I've been following this thread and wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through a very similar situation last year! Had a 470 code with an EIC-related outstanding balance that took about 8 weeks to resolve. The court ruling you have is absolutely golden - that's the kind of documentation the IRS has to respect and it puts you in a much stronger position than most people dealing with these codes. In my case, they offset about 30% of my refund to cover the old debt, but I still received the majority back due to similar circumstances (though I didn't have court documentation as strong as yours). A few things that helped me: keep calling every 2-3 weeks for updates, make sure they have all your hardship documentation in their system, and don't hesitate to mention the court ruling in every conversation. The waiting is absolutely brutal but your case looks really promising given all the legal backing you have. The fact that the court ruled in your favor regarding the children's claims should work heavily in your favor. Hang in there - this is going to work out! 💪

Hey Marilyn! I've been through almost this exact situation and wanted to share some hope with you. Had a 470 code with an outstanding EIC balance from a previous year, and while it took about 10 weeks to resolve, I did get a good portion of my refund back even with the debt. The court ruling in your favor is HUGE - that's solid legal documentation that proves the IRS made an error with their original adjustment. In my case, they offset about 35% of my refund against the old balance, but because of hardship status and having proof their adjustment was wrong, I still received the majority. Make sure the IRS has copies of that court ruling in their system and keep calling every 2-3 weeks for updates. Document every conversation and don't let them brush you off with "just wait" - ask for timelines and reference numbers. The 470 code is frustrating but it does eventually clear, and having that court documentation puts you in a much stronger position than most people. Keep pushing on the hardship claim too - it really does help protect your refund. Hang in there, this will work out in your favor! 🙏

One thing nobody mentioned - if you did make excess contributions to your HSA because of Medicare enrollment timing, you can withdraw them (plus any earnings on those contributions) by your tax filing deadline without penalty. You'd just need to ask your HSA administrator for a "return of excess contributions" form.

Great question about HSA documentation! You typically don't need to coordinate directly with Medicare when requesting a return of excess contributions from your HSA provider. Your HSA administrator will usually just need you to specify which contributions were made during ineligible months and the total amount to be withdrawn. However, it's definitely smart to have your Medicare enrollment documentation handy - like your Medicare card showing your effective date or your enrollment confirmation letter. Some HSA providers might ask for this to verify the timing, especially if the excess contribution period spans multiple months. The key thing to remember is that any earnings on the excess contributions also need to be withdrawn and will be taxable as income (though not subject to the additional 20% penalty if withdrawn by the tax deadline). Your HSA provider should be able to calculate the earnings portion for you when processing the return.

Tax attorney with 8 years experience here, and I wanted to share a perspective that might be particularly relevant since you're coming from environmental law with two young kids. I made a similar transition from regulatory work (securities law) to tax about 5 years ago, and the learning curve was steep but manageable. What really helped was that both fields require you to navigate complex, constantly evolving regulatory frameworks - so you already have that analytical foundation. Regarding work-life balance with kids, here's my honest take: tax law is definitely better than litigation or transactional work for predictability, but "better" doesn't mean "perfect." I work about 50 hours during non-busy season and 65-70 hours January through April. The key difference is that I can plan around those intense periods. My kids (ages 5 and 8) know that during tax season, mom will be working late, but they also know that summer means reliable family time and weekend trips. One thing I'd strongly recommend: before making the switch, try to get some exposure to actual tax work during busy season. Maybe volunteer for pro bono tax prep or shadow someone in March. The intensity is real, and you want to make sure it's sustainable for your family situation. Currently making $145k in a mid-tier market at a regional firm focusing on business tax planning. The money isn't the $250k you mentioned, but the predictable schedule has been worth the trade-off. I actually get to use my vacation days and show up to school events most of the year. The path to better work-life balance in tax exists, but it requires being realistic about expectations and very strategic about firm selection and practice area focus.

Tax attorney here with 6 years experience, and I wanted to add a perspective that might be helpful since you mentioned considering this career switch specifically for work-life balance with young kids. I made the transition from corporate litigation to tax law 4 years ago for similar reasons - I had a newborn and was tired of the unpredictable schedule in litigation. The good news is that tax law really is more family-friendly than most legal specialties, but the "40-hour week with $250k salary" expectation needs some reality-checking. Here's what I've found: I work about 45-48 hours most of the year, spiking to 60-65 during busy season (January-April). The key advantage is predictability - I can tell my spouse in December exactly when I'll be slammed, and we plan accordingly. My kids know that spring means "daddy works late" but summer and fall mean consistent bedtime stories and weekend soccer games. Currently making $138k at a regional firm in a mid-size market after 6 total years of legal experience. Not the huge salary you mentioned, but the trade-off has been worth it. I actually take my vacation days, rarely work weekends outside of tax season, and haven't missed a school play or parent-teacher conference in two years. The transition from litigation wasn't too difficult - both areas require attention to detail and complex analysis. I did take an evening tax course while still practicing litigation, which helped a lot during interviews. If you're serious about this switch, I'd recommend targeting firms that emphasize tax planning over pure compliance work, and definitely ask about their expectations for billable hours outside of busy season. That's where you'll find the work-life balance sweet spot you're looking for.

I went through this exact situation two years ago! One thing that really helped me was keeping a detailed travel log throughout the year - dates, locations, and which clients I worked for where. This became crucial when determining which states I needed to file in and how to allocate my income. For your federal return, using your parents' address is totally fine - that's what I did. The IRS just needs a reliable mailing address. For state taxes, you'll likely need to file as a non-resident in states where you earned income, but each state has different thresholds. Some require filing if you earned any income there, others have minimum amounts. One surprise I encountered was that some states consider you a resident if you spend more than 183 days there, even without a permanent address. Since you mentioned working in 7 states, definitely track your days carefully. I ended up owing taxes in 4 different states but got credits that prevented double taxation. Also, don't forget about potential deductions for travel expenses between work locations - this can add up significantly for consultants like us who are constantly moving between clients.

As someone who went through this exact situation, I'd strongly recommend documenting everything now before tax season gets crazy. Create a spreadsheet with every location you worked, dates, income sources, and keep digital copies of all receipts. One thing that really saved me was establishing a clear "tax home" early on. Since you use your parents' address for official documents, that's likely your tax home for IRS purposes. This becomes your reference point for determining what travel expenses are deductible. Don't stress too much about the multi-state aspect - yes, you'll probably need to file non-resident returns in several states, but most tax software can handle this. The key is knowing your income allocation by state. If you have W-2s from different states, that makes it easier since the income sourcing is already documented. Also, keep in mind that as a traveling consultant, many of your expenses (lodging, transportation between clients, meals while away from your tax home) may be deductible. This can significantly reduce your tax burden and often makes up for the complexity of filing in multiple states. Start gathering everything now - waiting until April will only make it more stressful!

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare! Filed my 2024 return on February 3rd, got acceptance within minutes, but just discovered a 810 freeze code on my transcript dated February 10th with "RETURN NOT PRESENT" showing everywhere. It's incredibly frustrating that the system can accept our returns electronically but then they just vanish into some bureaucratic black hole. After reading everyone's experiences here, it's crystal clear that waiting for automatic resolution is probably futile. The pattern seems consistent - 810 codes almost always require human intervention. I've been dreading the phone call because of all the horror stories about 3+ hour wait times and getting disconnected, but it sounds like the actual resolution is usually straightforward once you reach an agent. The complete lack of communication from the IRS is what really grinds my gears. They have all our contact information but can't be bothered to send even a basic notice explaining why our refund is frozen? Instead we're left to decode cryptic transcript messages like we're solving ancient riddles. @Kevin Bell @Oliver Cheng - Thanks for sharing those resources! I'm definitely going to try both claimyr.com and taxr.ai. It's absolutely insane that we need third-party services just to communicate with our own tax agency, but if they can help avoid the phone system nightmare, they're worth trying. Planning to call at 7 AM tomorrow if those services don't work out. Will definitely update with my progress. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's oddly comforting to know we're all suffering through this together! 😤

I'm experiencing the exact same issue right now! Filed my 2024 return on February 14th, got immediate acceptance confirmation, but my transcript shows a 810 freeze from February 21st with that dreaded "RETURN NOT PRESENT FOR THIS ACCOUNT" message across all fields. After reading through everyone's experiences here, it's become crystal clear that waiting for these 810 codes to resolve automatically is basically wishful thinking. The pattern is overwhelmingly consistent - these freezes need human intervention virtually every time. I've been putting off calling because the wait time horror stories are genuinely terrifying, but it sounds like once you actually reach an agent, the resolution is typically pretty quick. What's most infuriating is the complete communication blackout from the IRS. They can process electronic acceptance in milliseconds but then our returns disappear into some manual review purgatory with zero explanation. No letters, no emails, no calls - just cryptic codes we have to stumble upon and decode ourselves like tax archaeologists. @Kevin Bell @Oliver Cheng - I'm definitely going to try both claimyr.com and taxr.ai based on the multiple recommendations here. It's absolutely absurd that we need third-party services just to communicate with our own government agency, but if they can save me from the phone system torture chamber, they're worth every penny. Planning to call at 7 AM sharp tomorrow if those services don't pan out. Have all my documents ready - SSN, filing status, refund amount, and last year's return for identity verification. Will absolutely update with my progress! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - there's definitely strength in numbers knowing we're all battling this same bureaucratic nightmare together! 💪