my LLC about 8 months ago using an online service to save money, and just discovered I needed Form 8832 when I finally decided to get professional tax help for year-end planning. What strikes me most about all these success stories is how understanding the IRS seems to be about genuine lack of knowledge, especially for first-time business owners who tried to handle things themselves initially. It's reassuring to see that being several months past the deadline doesn't automatically mean rejection. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm focusing my reasonable cause statement on three main points: 1) I'm a first-time business owner who had no prior knowledge of entity election requirements, 2) I used online formation resources that didn't mention this 75-day deadline, and 3) I'm taking immediate action after learning about it during my consultation with a CPA. I'm also planning to emphasize that I've been compliant in other areas - making quarterly payments, maintaining proper records, etc. - to show this was genuine oversight rather than tax avoidance. The specific timelines and outcomes shared here are so helpful for managing expectations. Knowing that approvals can take 8-12 weeks but that the success rate seems quite good for legitimate reasonable cause cases really helps with the anxiety of waiting. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - this community support makes such a difference when you're navigating these stressful tax situations!

I'm in almost the exact same situation and this thread has been such a relief to find! My LLC has been operating for about 10 months and I just discovered this Form 8832 requirement yesterday during my first meeting with a tax professional. I was honestly panicking thinking I had completely blown it. Reading through everyone's experiences here is incredibly reassuring. It's clear that the IRS does recognize that many small business owners genuinely don't know about these technical requirements, especially those of us who handled the initial formation ourselves to save costs. Based on all the successful cases shared here, I'm planning to structure my reasonable cause statement around: being a first-time business owner with no knowledge of entity elections, using online formation services that didn't mention this deadline, discovering the requirement during my tax consultation, and filing immediately upon learning about it. I'm also going to emphasize that I've been making quarterly estimated tax payments and maintaining proper business records, which shows I wasn't trying to avoid tax obligations - just genuinely unaware of this specific form. The success stories from people who were 8-15 months late are giving me so much hope. It sounds like being specific about your timeline and demonstrating immediate action once you discovered the requirement are the key factors for approval. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines - this community support means everything when you're stressed about making tax mistakes!

I'm currently facing this exact situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I discovered I needed Form 8832 just two weeks ago during my first consultation with a CPA, about 7 months after forming my LLC. Like so many others here, I had no idea about the 75-day election period. Reading through all these success stories gives me tremendous hope. It's reassuring to see that the IRS genuinely recognizes when small business owners have legitimate reasonable cause, especially those of us who tried to handle LLC formation ourselves initially to save on professional fees. Based on everyone's shared experiences, I'm crafting my reasonable cause statement to emphasize: 1) Being a first-time business owner with no prior knowledge of entity election requirements, 2) Relying on online formation resources that didn't mention this critical deadline, 3) Discovering the requirement during my professional tax consultation, and 4) Filing immediately upon becoming aware. I'm also planning to highlight that I've been making quarterly estimated payments and maintaining proper business records throughout my LLC's operation, demonstrating that this was genuine oversight rather than tax avoidance. The detailed timelines and approval outcomes shared here are invaluable for setting realistic expectations. Seeing successful cases from people 10+ months past the deadline really helps with the stress of thinking I've completely missed my chance. Thank you to everyone who took time to share their experiences - this community support is exactly what's needed when navigating these complex tax situations!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I just discovered I need to file Form 8832 about 6 months after my LLC formation. Like many others here, I had no clue about the 75-day election window when I set up my business myself using online resources. What's been most reassuring from reading everyone's experiences is seeing how reasonable the IRS can be when there's genuine cause for the late filing. The success stories from people who were 8-15 months past the deadline really give me hope that my 6-month delay isn't insurmountable. Based on all the advice shared here, I'm structuring my reasonable cause statement around: 1) Being a first-time business owner with no knowledge of entity election requirements, 2) Using online formation services that never mentioned this deadline, 3) Discovering the requirement during my recent CPA consultation, and 4) Taking immediate action to file once I learned about it. I'm also going to emphasize that I've been making quarterly estimated payments and keeping proper records, which should demonstrate this was an honest oversight rather than trying to dodge tax obligations. The specific timelines and approval rates shared by everyone here are so helpful for managing expectations during what is definitely a stressful process. Thank you to this entire community for sharing your real experiences - it makes such a difference when you're trying to navigate these complex tax situations!

I'm currently in this exact situation and this entire thread has been such a lifeline! I formed my LLC about 14 months ago (just like the original poster) and only discovered the Form 8832 requirement last week when I finally decided to get professional tax help for my growing business. Reading through everyone's experiences here gives me so much relief - it's clear I'm not alone in this situation and that the IRS does understand when small business owners genuinely don't know about these technical requirements. Like so many others here, I tried to handle the LLC formation myself using online services to keep costs down, and nowhere in that process was this 75-day deadline mentioned. Based on all the successful cases shared in this thread, I'm preparing my reasonable cause statement to focus on: 1) Being a first-time business owner with zero knowledge of entity election requirements, 2) Using DIY online formation resources that never mentioned this critical deadline, 3) Discovering the requirement during my consultation with a tax professional, and 4) Filing immediately now that I'm aware of it. I'm also going to emphasize that I've been making quarterly estimated payments and maintaining proper business records throughout my LLC's operation, which should demonstrate this was genuine oversight rather than trying to avoid tax responsibilities. The success stories from people who were 10+ months late are incredibly encouraging, especially seeing the variety of approval timelines. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences and outcomes - this community support makes all the difference when you're stressed about making tax mistakes!