@Fatima Al-Suwaidi - I went through this exact same situation last year! Don't stress too much about it. Here's what worked for me: Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 early in the morning (like 7-8 AM) to avoid the worst hold times. When you get through, just be honest and straightforward: "I have an existing installment agreement and I need to modify it to include my 2024 tax liability." They'll ask for your SSN and pull up your account. Have these ready: - Your 2024 tax return (they might want specific numbers) - Your current payment plan details - Bank account info if you want to change payment method In my case, they recalculated everything and gave me options - I could either increase my monthly payment slightly or extend the plan duration. I chose to extend it since my budget was tight. The whole call took about 45 minutes including hold time. They sent me a confirmation letter within 2 weeks. You've got this! 💪

I just went through this process a few months ago and wanted to share what I learned! The key thing is to call prepared and don't let them intimidate you - you're being proactive which they actually appreciate. When I called, I started with: "I have an existing installment agreement and I just filed my 2024 taxes. I'd like to modify my current plan to include the new tax year to stay in compliance." A few things that really helped me: - I called right when they opened at 7 AM on a Tuesday (way shorter hold time!) - Had my current agreement number ready (it's on your monthly payment confirmations) - Knew exactly how much I owed for 2024 before calling - Asked them to walk me through ALL my options before deciding They ended up giving me three choices: increase monthly payment by $50, extend the plan by 8 months, or do a combo of both. I went with extending since cash flow is tight right now. The agent was actually really helpful once I explained I was trying to stay compliant. Got my new agreement letter in about 10 days. You're doing the right thing by being proactive about this! 👍

If you filed with a major tax service like TurboTax, H&R Block, or TaxAct, you might also be able to log into your account on their websites and access your filing history. I discovered I could download my last 7 years of returns from TurboTax even though I thought those records were gone!

One more tip that saved me a ton of time - if you're still missing some years after checking the tax prep sites, consider reaching out to former employers from those years. HR departments often keep records of W-2s they issued, and some will provide copies if you explain it's for a mortgage application. I was able to get W-2s from 2017-2018 this way when I couldn't find my copies anywhere. Even if you can't get the actual tax returns, having the W-2s can help you reconstruct your income history and verify what you should be seeing on the IRS transcripts.

I know I'm late to this conversation but wanted to add something important - ask your employer about an IRS form called a W-4. If these commissions are part of your regular employment (W-2 income), you can adjust your W-4 to increase withholding from your regular paychecks to cover the taxes on your commissions too. That might be easier than doing separate quarterly payments!

Great thread everyone! As someone who's been through this exact situation, I wanted to add a few practical tips: 1. **Keep detailed records** - Whether your commissions end up being W-2 or 1099 income, track every payment with dates and amounts. I use a simple spreadsheet but even a notebook works. 2. **Set aside money immediately** - I learned the hard way to put 25-30% of each commission payment into a separate "tax account" right when I receive it. This prevents the shock of owing money you've already spent. 3. **Consider estimated payments even for W-2 commissions** - Even if your commissions are W-2 income, if they're large enough, your regular withholding might not cover the extra tax burden. Better safe than sorry with penalties. The key is getting clarity from your employer ASAP about how they're classifying these payments. Once you know that, everything else falls into place much easier. Don't stress too much - this is a common situation and totally manageable once you understand the process!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My Colorado refund was marked as mailed on April 8th, so I'm at day 8 and getting a bit anxious too. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - it's reassuring to see that 10-17 days seems to be the normal range for most people. What really stood out to me is the suggestion about checking with your local post office around day 12. I never would have thought of that, but it makes perfect sense that they might have insights about local delivery delays that the state wouldn't know about. I'm also planning to wait until the 15 business day mark before contacting Colorado DOR, based on what everyone here has shared. One thing I learned from this thread is to definitely switch to direct deposit next year - 5 days versus 2-3 weeks is a no-brainer! But for now, it sounds like we just need to practice patience. Thanks for starting this discussion, it's really helped calm my nerves about the timeline.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My Colorado state refund was marked as mailed on April 10th, so I'm only at day 6 but already starting to feel anxious about it. This thread has been incredibly reassuring though - seeing that most people are getting their checks within 10-17 days after the mail date really helps put things in perspective. What I find most helpful from reading everyone's experiences is that there seems to be a clear pattern: the state is reliable about actually mailing the checks, but USPS delivery times are just really variable right now. The suggestion about checking with your local post office around day 12 is something I definitely plan to try if I don't receive mine by then. I'm also kicking myself for not choosing direct deposit this year - 5 days versus potentially 3 weeks is such a huge difference! But for now, it sounds like patience is key. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - it really helps to know this is normal processing time and not something to panic about yet.

I'm dealing with a similar situation in Germany! One thing that's really helped me is setting up USPS Informed Delivery for my US address (even if it's a mail forwarding service). It emails you grayscale images of the outside of mail pieces that are coming to your address each day. While it doesn't replace getting the actual documents, it at least alerts you when something from the IRS is on the way so you can follow up with your mail service or designated person. You can see if it looks like an important notice based on the envelope format - IRS notices usually have a distinctive look. Also, make sure to update your address with the IRS using Form 8822 if you haven't already. Even if you're using a forwarding service, having your current international address on file as a backup can sometimes help if there are delivery issues with your primary US address.

As a US expat who dealt with this exact issue while living in Australia, I understand your frustration completely. The reality is that the IRS is still very much a paper-based system for most official communications, but there are some workarounds that have saved me countless headaches. First, definitely sign up for an IRS online account - while it won't email you notifications, you can proactively check for transcripts and some notices. Second, I highly recommend using both Form 8821 (for information sharing) and potentially Form 2848 (power of attorney) with a trusted person in the US who can act quickly if needed. The virtual mailbox services mentioned here are absolute lifesavers. I use one that provides same-day scanning and can even deposit checks for you. The key is finding one that's experienced with financial and tax documents - not all mail services handle sensitive documents properly. One thing I learned the hard way: always respond to IRS notices in writing and keep copies. Even if you call them (using something like Claimyr to avoid the hold times), follow up with written correspondence to create a paper trail. The IRS operates on documentation, not phone conversations. Don't let the stress get to you - with the right systems in place, you can manage this successfully from abroad!