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

Thanks for the advice! Do you know if filing the Form 2848 with revocation checked will immediately stop them from being able to access my account info? And would I need to mail this or can it be done electronically?

Filing Form 2848 with revocation checked will effectively terminate their legal authority to represent you, though it may take a week or so to fully process in the IRS systems. You can fax it to the IRS for faster processing using the fax number on the form instructions, which is generally quicker than mailing. For electronic options, if you have an online IRS account, you can also manage your power of attorney authorizations there. Go to the "Tax Pro" section and you should see options to remove current authorizations without having to submit a new form.

Did it actually help you get your refund faster though? I'm dealing with a similar situation and wondering if it's worth trying. Can they actually process anything or just give you information?

I'm a bit skeptical about another service after getting burned. Do they actually file anything for you or is it just analysis? Also wondering how accurate their review really is compared to what the IRS ultimately decides.

It didn't speed up the IRS processing time itself, but it gave me accurate information about what to expect and helped me correct errors before they became problems. They don't file for you - they analyze what's been filed or what you're planning to file to identify issues. For accuracy, I found it extremely reliable. In my case, they identified exactly where my previous preparer had overclaimed my credit and showed me the specific IRS guidelines that applied. When I later spoke with an IRS representative, everything matched up with what taxr.ai had told me.

How does this actually work? Do they just call the IRS for you or something? I've tried calling myself and spent hours on hold before getting disconnected.

This sounds like BS honestly. Nobody can get through to the IRS these days. You're telling me this service somehow magically gets you to the front of the line? I'll believe it when I see it.

They don't call for you - they navigate the complex IRS phone system and secure your place in line. When an agent is available, you get connected directly. It essentially automates the horrible waiting process and phone tree navigation. I was extremely skeptical too until I tried it. The difference is they have technology that keeps your place in line through all the transfers and wait times, then calls you when an actual agent is ready to talk. I went from waiting 3+ hours and getting disconnected to speaking with someone in under 25 minutes.

Do you think filing these complaints actually helps get the refund faster or is it just to protect others from getting scammed too? I'm trying to figure out which actions help me now vs just reporting them.

Filing the complaints won't speed up your refund directly - that's still dependent on the IRS processing timeline. However, the Form 14157 does alert the IRS to potential problems with the preparer, which could indirectly help if they're reviewing returns from that preparer. The main benefit is protecting others and potentially assisting with any future legal claims you might have. In my case, after filing with the state board, I received a much more responsive communication from the company - I think they realized I was serious about pursuing the issue.

I eventually got mine, but it took almost 7 months and I had to revoke their power of attorney and deal directly with the IRS. The amount was also about $4,200 less than what Anchor had "estimated" for me. Classic bait and switch.

I'm in almost the exact same boat with Anchor - filed in March 2024 and still waiting on my Self-Employment Tax Credit. After reading through all these responses, I'm definitely going to revoke their power of attorney first thing Monday morning. For the class action question, you might want to reach out to some of the consumer protection attorneys mentioned earlier in the thread. From what I've seen online, there are definitely enough people with similar experiences that it could be worth exploring. Document everything - all their promises about timing, the changing stories, any fees they've charged. I'm also going to try both the Claimyr service to actually talk to the IRS and maybe run my documents through taxr.ai to see if they overclaimed my credit like some others found. At this point I just want to know what's really happening with my refund instead of getting more excuses from Anchor. Thanks for starting this thread - it's been incredibly helpful to see I'm not alone in this situation!

This is incredibly helpful information! I had no idea about the Taxpayer Advocate Service - that sounds like exactly what I need since Anchor's delays are actually causing me financial hardship at this point. I'm definitely going to file complaints with both the Attorney General's office and the Office of Professional Responsibility. It's encouraging to hear that state AGs are already tracking these types of complaints about tax preparation services making unrealistic promises. One question - when you contacted TAS, did they require you to show that you'd already tried resolving the issue directly with the IRS first? I'm wondering if I should use Claimyr to get through to an IRS agent before contacting TAS, or if dealing with Anchor's mess is enough to qualify for their assistance. Thanks so much for taking the time to share these resources. It's clear that Anchor has been pulling this same routine with a lot of people, and having multiple avenues to pursue complaints and assistance makes me feel like there's actually hope of getting this resolved.

From my experience with TAS, they don't require you to resolve the issue directly with the IRS first if a third-party preparer has created the problem. The fact that Anchor has been giving you the runaround for months and potentially causing financial hardship should be sufficient grounds for TAS assistance. That said, using Claimyr to get through to an IRS agent first could actually strengthen your TAS case because you'll have documentation of what the IRS says about your return status versus what Anchor has been telling you. If there are discrepancies (which there probably will be), that gives TAS more ammunition to help resolve your situation. I'd recommend starting with Claimyr to get the real story from the IRS, then immediately following up with TAS if the situation is as bad as we suspect. Having that direct IRS contact information in your TAS application shows you've been proactive about trying to resolve the issue. The whole process has been eye-opening about how many resources are actually available when tax preparers behave this way. It's just unfortunate that most people don't know about them until they're already stuck in situations like this.

From my experience with TAS, they don't require you to resolve things directly with the IRS first if a third-party preparer has created the problem. The fact that Anchor filed your return and is now preventing you from getting clear information about your refund status should qualify you for TAS assistance. That said, using Claimyr to speak with an IRS agent first could actually strengthen your TAS case because you'll have documentation of what the IRS tells you versus what Anchor has been claiming. When I spoke with TAS, they asked for a timeline of events and any communication records, so having that IRS conversation documented was helpful. TAS was particularly interested in the "financial hardship" aspect - if you can show that the delayed refund is causing you to be unable to pay basic living expenses or other taxes, they prioritize those cases. They also take cases seriously when there's evidence of preparer misconduct or when normal IRS processes aren't working due to third-party interference. I'd recommend calling TAS directly at that number @ad2cf07795b8 provided - they do phone intake and can tell you immediately if your situation qualifies for their assistance. In my case, they assigned a case advocate within a few days and that person became my single point of contact for getting answers from the IRS. Hope this helps with your situation!

From my experience with TAS, you don't necessarily need to resolve things with the IRS first - having a third-party preparer create complications that are causing hardship is often sufficient grounds for their intervention. In my case, I explained how Anchor's handling of my return had created uncertainty about my refund status and timeline, which was causing financial stress. That said, using Claimyr to get direct information from the IRS first could actually strengthen your TAS case because you'd have documentation of exactly what the holdup is and how the preparer's actions contributed to the problem. When I eventually spoke with a TAS case worker, they asked detailed questions about what steps I'd taken and what specific issues the preparer had caused. The key thing TAS looks for is whether you're experiencing "economic burden" or "systemic burden" - and dealing with a preparer who made false promises about processing times while potentially filing an inaccurate return definitely qualifies. I'd recommend starting your TAS intake form online and explaining the full situation with Anchor, including their changing stories and unrealistic timeline promises. Good luck getting this resolved - it's frustrating how many people are dealing with this same pattern of behavior from these tax credit mills!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation with another tax prep company, so I feel your pain. From what I've learned reading through this thread, speaking directly with the IRS through Claimyr (or waiting on hold yourself) is mainly useful for getting accurate information rather than speeding up processing. But that information is incredibly valuable - you'll know if your refund is actually being processed, on hold for review, or if there are issues with how it was filed. Several people here discovered their preparers had overclaimed their credits, which was causing the delays and additional scrutiny. I'd definitely recommend running your documents through taxr.ai like others mentioned to check if Anchor made similar errors with your filing. Better to know now if there are problems rather than find out during an audit later. The power of attorney revocation should definitely be your first step though. Once you do that and can speak directly with the IRS, you'll have a much clearer picture of what's actually happening versus the excuses Anchor has been giving you. Document everything for potential complaints later - seems like there's definitely a pattern of deceptive practices with these companies making unrealistic timeline promises.

This is really eye-opening information, thank you for the professional perspective! As someone new to dealing with tax issues, I had no idea about the high fraud rates with Self-Employment Tax Credit claims or why the processing times have become so long. Your point about the "advance payment" programs being high-interest loans is particularly concerning - that explains why some of these companies are so aggressive in their marketing. It sounds like they're making money off desperate people regardless of whether the actual tax credits ever come through. I'm curious about getting IRS transcripts - is this something I can do online even if a preparer currently has power of attorney over my account? And when you mention verifying eligibility independently, are there specific IRS publications or resources you'd recommend for understanding the actual requirements versus what these marketing companies claim? It's frustrating that people trying to legitimately claim credits they're entitled to are getting caught up in delays because of all the fraudulent claims, but I appreciate you taking the time to explain what's really happening behind the scenes.

You can access your IRS transcripts online through the IRS website at irs.gov even with an active power of attorney - the preparer's access doesn't block yours. You'll need to create an account and verify your identity, but it's the fastest way to see exactly what's been filed and the current status. For verifying Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, I'd recommend checking IRS Notice 2021-20 and the official ERC eligibility worksheets on irs.gov. The key requirement that many people miss is that your business operations had to be fully or partially suspended due to government COVID orders, or you had to experience a significant decline in gross receipts compared to the same quarter in 2019. What's particularly problematic is that some preparers were claiming credits for people who just had reduced income during COVID, which isn't the same as meeting the actual eligibility requirements. The difference between a legitimate claim and an inflated one can be tens of thousands of dollars, which is why the IRS is scrutinizing these so heavily. If you discover your preparer overclaimed, filing an amended return proactively can help avoid penalties and interest that would apply if the IRS catches the error first during their review process.

Yes, you can access your IRS transcripts online through the IRS website (irs.gov) even if someone has power of attorney - you'll just need to create an account and verify your identity. Go to "Get Your Tax Record" and select "Get Transcript Online." This will show you exactly what the IRS has on file for your return and any processing notes. For verifying Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, check IRS Notice 2021-20 and Publication 5498 which outline the specific requirements. The key criteria are that your business operations were fully or partially suspended due to government COVID-19 orders, or you had significant decline in gross receipts during specific quarters compared to 2019. What many people don't realize is that just being affected by the pandemic generally isn't enough - there have to be specific government orders that directly impacted your business operations. The marketing companies often glossed over these nuances to maximize the number of clients they could sign up. I'd also recommend calling the IRS Business Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933 if you need clarification on your specific situation after reviewing the official guidance.

Yes, you can access your IRS transcripts online even with an existing power of attorney in place. Go to irs.gov and create an account through their "Get Transcript" portal. You'll need to verify your identity, but once set up you can view all your tax account activity including the current status of any pending refunds. For verifying Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, check IRS Notice 2021-20 and the official FAQ section on irs.gov. The key requirement is that your business operations were fully or partially suspended due to government COVID-19 orders, OR you had a significant decline in gross receipts. Many marketing companies glossed over these specific requirements. What's particularly troubling is that some preparers were filing these credits for people who were just general gig workers without any COVID-related business impact. If your business wasn't actually affected by government shutdown orders, you likely don't qualify regardless of what the preparer told you. I'd also recommend calling the IRS practitioner hotline at 1-866-860-4259 once you revoke the power of attorney - they can often provide more detailed information about why specific returns are under review.

You can access your IRS transcripts online at irs.gov even with an active power of attorney - just create an account using your SSN and personal information. The transcript will show the actual status of your return and any holds or reviews in progress. For Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, check IRS Notice 2021-20 and the FAQ section on their website. The key requirement is that your business operations were fully or partially suspended due to government COVID orders, OR you had a significant decline in gross receipts (50% in 2020, 20% in 2021) compared to the same quarter in 2019. Many companies were claiming credits for people who just had normal business fluctuations rather than COVID-specific impacts. If you're unsure about your eligibility, it's worth having an independent tax professional review your situation before the IRS completes their review - it's much easier to file an amended return voluntarily than to deal with an audit later.

Yes, you can access your IRS transcripts online through the IRS website even with an active power of attorney - you'll just need to create an account at irs.gov and verify your identity. The transcripts will show you exactly what's been filed and the current status of any refunds. For verifying Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, I'd recommend starting with IRS Notice 2021-20 and the instructions for Form 7202. The key requirement that many people miss is that your self-employment income must have been significantly impacted by a government order related to COVID-19 - not just general economic hardship. The IRS has very specific documentation requirements for proving this impact. What's particularly troubling about companies like Anchor is they often skip this verification step entirely and just file claims based on income amounts, which is why so many are getting flagged for review. If you discover your claim was filed incorrectly, filing an amended return proactively can actually help avoid potential penalties down the road. The transcript will also show if there are any holds or flags on your account that might explain the processing delays beyond the normal backlog issues.

Yes, you can access your IRS transcripts online even with an active power of attorney - go to irs.gov and create an account through their "Get Transcript Online" portal. You'll need to verify your identity, but the transcripts will show the real-time status of your return and any holds or reviews. For verifying Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, check IRS Notice 2021-20 and the instructions for Form 7202. The key requirement is that your self-employment income was significantly reduced due to government COVID-19 orders that suspended operations or limited commerce. Many companies were claiming this credit for people who simply had reduced income for other reasons, which doesn't qualify. The IRS also has a detailed FAQ section specifically about Employee Retention Credits that applies to self-employed individuals. What I've seen in many questionable cases is preparers claiming the maximum credit amounts without properly documenting the required government order impacts or calculating the actual qualified wages correctly. Getting your transcripts will show you exactly what was filed on your behalf and whether the IRS has flagged it for additional review. If there are errors, it's much better to file an amended return proactively than wait for the IRS to audit and potentially assess penalties later.

You can access your IRS transcripts online through the IRS website even with an active power of attorney - go to irs.gov and create an account if you don't have one. The transcripts will show you exactly what's been filed and the current status of any refunds or holds. For verifying Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, check IRS Notice 2021-20 and the official Employee Retention Credit FAQ on irs.gov. The key requirement is that your business operations were fully or partially suspended due to government COVID orders, or you had significant decline in gross receipts. Many aggressive preparers ignored these specific requirements. Also be very careful about any "advance" offers - as @Ally Tailer mentioned, these are typically loans with APRs that can exceed 30-40%. If your credit gets denied or reduced later, you re'stuck repaying money you never actually qualified for. I ve'seen people end up owing thousands because of this. The legitimate credits do exist and many self-employed people qualify, but the marketing companies have created a mess that s'making it harder for everyone to get their rightful refunds processed.

You can definitely get your IRS transcripts online even with an active power of attorney - go to irs.gov and create an account through their "Get Transcript" portal. You'll need to verify your identity, but once set up you can see exactly what the IRS has on file for your returns and any processing notes. For verifying Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, check IRS Notice 2021-20 and the official Employee Retention Credit FAQs on irs.gov. The key requirements are that your business had to experience either a significant decline in gross receipts (50% in 2020, 20% in 2021) OR be subject to full or partial suspension due to government COVID orders. Many aggressive preparers ignored these strict requirements. Also look at Form 7202 instructions if you filed for 2020-2021, or Form 941-X if claiming for later periods. The IRS publications will show you exactly how the credit should be calculated versus the inflated numbers some preparers use to make their services seem more valuable. The transcript will show if your return is under examination, which explains the delays many people are experiencing. Getting this information directly from the IRS is crucial since these preparers often aren't being truthful about what's actually happening with claims.

Yes, you can access your IRS transcripts online even with an active power of attorney - go to irs.gov and create an account if you don't have one already. The transcripts will show you the actual status codes and any holds or reviews on your account. For verifying Self-Employment Tax Credit eligibility, check IRS Notice 2021-20 and the instructions for Form 7202. The key requirement is that your self-employment income had to be significantly reduced due to government COVID-19 restrictions - not just general business slowdown. Many preparers were claiming this credit for people who didn't actually meet the specific criteria. Also look at Publication 15-T for the detailed calculations. If you find discrepancies between what your preparer claimed and the actual requirements, you'll want to file an amended return quickly. The IRS is being much more lenient with people who self-correct errors before they're caught in an audit. The transcript codes will tell you if your return is under examination (420/424 codes) or just in normal processing. If you see examination codes, that's a red flag that there may be issues with how your credit was calculated.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding what's actually happening with these Self-Employment Tax Credit delays. After reading through everyone's experiences, I realize I need to stop trusting what my preparer is telling me and get information directly from the IRS. Your plan sounds solid - revoking the power of attorney first, then using Claimyr to actually speak with an agent, and running the documents through taxr.ai to check for overclaiming. I'm going to follow the same steps since my preparer has been giving me the same runaround about "processing delays" without any real specifics. The part about filing complaints with multiple agencies is something I hadn't considered, but it makes sense to document the pattern of deceptive practices. Even if it doesn't speed up our individual cases, it might prevent others from getting caught in the same trap. Please do update us on your progress - I think a lot of people in this community are dealing with similar issues and could benefit from hearing how these steps actually work out in practice. Thanks for taking the time to share your action plan!