I'm going through the exact same thing with my cycle 05 transcript! My 'as of' date has been bouncing between February 3rd and February 10th for almost two weeks now, and I was starting to panic until I found this incredibly helpful thread. What's been most reassuring is learning that these date changes are just the IRS doing weekly reviews of our accounts - not necessarily indicating problems or progress. I've definitely been guilty of checking my transcript obsessively every single morning hoping for that magical 846 code! 😅 I'm also a student desperately waiting on my refund for spring semester tuition and textbook costs, so I completely understand the financial stress you're dealing with. When you're counting on that money for real expenses, every day of uncertainty feels like forever! It's so frustrating that the IRS doesn't communicate any of this clearly. Like, would it really be that hard to just say "under weekly review" instead of making us all become amateur transcript detectives? This community has taught me more about how the system actually works than any official IRS resource I've tried to navigate. Based on everyone's shared experiences here, it sounds like most people get their DDD within 2-3 weeks of this bouncing pattern starting, which gives me hope! The waiting game is absolutely brutal when school payments are due, but at least now I know this is normal processing behavior and not a sign something's wrong. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences - it's made this whole confusing process so much less stressful. Fingers crossed we all see some real movement soon and can stop analyzing every little date change! 🤞📚

I'm experiencing the exact same cycle 05 transcript situation! My 'as of' date has been bouncing between February 14th and February 21st for about 8 days now, and I was getting really worried until I read through all these incredibly helpful responses. What's been most enlightening is understanding that these date changes are just the IRS system doing its weekly review of our accounts - not necessarily indicating any problems or actual progress. I've definitely been guilty of obsessively checking my transcript every morning like it's going to magically show an 846 code! 😅 I'm also a student waiting on my refund for spring semester expenses (textbooks and lab fees are getting expensive!), so I completely understand the financial stress when you're depending on that money for real school costs. The uncertainty is honestly the hardest part of this whole process. It's really frustrating that the IRS doesn't explain any of this clearly - like how difficult would it be to just add a "under weekly review" status instead of these cryptic date gymnastics that send us all into panic mode? This community has been infinitely more helpful than any official IRS resource I've tried to navigate. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like most people get their DDD within 2-3 weeks of this bouncing pattern starting, which gives me hope! The waiting game is brutal when school payments are looming, but at least now I know this is completely normal processing behavior and not a red flag. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - it's made this whole confusing waiting period so much more manageable. Fingers crossed we all see that magical 846 code soon and can stop being amateur transcript detectives! 🤞📚

Something else to consider - if you're buying chargers and phone accessories for employees, make sure you have an accountable plan in place if you're reimbursing them for these purchases. Otherwise, those reimbursements could be considered taxable income to the employees.

This is exactly the kind of question I had when I started my small business! I was putting everything phone-related under utilities and it was such a mess. One thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all these small tech purchases throughout the year. I have columns for date, item, cost, business percentage, and category. For chargers and accessories, I use "Office Supplies" as mentioned by others here. Also, if you're like me and use your phone for both business and personal, don't forget to calculate that business use percentage. I track my business calls/usage monthly to justify my deduction percentage. For accessories that are used 100% for business (like that extra charger you keep at the office), you can deduct the full amount. Keep all those receipts organized - even the small $10 ones add up over the year and every legitimate deduction helps!

One thing to consider - if you do end up having to file with the statutory employee box checked, make sure you understand how Schedule C works. You'll report your W-2 income on Schedule C instead of directly on Form 1040, and you can deduct certain business expenses. Common deductible expenses for statutory employees include: - Home office (if you used a dedicated space exclusively for work) - Work-related travel - Professional development/education - Work equipment or supplies you paid for yourself - Portion of cell phone/internet used for work Just be sure to keep excellent documentation of any expenses you claim in case of audit.

I dealt with a similar situation a few years ago when my employer incorrectly classified me as a statutory employee. The key thing to understand is that this classification has specific legal requirements that your situation clearly doesn't meet. As a software developer working on-site with regular hours, benefits, and employer-provided equipment, you're definitely a traditional W-2 employee. The IRS is pretty strict about the four categories of statutory employees (delivery drivers, life insurance sales agents, certain traveling salespeople, and home workers using employer materials). Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. Contact your former employer's HR/payroll department in writing (email is fine) explaining the error 2. Reference IRS Publication 15-A which defines statutory employee classifications 3. Request a corrected W-2 (Form W-2c) with the statutory employee box unchecked 4. Give them a reasonable deadline (like 10 business days) to respond If they don't respond or refuse to correct it, you have options. You can file Form 4852 as a substitute W-2 with the correct information, or contact the IRS directly for assistance. Don't file your taxes with incorrect information - it could cause issues down the road. Most employers will fix this quickly once they realize their mistake, especially when you explain the specific IRS requirements for statutory employee classification.

I'm in a very similar situation with about $8,900 in ERUS that's been completely frozen since the sanctions hit. This entire thread has been absolutely incredible - I've learned more practical, actionable information here than from months of frustrated calls to my broker (Charles Schwab) and consultations with multiple tax professionals who all gave me the same unhelpful "wait and see" advice. What really gives me confidence is seeing the consistent pattern of success across so many different people using well-documented approaches. The combination of getting official BlackRock documentation, referencing multiple IRS publications (550, Revenue Ruling 2009-9, and Notice 2020-53), and properly filing with Form 8949 creates such a solid regulatory foundation. I'm particularly encouraged by the recent experiences from Paolo, Mae, and others who've successfully gotten official documentation from BlackRock. The fact that they're now familiar with these requests and have standardized language about "indefinite suspension with no reasonable prospect for resumption" really shows this has become a recognized solution. I'm planning to call BlackRock tomorrow using the proven approach outlined here - specifically mentioning I need documentation for worthless security tax purposes, and having my account details and share count ready. After that, I'll file using Form 8949 with code C and include a comprehensive explanatory statement referencing all the regulatory support mentioned throughout this thread. After nearly two years of uncertainty and getting nowhere through traditional channels, it's such a relief to finally see a clear, well-supported path forward. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this community solved a problem that the entire tax preparation industry seemed unable to address!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation with about $10,300 in ERUS that's been completely frozen since the sanctions hit. This thread has been an absolute lifesaver - I've gotten more practical, actionable guidance here than from literally months of frustrating calls to my broker (Merrill Lynch) and consultations with three different tax professionals who all gave me variations of the same unhelpful "wait for official guidance" advice. What really gives me confidence is seeing the incredible consistency of success across so many people using these well-documented approaches. The regulatory framework that's been built up through everyone's research - IRS Publication 550, Revenue Ruling 2009-9, Notice 2020-53, combined with official BlackRock documentation - creates such a solid foundation for treating these as worthless securities. I'm particularly encouraged by the recent success stories from Paolo, Mae, Sean and others who've gotten official BlackRock documentation. The fact that they now have standardized processes and language for these requests really shows this has become a legitimate, recognized pathway. I'm calling BlackRock first thing Monday using the proven approach outlined here - specifically mentioning worthless security tax purposes, having my account details and share counts ready. Then I'll file using Form 8949 with code C and include a comprehensive explanatory statement referencing all the regulatory support documented throughout this thread. After almost two years of this money being in limbo and getting absolutely nowhere through traditional channels, it's such an incredible relief to finally see a clear, well-supported path forward. This community has solved a complex tax problem that the entire professional tax industry seemed completely unprepared to handle. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - you've literally saved people thousands of dollars in stuck investments!

This is such a great discussion! I've been following along and learned so much about vehicle deductions. As someone who just started a small photography business, I'm realizing I should probably be tracking my mileage when I drive to client shoots and locations. One question that keeps coming up in my mind - what about vehicles that are used for multiple purposes throughout the year? Like, I use my car mostly for personal stuff, but during wedding season (May-October) I'm driving to venues almost every weekend. Would I need to track business vs personal use for the entire year, or can I somehow designate certain months as "business heavy" periods? Also, for anyone who's been audited on vehicle deductions - what kind of documentation did the IRS actually want to see? I'm trying to get my record-keeping set up properly from the start rather than scrambling later. Thanks for all the insights everyone has shared!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who works in tax preparation, I want to add one crucial point that hasn't been fully emphasized: the IRS has been cracking down significantly on luxury vehicle deductions in recent years, especially for vehicles like the Cybertruck. What many people don't realize is that there's a specific "luxury automobile" limit that caps depreciation deductions for passenger vehicles. However, vehicles over 6,000 lbs gross vehicle weight (like the Cybertruck) are classified as "heavy SUVs" and can potentially avoid these caps - BUT they still have Section 179 limitations. For 2024, the maximum first-year Section 179 deduction for heavy SUVs is $28,900, not the full purchase price. Your friend might be thinking of bonus depreciation combined with Section 179, but even then, the business use must be legitimate and well-documented. The bottom line: Yes, you can get significant tax benefits from purchasing a heavy business vehicle, but it's not the "instant tax avoidance" scheme that some people think it is. The rules are complex, and the documentation requirements are strict. Anyone considering this should definitely consult with a qualified tax professional rather than relying on casual advice from friends!