I'm in California. Do they have separate gift tax rules I should know about? This is getting complicated fast.

California doesn't have a state gift tax, so you're in the clear there! Only Connecticut has a true gift tax at the state level currently. Just focus on the federal requirements that others have mentioned, particularly the Form 3520 if your gift exceeds $100,000 from a foreign person in a single year. While you won't owe taxes on the gift, failing to file required information returns can result in penalties, so that's the main thing to be careful about.

Totally agree with this. I used Wise (formerly TransferWise) for a similar situation and saved thousands compared to what my bank offered. The money arrived faster too.

I just checked a few days ago! The fees have definitely come down. ACI Payments is around 1.98% now for credit cards, and Pay1040 is showing 1.87% for most credit cards. Debit card fees are still flat rate (around $2.50-$3.95 per transaction depending on processor). One thing to watch for - sometimes the different processors have special deals with specific card types. Like Pay1040 has a lower rate for Mastercard than Visa right now.

Thanks for the current info! That's actually a decent drop from last year. With my 2% cashback card, I might actually break even or come out slightly ahead using Pay1040. Going to run the numbers before my next estimated payment. Just to confirm - the 2 payment limit is still per processor, right? So technically I could do 2 payments with Pay1040 and 2 more with ACI if I needed to split up a large amount?

I've heard rumors about this from some colleagues, but nothing official from the IRS yet. They've been modernizing their payment systems gradually, but direct credit card acceptance would require significant infrastructure changes on their end. The main challenge is regulatory - currently, federal agencies can't directly absorb credit card processing fees or pass them on to taxpayers without specific authorization. There was some language in the IRS funding bills about payment modernization, but no explicit timeline for direct credit card acceptance. I'd be surprised if it happened as soon as 2025, but it's definitely on their roadmap for future improvements. The current third-party processor system is clunky for everyone involved.

Thanks for the insight! That makes sense about the regulatory challenges. Seems like everything with the IRS moves at a glacial pace. Guess I'll have to keep dealing with these processors and their fees for a while longer.

How hard was it to get approved for the Offer in Compromise? I've heard they reject most applications. Did you need to hire someone to help with that process?

It's definitely not automatic, but it's not as impossible as some people claim. The key is proving that you genuinely cannot pay the full amount without causing significant financial hardship. You need to document all your income, expenses, assets, and liabilities very thoroughly. I did it myself using the IRS's pre-qualifier tool first to see if I might qualify. The paperwork is extensive - Form 656 and Form 433-A mainly - and you need to include a lot of documentation. It took about 7 months from submission to acceptance. They did counter my initial offer with a slightly higher amount, which I accepted. You don't necessarily need to hire someone, but you do need to be very organized and thorough with your financial documentation.

But doesn't filing your own return reset that 10-year clock? I heard that submitting anything to the IRS about old tax years can restart the collection period.

That's a really good suggestion about the state licensing database! I just checked my state's childcare portal and found our daycare, but unfortunately it only shows their state license number, not their federal EIN. I pay them by check so no digital payment records either. I think I'm going to try the "Applied For" option that the first commenter suggested, and then follow up with the daycare on Monday to get the correct number. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions!

This! Parent networks are amazing for this stuff. Also, sometimes daycares have their EIN on their website in the FAQs or enrollment sections. Worth checking if they have a site.

Quick follow-up question - I'm in a similar situation and wondering about home internet. My tax person wants my entire internet bill even though I only use it part-time for business. Is that normal too?

Yes, that's completely normal. Your tax preparer needs your entire internet bill because they'll calculate the business portion based on a reasonable allocation method. This might be based on time used for business vs. personal, the percentage of your home used for business, or another reasonable method. They need the full bill to document both the total cost and to show how they calculated the business portion. This is important documentation if you're ever audited. The IRS wants to see that you're only deducting the legitimate business portion of mixed-use expenses.

I learned this the hard way! Got audited because I claimed our spare bedroom as a home office, but it had a futon we occasionally used for guests. Cost me thousands in back taxes, penalties and interest. Now I have a dedicated office space that's only for business.