I just went through this exact same confusion when I bought my first car in Massachusetts last year! You're absolutely right to question the timing - vehicle excise tax is definitely charged for the current year (2025), not the previous year. Since you purchased your car in March 2025, you should only be paying excise tax for the portion of 2025 that you'll actually own the vehicle - so March through December, which is 10 months. Massachusetts calculates excise tax at $25 per $1000 of assessed value, and for brand new cars they typically use 90% of the MSRP. A couple things to double-check on your bill: - Make sure they have your correct purchase/registration date (March 2025) - Verify they're using the right vehicle specifications and trim level - Confirm you're only being charged for 10 months, not the full year If anything looks off, definitely call your local tax assessor's office before the due date. I found them to be pretty helpful in explaining how they calculated my bill. This kind of confusion is super common for new car owners - once you get through this first year and understand the system, future bills will make much more sense!

I totally understand your confusion - I went through the exact same thing when I bought my first car in Massachusetts! You're absolutely right that excise tax is charged for the current year (2025), not the previous year. Since you bought your car in March 2025, you should only be paying for March through December 2025 (10 months). Massachusetts charges $25 per $1,000 of assessed value, and for new cars they typically assess at 90% of MSRP. A few things to verify on your bill: - They have your correct March 2025 purchase date - The vehicle specs and trim level are accurate - You're only being charged for the 10 months you'll own it in 2025, not the full year If something seems off, definitely call your local tax assessor's office before the due date. They can walk through exactly how they calculated your amount. Don't worry - this level of confusion is totally normal for new car owners! Once you understand how your state does it, future bills will make much more sense.

I had a similar experience just this past January! For future reference, you can actually prevent this from happening by being more assertive during your appointment. When your tax preparer asks about refund delivery, make sure to explicitly state "direct deposit to my bank account ONLY" and watch them enter the information on screen. Many preparers default to Emerald Cards because H&R Block gets fees from the card usage. For your current situation, I'd recommend calling during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) to avoid the worst wait times. Also, if the regular customer service can't help, ask to be transferred to their "Account Resolution Team" - they have broader authority to handle preparer errors and unusual circumstances. Keep detailed notes of every call including representative names and reference numbers, as you might need to escalate multiple times. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with these situations!

I just went through this exact situation last month! Here's what worked best for me after trying multiple approaches: The fastest solution was actually going to a physical H&R Block location with my tax documents. I explained that my preparer entered the wrong refund method, and the office manager was able to initiate what they called an "emergency account closure" with same-day ACH transfer to my bank. No verification delays, no daily limits. If you can't get to a physical location, try calling and asking specifically for the "Preparer Error Resolution" team (as mentioned by others). When I called, I emphasized three key points: 1. I explicitly requested direct deposit to my bank 2. The preparer changed this without my consent 3. I have documentation of my intended bank account They were able to override the normal transfer limits and push the full amount through in about 6 hours. Pro tip: If you get pushback, mention that restricting access to your tax refund due to preparer error could violate Regulation E consumer protections. That seemed to escalate things quickly to someone with more authority. The paper check option mentioned earlier is also solid if you're not in a huge rush - completely bypasses all the card limits and digital verification hassles.

Slightly different opinion here - I've been sending tax docs through email for years with no issues. Just password protect the PDFs with something complex and send the password in a separate email or text. Not ideal but it works fine for most small accounting firms. They're not all equipped with fancy secure portals.

Your accountant is being lazy and negligent. Period. I'd find a new one immediately. In 2025, there's absolutely NO excuse for not having secure document transfer. Even the smallest accounting firms can use free secure options like password-protected zip files at minimum. W-2s, 1099s, and other tax docs have everything an identity thief needs. Would you mail photocopies of these documents on a postcard? That's essentially what regular email is - viewable by anyone along the way.

For anyone dissolving a C-corp soon - remember that timing can be crucial for tax purposes! We intentionally delayed our liquidation to January so the tax impact hit in the following year. This gave shareholders more time to plan for the capital gains taxes. Also, if your corporation has accumulated E&P (earnings and profits), distributions will be taxed as dividends until E&P is exhausted, before being treated as return of capital. This sequencing can significantly impact the tax treatment of your liquidation. You must exhaust your E&P through dividend distributions before you can distribute amounts that are treated as return of capital or liquidation proceeds.

One important detail that hasn't been mentioned yet - when completing Form 5452 for liquidation distributions, make sure you're consistent with how you report the distributions across all shareholders AND on the corporation's final Form 1120. The IRS will cross-reference these forms, so if you report $X as liquidation distributions on Form 5452, that same amount should appear on the corporation's final return. Also, remember that the corporation must provide each shareholder with their Form 1099-DIV by January 31st following the year of liquidation - these forms will show the liquidation distribution amounts in box 8 or 9. A common mistake is forgetting to file Form 966 within 30 days of adopting the plan of liquidation. This is separate from Form 5452 and is required even for small family corporations. The IRS can impose penalties if Form 966 is filed late, so don't overlook this step in your dissolution timeline.

This is such a thoughtful question and you're wise to plan ahead! One additional consideration I haven't seen mentioned is the impact of future tax law changes over the 10-year period. Tax rates and brackets could shift significantly, especially with the current tax cuts set to expire in 2025. Given your children's ages (6 and 8), you have a unique opportunity to potentially take advantage of multiple years of their standard deductions while they have minimal other income. I'd suggest running projections for different withdrawal scenarios - perhaps taking smaller amounts in years 1-3 to utilize their standard deductions, then reassessing based on any tax law changes and their changing circumstances as they get older. Also worth noting: if you're planning for their college years, be aware that IRA distributions count as income on the FAFSA, which could impact financial aid eligibility. You might want to time larger distributions for years when they won't be applying for financial aid. Have you considered whether it makes sense to convert any portion to a Roth IRA during low-income years? The tax hit would be minimal for them, and it could provide more flexibility later on.

This is such a comprehensive discussion - thank you all for sharing your experiences and insights! As someone who works in tax preparation, I wanted to add a few practical considerations that might help with your planning. First, make sure you're working with a custodian who has experience with inherited IRAs for minors. Some financial institutions are better equipped to handle the unique titling and documentation requirements than others. You'll want to ensure they can provide proper tax reporting (1099-R forms) that clearly indicate the distributions are from an inherited IRA. Second, consider keeping detailed records of your withdrawal strategy decisions and the rationale behind them. If the IRS ever questions your approach, having documentation that shows you were acting in the children's best interests as custodian can be valuable. One timing consideration that hasn't been mentioned: if you're planning strategic distributions, be mindful of year-end timing. You have until December 31st each year to take distributions, but processing times at financial institutions can be slow in December. Plan any required distributions well in advance to avoid missing deadlines. Finally, don't forget about state tax implications if you live in a state with income tax. Some states have different rules for inherited retirement accounts, and a few states don't tax retirement distributions at all. This could influence your overall strategy, especially if you're considering a move in the coming years. Best of luck navigating this - your children are fortunate to have someone thinking so carefully about their financial future!