The IRS systems are such a joke fr fr 💀

I feel your pain! Same thing happened to me - couldn't access my transcript online for ages due to some verification glitch. What finally worked for me was going to an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person with my ID and Social Security card. They were able to reset my online access on the spot. You can find your nearest office on the IRS website and make an appointment. It's a bit of a hassle but way faster than waiting weeks for mail delivery!

lol this is literally why i stopped volunteering for dorm events. my hall director had me buy $200 of halloween decorations "to be reimbursed" and then made me fill out 5 different forms and wait 2 months to get my money back. and yeah they wanted a w9 too. the whole university system is broken

Current university tax specialist here - you're absolutely right to ask about this! The W9 is completely standard procedure and doesn't change the tax treatment of your reimbursement. Since you have receipts showing you purchased supplies for an official university event, this should be processed as a non-taxable reimbursement. The university is just following their accounting protocols by collecting your tax ID information upfront - it's much easier for them to get a W9 from everyone than to determine case-by-case who might need one later. One tip: when you submit your reimbursement request, make sure to clearly label it as "Event Supply Reimbursement" and attach all your receipts. This helps their accounting team code it correctly in their system. Also keep copies of everything for your records - the receipts, the W9, and any emails about the reimbursement. The $145 amount is well below any threshold that would trigger additional scrutiny. You should receive your money back without any tax implications as long as everything is properly documented as a reimbursement rather than payment for services.

Has anyone mentioned the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction implications? Section 199A treats rental real estate differently depending on whether it qualifies as a trade or business. In my experience, rental real estate usually gets better QBI treatment as a partnership than as an S corp because of the W-2 wage limitations. Since rental properties often don't have significant W-2 wages, S corps can actually limit your QBI deduction potential.

You're absolutely right about the QBI implications - this is often overlooked but critical for real estate businesses. The W-2 wage limitation can severely restrict QBI deductions for S Corps in rental real estate, since most rental properties don't generate significant W-2 wages. And yes, the QBI deduction is set to expire after 2025 under current law, but given how popular it's been, there's a good chance Congress will extend it. Even if it does expire, the analysis between partnership vs S Corp treatment would still favor partnerships for most rental real estate scenarios. Between the built-in gains tax, basis step-up issues for succession planning, reasonable compensation requirements, and QBI limitations, it really seems like the partnership structure is superior for your father-son rental real estate business. The main benefits of S Corp election (avoiding self-employment tax on distributions) don't typically apply to passive rental income anyway. I'd strongly recommend getting a comprehensive analysis done before making any changes. The timing restrictions mean you can't easily reverse an S Corp election if you realize it was the wrong choice.

This whole situation is so messed up. We're in the middle of a pandemic, people are struggling, and the government can't even get their act together to help us. It's disgraceful 😤

I completely understand your frustration! I went through the exact same thing a few months ago. Here are a few additional tips that helped me: 1. Try calling different regional offices - sometimes one office is less busy than others 2. Keep a log of when you call and what happens - it helps track patterns 3. If you do get through, ask for a direct callback number for follow-ups 4. Document everything in writing (emails, letters) as backup Also, don't feel bad about exploring that paid service @Liam mentioned if you're really stuck. Sometimes $20 is worth your sanity and time. The system shouldn't be this broken, but we have to work with what we've got. Hang in there - you'll get through this! 💪

Have you tried filing by mail instead of electronically? I had a similar issue with my father-in-law's final return. Every electronic submission was rejected, but when we printed everything out and mailed it in with a copy of the death certificate attached, it was processed without issue. Also, when you mail it, write "DECEASED" in red ink at the top of the return and include a cover letter briefly explaining the situation. In my experience, having physical documents in front of an actual human IRS employee helped get past the automatic rejection systems.

Just wanted to add that you should call the IRS Practitioner Priority Service line instead of the regular taxpayer line. The number is 866-860-4259. Tax professionals use this line, but as the executor of an estate, you can use it too. The wait times are usually shorter and the agents tend to be more experienced. Make sure you have all your documentation ready when you call - death certificate, letters testamentary, any rejection notices you've received, etc. They can often override the system rejections when they understand the full situation.