IRS won't help with penalty abatement or give refund updates - what to do?

Ugh, dealing with the IRS is such a pain. I've been in a similar situation with penalty abatement. Have you tried submitting Form 843 for the abatement request? Sometimes that works better than trying to do it over the phone.

I feel your pain. The IRS is so backed up right now, it's ridiculous. I've been waiting on my refund for months with no updates. Have you tried checking the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website? Sometimes it has info that the phone reps don't.

Pro tip: I found a way to actually get someone on the phone. I used this site's (claimyr.com) calling tool that dials the phone menu, stays on hold, waits for a live agent to pick up, then sends the call to my phone. It does cost $20, but it works. Here's a video about it: https://youtu.be/Jc9x-gysK0

Have you considered reaching out to the Taxpayer Advocate Service? They can sometimes help when you're getting nowhere with the regular IRS channels. It's a free service and they might be able to assist with both the penalty abatement and refund status issues.

lol welcome to the club fam. been waiting on my refund since february. irs be playing games with our money 🤡💸

Here's what I've learned from my experience with penalty abatement and refund delays: 1. First-Time Penalty Abatement (FTA): If this is your first time facing a penalty and you have a clean compliance history for the past 3 years, you might qualify for FTA. You can request this over the phone or in writing. 2. Reasonable Cause: If you don't qualify for FTA, you can try arguing reasonable cause. This requires explaining why you couldn't comply due to circumstances beyond your control. 3. Refund Delays: Unfortunately, there's no magic solution here. The IRS is seriously backlogged. However: - Keep checking the "Where's My Refund" tool regularly - If it's been more than 21 days since you e-filed (or 6 weeks for paper returns), you can try calling the IRS directly - Consider contacting your local Taxpayer Advocate Service office 4. Documentation: Keep copies of EVERYTHING. Every letter, every form, notes from every call. This can be crucial if you need to escalate your case. 5. Be Persistent: It's frustrating, but sometimes you just have to keep trying. Different IRS agents might give different responses. Hang in there! The system is a mess right now, but keep advocating for yourself. And remember, you're definitely not alone in this struggle.

Have you tried reaching out to your congressional representative? Sometimes they can light a fire under the IRS and get things moving.

Plot twist: the IRS is actually a front for a secret government time travel experiment, and all our "delayed" refunds are being used to fund it. Wake up sheeple! 👁️👄👁️