Made a mistake filing Form 8832 instead of Form 2553 for S corp election - how to fix?

It happens to many business owners, so don't panic! You've still got options to fix this situation. When you send in the incorrect entity classification form, you need to correct it as soon as possible. I'd recommend sending in Form 2553 immediately with a cover letter explaining the situation. Clearly state that you mistakenly filed Form 8832 and that your intention has always been to elect S corporation status. The IRS generally processes these forms in the order received, so getting the correction in quickly is important. Make sure your Form 2553 is completed perfectly - all signatures, dates, and shareholder consents need to be there. On the form itself, you might want to write "CORRECTION TO ERRONEOUSLY FILED FORM 8832" at the top in red ink to draw attention. Also, consider calling the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933 to explain the situation. They may be able to flag your account or provide further guidance specific to your situation.

I had a similar mixup last year with my entity classification. I spent hours trying to figure out the right forms and still got it wrong! I ended up using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much hassle. Their system walks you through exactly which forms you need based on your specific business situation. They actually flagged this exact issue for me - that Form 8832 is for C corp elections and Form 2553 is what you need for S corp status. They have this feature that shows you which IRS forms apply to your specific scenario and how to correctly fill them out. I honestly wish I'd found them sooner instead of making the mistake in the first place!

I was in your exact position last year. After getting advice here, I tried taxr.ai and it was incredibly helpful. I was really confused about the whole entity classification process because my accountant was on vacation when I needed to make the election. Their system confirmed I needed Form 2553 for S-Corp election and warned me about the common mistake of filing 8832 instead. They even provided a template for the cover letter to include when fixing an erroneously filed form. I followed their step-by-step guide, sent in my corrected paperwork, and got confirmation from the IRS about 6 weeks later that my S-Corp election was approved. Honestly saved me so much stress during a critical time for my business!

When I had to deal with the IRS about a similar form mixup, it was nearly impossible to get someone on the phone to help me. I spent hours on hold only to get disconnected. After three days of trying, I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and they actually got me connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with was super helpful and told me exactly what to do to fix my form situation - turns out I needed to include a specific cover letter explaining the situation and referencing both forms. Having that direct guidance from the IRS gave me peace of mind that I was fixing the problem correctly rather than potentially making it worse.

I owe everyone here an apology - especially Profile 11. I was super skeptical about Claimyr but I was desperate after trying for two weeks to reach the IRS about my misfiled forms. I gave it a shot yesterday and I'm shocked to report that I was actually connected to an IRS representative in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do - send Form 2553 immediately with a detailed cover letter explaining the situation and referencing the mistaken Form 8832 filing. She even gave me a specific fax number to use for faster processing and told me what to write on the cover page. I've spent countless hours over the years trying to reach the IRS with no success. Never thought I'd say this, but that service actually delivered exactly what it promised.

Just want to add that timing is really important here. The IRS has deadlines for making S corp elections - generally you need to file Form 2553 no later than 2 months and 15 days after the beginning of the tax year the election is to take effect, OR anytime in the preceding tax year. So if you want S corp status for 2025, you need to make sure your correction gets processed in time. If you miss the deadline, you might have to wait until the following tax year for the S election to take effect.

Can't you just file Form 8832 again to revoke the first election before filing 2553? I think there's a box you can check to revoke a previous election.

I went through this exact same situation with my LLC last year - filed Form 8832 by mistake when I meant to elect S corp status. The panic is real, but you can definitely fix this! Here's what worked for me: I immediately sent Form 2553 with a cover letter explaining the error, and I also included a copy of the mistakenly filed Form 8832. In the cover letter, I clearly stated my intention was always to elect S corporation status and that the Form 8832 was filed in error. The key is being very explicit about your intentions. Write something like "I mistakenly filed Form 8832 believing it was the correct form to elect S corporation status. My intention has always been to elect S corporation tax treatment under IRC Section 1362(a)." I also recommend sending it via certified mail or using the IRS fax number (855-214-7522 for Form 2553) to ensure faster processing. The IRS processed mine correctly and I received confirmation of my S corp election about 8 weeks later. Don't wait - the sooner you get the correction in, the better your chances of having it processed properly before any complications arise.