Same issue here. Been locked out 3 days straight. Called them and was on hold for 2 hours just to get hung up on 🤮

I had the same problem last week! What worked for me was clearing my browser cache and cookies completely, then waiting the full 24 hours before trying again. Also make sure you're using the exact refund amount from line 35a of your 1040 form, not any estimated amount. The system is super picky about matching everything exactly.

Is your friend enrolled as an Electronic Return Originator (ERO)? If so, he can access e-Services online and might have an easier path to resolving this. Also worth checking if he has a dedicated IRS agent through the Practitioner Priority Service - experienced accountants often have this resource and it can bypass many of the normal wait times.

I work at a mid-size CPA firm and we've dealt with this exact scenario before. Here's what I'd recommend for your friend: 1) Call EFTPS immediately at 1-888-353-4537 (not the number mentioned earlier - that's the old one). Explain it's an emergency with multiple clients and pending deadlines. They can issue temporary PINs over the phone that are valid for 30 days. 2) If he can't get through quickly, have him fax a signed letter on his letterhead to 855-264-3287 explaining the situation with a list of all affected EINs. Include his PTIN number if he has one. They usually respond to emergency fax requests within 24-48 hours. 3) As a last resort, clients can make payments directly through their bank's online bill pay system using the "Federal Tax Deposit" option - most major banks offer this and it posts same-day if done before 8 PM ET. The key thing is to document everything he's doing to resolve this. Even if some payments are a day or two late, showing he took immediate action usually results in penalty abatement when you can prove reasonable cause. I've successfully gotten penalties waived in similar situations by providing this documentation to the IRS. Don't let him stress too much - this is more common than people think and there are definitely solutions!

Just my two cents, but I think you should definitely tell your tax preparer about the unfiled 2023 return during your appointment for 2024. They deal with this situation ALL THE TIME, trust me. When I worked as a server, I had a similar issue where I owed money multiple years and got overwhelmed. My tax guy handled everything - filed my back taxes, set up a payment plan, and even got some penalties reduced. It was way less painful than I expected. Don't try to handle the 2023 return yourself if you're already planning to see a professional for 2024. Let them handle both and do it right. The peace of mind is worth it, and they might save you money in the long run.

You're definitely not in as much trouble as you think! Missing one year happens more often than you'd expect, especially with multiple W-2s and website issues like you experienced. The lack of IRS notices is actually pretty normal - they're still working through backlogs and it often takes 12-18 months before they start sending letters about unfiled returns. Don't let that false sense of security fool you though - it's better to get ahead of it. Since you mentioned most of your income was from serving, there's a decent chance you might have had enough taxes withheld to cover what you owe, or you might even be due a refund. Server wages often have higher withholding rates, and if you're young, you might qualify for credits you don't know about. Definitely bring up the 2023 situation with your tax preparer at your scheduled appointment. They can handle both years efficiently and help you understand exactly where you stand. In the meantime, start gathering those 2023 W-2s - contact the employer with the website issues directly if needed, or you can request wage transcripts from the IRS. Don't stress too much about this. You're being proactive now, which is what matters. The penalties for late filing aren't pleasant, but they're manageable, especially if you file before the IRS gets around to creating a substitute return for you.

The issue is 100% a software problem. Health insurance for partners reported as guaranteed payments reduces QBI at the partnership level. The software is making a second reduction at the individual level, which is incorrect. If you don't want to override, another approach is to NOT report the health insurance as a guaranteed payment on the 1065, and instead just show it as a footnote on the K-1 and have the partner deduct it on their 1040. This isn't technically correct per IRS instructions, but effectively gets the right QBI result. But honestly, just overriding the software calculation is cleaner.

This is such a widespread issue this filing season! I'm seeing it across multiple software platforms - UltraTax, ProSeries, Drake, and others all had similar bugs with the QBI calculations for partnership health insurance. What's really frustrating is that the software companies seem to understand the S Corp treatment (health insurance in W-2 wages shouldn't reduce QBI again on the individual return) but haven't applied the same logic to partnerships. The concept is identical - the guaranteed payment for health insurance already reduces QBI at the partnership level. For anyone still dealing with this, I'd strongly recommend documenting your override with a detailed workpaper. Include references to Reg. Sec. 1.199A-3(b)(1)(vi) and note that the guaranteed payment has already reduced QBI at the entity level. The IRS guidance is pretty clear on this point, even if the software implementation has been problematic. Has anyone heard if the major software companies have committed to fixing this for next filing season? It seems like such a basic issue that affects so many partnership returns.

I'm in a similar situation - got the call from the IRS yesterday and they mentioned the 5747C letter is coming. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful! It sounds like there's no getting around the in-person appointment, which is frustrating but at least now I know what to expect. I'm particularly concerned about the wait times for appointments since I need to get this resolved quickly. Has anyone had success calling first thing in the morning to get through to schedule faster? Also wondering if all TAC locations have similar wait times or if some are better than others in terms of availability.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this process recently. The 5747C verification is definitely in-person only - no exceptions. What helped me was being super organized beforehand. I made a checklist of all required documents from the letter and gathered everything the night before my appointment. Also, I'd recommend bringing a book or something to do while you wait, even with an appointment there can still be delays. The IRS agents are actually pretty helpful once you get in there, and they'll walk you through exactly what they need to verify. One thing that surprised me was how quickly my case moved forward after verification - got my refund about 10 days later. The inconvenience is real, but the actual process isn't as scary as it seems from all the horror stories online!