Has anyone used SETC Gig Worker Solutions or Anchor Financial for tax credits?

Be really careful with these SETC claims. As a tax preparer, I've seen a lot of clients come in after using these services and ending up with audits. The Self-Employment Tax Credit these companies are promoting is actually a misapplication of the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), which was designed for businesses that kept employees on payroll during COVID. The IRS has issued multiple warnings about these schemes. Most gig workers don't actually qualify because you needed to have had W-2 employees or experienced significant business disruption with documentation to prove it. Simply having worked as a self-employed person during the pandemic isn't enough to qualify. These companies are charging huge fees (often 15-25% of the "refund") to file claims that the IRS is increasingly flagging and denying. They're exploiting confusion around pandemic tax benefits to target gig workers.

I was skeptical at first too but ended up using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) instead of those sketchy SETC companies. What's different is they actually analyze your specific situation instead of making blanket promises. I uploaded my 1099s and expense records from the pandemic period, and they showed me exactly what credits I actually qualified for versus what was marketing hype. The crazy thing was they actually advised AGAINST me applying for SETC because my situation didn't qualify! They saved me from what would have been a guaranteed audit. Instead, they found legitimate deductions I'd missed in my previous filings that I could still claim. Way more transparent than those SETC mills pushing everyone to apply regardless of eligibility.

I tried taxr.ai after seeing the comment here and I'm legitimately shocked. I was about to pay Gig Worker Solutions almost $1,500 to process my "SETC claim" but taxr.ai's analysis showed I definitely didn't qualify based on my documentation. Instead, they found I had missed legitimate business expenses on my 2021 return that I could still amend for - actual things I could prove with receipts. The documentation they provided helped me file an amended return myself that got me back $780 - way less than what Gig Worker Solutions promised, but REAL money I was actually entitled to rather than a fake claim that would have gotten me audited. Worth every penny to avoid that headache.

After trying to call the IRS like 8 times about these SETC claims and getting nowhere, I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and finally got through to a real agent. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed these SETC offers for gig workers are on their radar for audits. She said they're seeing tons of improper claims coming in and many will be rejected or result in penalties. The agent spent like 15 minutes explaining what actually qualifies (very few gig workers) and what documentation they're requiring (which most of these companies aren't even collecting from people). Saved me from making a huge mistake with Anchor Financial who wanted $2000 upfront to "process" my claim.

I need to apologize to Profile 6 and eat my words. After my skeptical comment, I actually tried Claimyr out of desperation because I needed to talk to the IRS about an audit letter I received (ironically after using one of these SETC services last year). It actually worked exactly as described - I got a call back when an agent was on the line. The IRS person I spoke with confirmed they're flagging ALL of these gig worker SETC claims for review, and most are being denied. My claim from Anchor Financial is being audited and now I owe back the refund plus interest. Save yourselves the headache. If something sounds too good to be true tax-wise, it usually is.

My roommate used Gig Worker Solutions last year for this SETC thing. He got a big refund at first (like $8k) but just got a letter saying the IRS is taking it all back plus charging him interest and a penalty for filing an improper claim. Now he's freaking out because he already spent most of that money on a used car. The Gig Worker Solutions people aren't returning his calls now. The whole thing is a nightmare for him. Just wanted to share a real example of how these things can backfire.

I found the actual IRS warning about this exact issue: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/employee-retention-credit-claims-involving-self-employed-individuals Key part: "The law is clear that self-employed individuals who reported no wages on their Form 1040 are not eligible for the ERC." Most of these companies are just taking advantage of confusion around pandemic benefits. If you're getting 1099s as a gig worker and have no employees, you almost certainly don't qualify for what they're claiming.

I work for a CPA firm and we've been dealing with the fallout from these SETC companies all tax season. The IRS has ramped up audits specifically targeting these claims, and we're seeing rejection rates over 90% for gig worker applications. Here's what most people don't realize: the Employee Retention Credit requires you to have had employees on payroll that you retained during the pandemic. If you're a sole proprietor getting 1099s with no W-2 employees, you don't qualify - period. These companies know this but keep filing claims anyway because they get paid upfront. We've had to help several clients deal with audit notices, repayment demands, and penalties after using services like Anchor Financial and Gig Worker Solutions. The documentation these companies collect is nowhere near what the IRS actually requires for legitimate ERC claims. My advice: if you're thinking about this, talk to a real tax professional first. Don't let these companies take your money for claims that will just create problems down the road.

I went through something similar last year and learned the hard way. I was driving for both Uber and Lyft during 2020-2021 and saw those same ads promising huge SETC refunds. The marketing was so convincing - they made it sound like every gig worker who worked during COVID was entitled to thousands. I almost signed up with one of these companies but decided to do some research first. What I found was eye-opening: the Employee Retention Credit they're talking about was designed for businesses that kept employees on payroll during the pandemic, not for independent contractors like us who get 1099s. The key thing these companies don't tell you upfront is that as gig workers, we're considered self-employed individuals, not employers. We don't have employees to "retain" during the pandemic, which is the whole point of the credit. The IRS has been very clear about this distinction. I ended up working with a local CPA instead who helped me identify legitimate deductions I had missed - things like phone bills, car maintenance, and home office expenses for managing my gig work. It wasn't the massive refund those companies promised, but it was real money I was actually entitled to without the risk of an audit. Trust me, stick with legitimate tax strategies and avoid these SETC companies. The short-term gain isn't worth the long-term headache when the IRS comes calling.

As someone who's been doing gig work for about 2 years now, I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here. I was actually considering reaching out to one of these SETC companies after seeing their ads everywhere, but after reading through all these comments, I'm definitely staying away. It's frustrating how these companies target gig workers specifically - they know we're always looking for ways to maximize our tax benefits since we don't get the same protections as traditional employees. The marketing is so aggressive and makes it sound like we're leaving money on the table if we don't apply. I think the key takeaway here is that if you're getting 1099s and don't have actual employees, you probably don't qualify for these credits no matter what the ads say. Better to focus on legitimate deductions we can actually prove with receipts and documentation. Has anyone here had success working with a CPA who specializes in gig worker taxes? I'm thinking it might be worth the investment to make sure I'm not missing any legitimate deductions without falling for these questionable schemes.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread probably just saved me from making a huge mistake! I was literally filling out the application for Anchor Financial yesterday when I decided to do some research first and found this discussion. The red flags were definitely there when I looked closer. They wanted me to pay $800 upfront as a "processing fee" and kept pushing me to sign quickly before their "limited time offer" expired. When I asked specific questions about eligibility requirements, they gave really vague answers and kept saying "we'll handle all the details." After reading about the IRS warnings and seeing real examples of people getting audited and having to pay everything back, I'm definitely backing away from this. I'd rather stick with legitimate deductions I can actually document than risk getting on the IRS's radar for filing questionable claims. Going to look into finding a CPA who works with gig workers instead. Better to pay for real professional advice than get scammed by these SETC companies that are clearly taking advantage of drivers who are just trying to get the tax benefits we're actually entitled to.