Gig Worker Tax Solutions: Issues with Anchor Accounting and Self-Employment Tax Credit

I'm a tax resolution specialist who's unfortunately seen several cases like yours recently with third-party tax preparation services focused on gig workers. Here's what you need to understand: First, for the power of attorney issue - you can revoke this yourself by filing Form 2848 with the "revocation" box checked. You don't need an attorney to do this part. Get this done ASAP if you're concerned about refund interception. Regarding the Self-Employment Tax Credit claims - the IRS has been scrutinizing these heavily because there's been significant fraud in this area. Processing times for legitimate claims have increased dramatically, sometimes 6+ months. The "15-20 days" promise was almost certainly unrealistic. For legal action, you'd want a consumer protection attorney or one specializing in tax preparation fraud. But before going that route, document everything - all communications, promises made, timeline of events. Also contact the IRS directly to verify the actual status of your return and refund.

After dealing with similar issues with another tax firm, I finally tried taxr.ai and it was such a relief! I uploaded my documents and their AI system immediately flagged issues with how my Self-Employment Tax Credit was being calculated. The site (https://taxr.ai) analyzed everything and gave me a detailed report showing my actual eligibility and correct refund amount. What I really appreciated was that they explained exactly what documentation the IRS would need for my particular situation and even helped identify that my previous preparer had made some potentially dangerous claims. I was able to get everything corrected before getting caught in an audit situation.

I was super skeptical after my bad experience, but I decided to try taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. Honestly, it was eye-opening! I uploaded my documents from Anchor Accounting and discovered they had overclaimed my Self-Employment Tax Credit by almost $3,800. The analysis showed exactly which income they had incorrectly classified to maximize the credit. I was able to file an amended return immediately with the correct information. While I'll get a smaller refund than what Anchor promised, it's legitimate and I won't have to worry about an audit or having to pay it back later with penalties. The documentation review also helped me understand why my refund was taking so long - there were specific flags in how my return was prepared that were causing additional scrutiny. Really glad I found this before things got worse.

I had almost the exact same experience with Anchor last year. After months of getting nowhere and constant excuses, I couldn't reach anyone at the IRS to sort it out. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and was connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The IRS agent confirmed my refund was on hold pending review because of how Anchor had filed it. They also helped me revoke the power of attorney right on that call. If you watch their demo video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) you can see exactly how the system works - it's basically a callback service that navigates the IRS phone tree for you.

I need to eat my words here. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr, and I'm shocked to say it actually worked. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes who confirmed my Self-Employment Tax Credit was being held for review because of how my tax preparer filed it. The agent was able to see exactly what was happening with my return and helped me revoke the power of attorney right during the call. She even flagged my account with notes about my concerns regarding the third-party preparer. For anyone in the same situation - speaking directly with the IRS gave me more information in 15 minutes than my tax preparer provided in 3 months of emails and calls. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind knowing what's actually happening with your refund.

If anyone else is dealing with Anchor Accounting, make sure to report them to: 1. Your state's board of accountancy 2. The IRS using Form 14157 (Complaint: Tax Return Preparer) 3. The FTC through their complaint portal for deceptive business practices I filed all three after they messed up my Self-Employment Tax Credit claim, and the state board actually contacted me to get more information. Apparently they've received multiple similar complaints.

Has anyone actually received their Self-Employment Tax Credit refund after using Anchor? I filed through them in January and I'm still waiting...

I'm dealing with a very similar situation with Anchor Accounting right now. They've been giving me the runaround for months about my Self-Employment Tax Credit, and I'm starting to think this is just how they operate - promise quick results to get clients, then make excuses when they can't deliver. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like the first priority should be revoking their power of attorney immediately. I'm going to file Form 2848 tomorrow and try to get through to the IRS directly to see what's actually happening with my refund. Has anyone here had success getting any kind of compensation from Anchor for the delays and false promises? I'm wondering if there's enough people with similar experiences to consider some kind of class action, especially if they're systematically misleading clients about processing times. Thanks for all the resources and advice in this thread - it's helpful to know I'm not the only one dealing with this mess.

I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation with Anchor Accounting and wanted to share some additional resources that might help others in this thread. After months of getting nowhere with them on my Self-Employment Tax Credit, I decided to take a multi-pronged approach. First, I contacted my state's Attorney General's office consumer protection division - they have a specific complaint process for tax preparation services that engage in deceptive practices. They were actually quite responsive and said they've been tracking complaints about companies making unrealistic promises about tax credit processing times. Second, I reached out to the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) through their website at taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov. They can help when you're experiencing significant hardship due to IRS processing delays, especially if a third-party preparer has complicated your situation. You can also call them at 1-877-777-4778. Finally, I found out that the IRS has a specific office that handles complaints about return preparers - the Office of Professional Responsibility. They investigate preparers who violate regulations or engage in fraudulent practices. You can file a complaint through their online portal. For anyone considering legal action, I'd suggest documenting not just the timeline and broken promises, but also any fees you've paid and whether they're holding your refund hostage in any way. The pattern of behavior described in this thread sounds like it could constitute unfair business practices under many state consumer protection laws. Hope this helps others who are dealing with similar issues!

I'm going through almost the exact same situation with Anchor Accounting right now. They filed my Self-Employment Tax Credit in March 2024 and gave me the same "15-20 days" promise that obviously never materialized. Now they're telling me the IRS is processing it but they can't give me any real timeline or status updates. What's really frustrating is that I paid them upfront fees based on their promises of quick processing, and now I'm wondering if my refund is even legitimate or if they've overclaimed like some others have mentioned here. I'm definitely going to follow the advice in this thread and revoke their power of attorney immediately using Form 2848. I'm also planning to try the Claimyr service to actually speak with an IRS agent and get real information about what's happening with my return. Has anyone who's been through this situation found that speaking directly with the IRS helped speed up the process at all? Or is it mainly just useful for getting accurate information about where things stand? At this point I just want to know the truth about my refund status instead of getting more runaround from Anchor. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here - it's both frustrating and reassuring to know this is a pattern with them and not just my case specifically.

I'm a tax professional who has been following this thread with growing concern about the pattern of issues with Anchor Accounting and similar services. What many people don't realize is that the Self-Employment Tax Credit (often called the Employee Retention Credit for self-employed individuals) has very specific eligibility requirements that were frequently misinterpreted or exaggerated by aggressive marketing companies. The IRS has been conducting extensive reviews of these claims because fraud rates were extremely high - in many cases, preparers were claiming credits for clients who didn't actually qualify or were inflating the amounts. This is why legitimate claims are taking 6-12 months to process instead of the normal 21 days. For anyone still waiting on their refund, I strongly recommend: 1. Get your IRS transcripts immediately to see the actual status 2. Verify your eligibility independently - the credit only applies if your business was significantly impacted by COVID-19 government orders 3. Revoke any power of attorney if you're concerned about the preparer's practices 4. Consider filing an amended return if you discover errors The "advance payment" programs these companies advertise are often just loans against your expected refund at extremely high interest rates. If the IRS ultimately denies or reduces your claim, you're still responsible for repaying the advance. Document everything and consider reporting questionable preparers to help protect other taxpayers from similar situations.