This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm a tax preparer and I still get clients every year who are confused about the health insurance requirements. One thing I'd add is that even though there's no federal penalty anymore, you should still keep all your health insurance documents (1095-A, 1095-B, 1095-C forms) for your records. These forms are still issued and can be important for several reasons: they help verify coverage dates if you live in a state with its own mandate, they're needed for premium tax credit reconciliation if you got marketplace coverage with advance credits, and they can be useful if the IRS ever questions your filing or if you need to amend a return. Also, a quick tip for anyone using tax software - many programs still ask about health insurance even though it's not federally required. This is often because the software needs to handle state-specific requirements and premium tax credit calculations. Don't panic if you see health insurance questions in your tax prep software!

Great question about document retention! For health insurance forms like 1095s, I generally recommend keeping them for at least 4 years, which aligns with the standard statute of limitations for IRS audits. However, if you're claiming premium tax credits or live in a state with its own mandate, I'd suggest keeping them for up to 7 years to be extra safe. The IRS can go back further in certain situations (like if there's suspected fraud or if you never filed a return), but 4-7 years covers most scenarios. Since these documents don't take up much space, especially if you scan them digitally, it's usually worth erring on the side of caution. One more thing to keep in mind - if you ever need to reconstruct your tax history for things like mortgage applications, financial aid, or certain legal proceedings, having those health insurance documents can help paint a complete picture of your financial situation during those years. They're small documents that can save you big headaches down the road!

I've been having the exact same issue! Called at 7:10 AM this morning and got the "call back during normal business hours" message, which makes no sense when they're supposed to be open. It's incredibly frustrating when you have a time-sensitive tax question. One thing I discovered recently is that the IRS has different phone numbers for different types of issues, and some seem to have better availability than others. If you're calling about a specific notice you received, try using the phone number printed directly on that notice rather than the general taxpayer assistance line. I had much better luck when I called the number on my CP2000 notice compared to the main 1-800-829-1040 line. Also, I've found that calling exactly at 7:00 AM (not even 7:01) gives you the best shot at getting through. Their system seems to hit capacity almost immediately after opening. Set an alarm and have your phone ready to dial right at 7:00 on the dot. If all else fails and you just need basic account information, the automated system at 1-800-829-1040 can actually provide quite a bit of info if you have your SSN and filing details handy. It's not ideal, but sometimes it can answer simple questions without needing to talk to a human. Hope this helps - the IRS phone situation is definitely broken, but persistence usually pays off eventually!

I've been dealing with this exact same frustration for weeks now! The IRS phone system is absolutely broken during tax season. What's worked for me is calling at exactly 7:00 AM EST - not 7:01, but right at 7:00. Their system hits capacity within minutes of opening. Also, try calling on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings if possible. Mondays and Fridays are the worst for wait times. If you're calling about a specific notice, use the phone number printed on that notice rather than the general line - those department-specific numbers often have better availability. For refund questions, the "Where's My Refund" tool on irs.gov updates daily and might save you from having to call at all. But I totally understand wanting to speak to someone when you have a complex situation like an amended return. The "call back during normal business hours" message is just their way of saying they're at maximum capacity - it doesn't mean they're actually closed. Keep trying every 15-20 minutes and you'll eventually get through. It's ridiculous that we need these workarounds just to reach our own tax agency, but persistence does pay off!

I went through this exact same frustration about 6 months ago! The key thing that finally worked for me was realizing that there are actually TWO separate authorization steps needed for TDS access as a tax professional working for a firm. First, your individual CAF number needs to be active (which it sounds like you already have). But second, and this is the part that trips up a lot of people, your firm needs to have you listed as an authorized delegate in THEIR organizational TDS account. Here's what I'd suggest doing while your manager is out: Contact your firm's office manager or whoever handles the administrative side of things. Ask them who has "e-Services Administrator" access for your firm's IRS accounts. That person needs to log into the firm's e-Services portal and add you to their TDS user list using your PTIN. If nobody at your firm knows who the e-Services admin is, you can actually call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933 (though expect long hold times). They can tell you who the current administrator is for your firm's account. Once you're added by the admin, it usually takes 24-48 hours to show up in the system. The good news is that once it's set up properly, you'll be able to access transcripts for all clients where proper authorization forms have been filed. Don't give up - this is a super common issue for new tax pros and it's definitely solvable!

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I completely understand your frustration! The TDS access issue for tax professionals working at firms is surprisingly common and often poorly explained in the IRS documentation. Here's what I learned from my own experience: Even with an active CAF number, you need your firm to specifically grant you TDS access through their organizational account. This is separate from your individual practitioner credentials. Since your manager is out, try reaching out to whoever handles the firm's administrative functions or IT support. They should be able to identify who has e-Services administrator rights for your firm's IRS accounts. That person can add you to the TDS user list using your PTIN - it's usually a pretty straightforward process once you know who to ask. If you're really stuck and have urgent client deadlines, you might also consider calling the IRS Practitioner Priority Service at 1-866-860-4259. While the wait times can be long, they can sometimes provide immediate guidance or even resolve the access issue over the phone if there's a technical problem with your account linkage. The good news is that once this gets sorted out, you'll have seamless access going forward. It's definitely worth getting properly set up rather than trying to work around it. Hope this helps and you get it resolved quickly!

For RSUs specifically, make sure you understand that they're typically taxed TWICE: 1. When they VEST (this is included in your W-2 as ordinary income) 2. When you SELL the shares (capital gains/losses on any change in value since vesting) The most common mistake people make is not realizing that the vesting value is already on their W-2, then reporting the full sale amount as capital gains. This results in paying tax twice on the same income!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year. TurboTax Premier absolutely can handle W-2 + 1099-NEC + RSUs, but there are a few things I wish I'd known beforehand: For the 1099-NEC, you'll enter it under "Business Income" and TurboTax will create a Schedule C-EZ for you (since it's under $5,000). Don't forget you can deduct business expenses like mileage and a portion of home office costs if you worked from home for that contract work. For RSUs, the Fidelity import usually works well, but ALWAYS verify the cost basis is correct. I caught an error where TurboTax had imported some of my shares with a $0 cost basis instead of the vesting date value, which would have caused me to overpay by hundreds of dollars. One tip: Keep your Fidelity year-end tax documents handy when doing the import. Sometimes TurboTax asks for clarification on certain transactions, and having those documents ready saves time. Given your situation seems straightforward (no complex deductions or multiple business entities), Premier should work great and save you the cost of a tax professional. Just take your time with the stock transactions and double-check everything before filing!

I actually know someone who got caught for tax evasion on illegal income. The issue wasn't just not reporting it, but the lifestyle mismatch. They had a minimum wage job but drove an expensive car and bought a house. IRS flagged it, started investigating, and that led to the criminal charges for the original illegal activity. So yeah, damned if you do (admit to illegal activity) and damned if you don't (get caught for tax evasion AND the original crime).

This is a fascinating legal paradox that highlights the complexity of tax law. The Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination, but the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Sullivan (1927) that this doesn't exempt illegal income from taxation. The practical reality is that the IRS operates under strict confidentiality rules (IRC Section 6103), so they generally can't share your tax information with law enforcement without proper legal process. However, unexplained wealth discrepancies are what typically trigger investigations in the first place. If someone hypothetically had $135k in unreported income, the bigger risk isn't necessarily how you categorize it, but whether your reported lifestyle matches your claimed income sources. The IRS has become very sophisticated at detecting these mismatches through data analytics. The "illegal activities" checkbox exists primarily for legal compliance with Supreme Court rulings, not as a trap. But you're right that it creates an impossible situation - report honestly and potentially incriminate yourself, or misrepresent and risk fraud charges if discovered later. For anyone in genuinely complex income reporting situations, consulting a tax attorney who can provide privileged advice is usually the safest approach.