Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I've been reading through this entire discussion with great interest. Ana, your situation really resonates with me - I just discovered a similar issue with my own property records showing incorrect square footage. What strikes me most about this thread is how many people are dealing with the same problem! It's both concerning and reassuring to know that assessment errors like this are more common than I realized. The wealth of knowledge and resources everyone has shared here is incredible. I'm particularly impressed by the combination of practical advice and specific service recommendations. The tips from Anastasia about timing calls early in the week, the documentation analysis services like taxr.ai that Brooklyn and Jay used successfully, and the communication help through Claimyr that Marcus and Kennedy found effective - it's like having a complete toolkit for tackling these bureaucratic challenges. The success stories are really encouraging too. Hearing about Brooklyn's $1,450 refund and Hunter's $3,200 recovery shows that these corrections can result in substantial financial benefits, not just fixing paperwork errors. Ana, with your builder plans clearly showing 1865 sq ft versus the assessed 2300 sq ft, you have exactly the kind of objective documentation that assessment offices find most convincing. I'd definitely recommend starting with that informal review process that several people mentioned - it seems less intimidating than formal appeals and often moves faster. Thanks for starting this important conversation! This thread is going to help so many homeowners who didn't even realize they should be checking their assessment records for accuracy.

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer, I've been following this incredibly informative thread and wanted to add my own experience that might help Ana and others in similar situations. I actually went through this exact process last year in Arizona. My property was assessed at 2,850 sq ft when the actual size according to my builder's certificate of occupancy was only 2,620 sq ft - a 230 sq ft discrepancy that I'd been overpaying on for 4 years. The key for me was being extremely organized with my documentation. I created a simple spreadsheet showing the discrepancy, calculated my annual overpayment (about $340/year in my case), and gathered every piece of supporting documentation I could find - builder plans, certificate of occupancy, purchase contract, and even photos of my home's layout. When I called the county assessor, I started with their informal review process just like others have mentioned. The staff member was actually very helpful and explained that they see these errors regularly, especially with newer construction. The whole correction took about 6 weeks, and I received a refund of $1,285 for the previous 3.5 years of overpayments. One tip I'd add: ask specifically about their "good cause" exception if your state has a shorter lookback period. Some jurisdictions will go back further than their standard timeframe when there's clear evidence of an ongoing error that wasn't the taxpayer's fault. Ana, with your 435 sq ft discrepancy over 5 years, you're potentially looking at a much larger refund than what I received. Your builder plans are perfect documentation - that's exactly what assessment offices need to process these corrections quickly.

I just wanna say this HSA stuff is so unnecessarily complicated! Why are we paying extra just to file a stupid form? Tax filing should be simple and free.

If you're looking for a completely free option that handles HSA forms, you might want to check out FreeTaxUSA. I've used them for the past two years with my HSA and they include Form 8889 in their free federal filing (you only pay for state returns if needed, usually around $15). The interface isn't as flashy as H&R Block, but it walks you through the HSA deduction step by step. With your $3,650 contribution, depending on your tax bracket, you're probably looking at saving anywhere from $400-$800+ in taxes - way more than any upgrade fee would cost. Just make sure you have your HSA year-end statement handy when you file, as you'll need to report both your contributions and any distributions you made during the year.

Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations! This has been incredibly helpful. I was definitely overthinking the 1099 situation. Just to make sure I understand correctly - we need to file Form 1065 (partnership return) and issue K-1s to each partner, but no 1099s for distributions. And if we have any guaranteed payments for services, those go on the K-1 as well, not on 1099-NEC forms. One follow-up question - do we need to send the K-1s to partners by the same March 15th deadline as filing the partnership return, or do partners get more time? I want to make sure everyone gets their tax info in time for their personal returns.

Just wanted to add one more important point that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you're tracking each partner's capital account and basis properly throughout the year. This becomes crucial when determining how much each partner can take as distributions without tax consequences. Your basis starts with your initial capital contribution, increases with your share of partnership income and additional contributions, and decreases with distributions and your share of losses. You can only take tax-free distributions up to your basis amount. Anything above that gets treated as capital gains. I learned this the hard way when I took distributions exceeding my basis and got hit with unexpected capital gains taxes. Now I track this monthly using a simple spreadsheet. It's definitely something to discuss with your tax preparer or factor into your planning if you're doing it yourself!

I actually used PayUSATax earlier this year and can confirm it's legitimate - they're listed as an official IRS payment processor. The process was straightforward, though I did get hit with that ~2% convenience fee others mentioned. One thing I wish I'd known beforehand: if you're considering the PayPal option, make absolutely sure you can pay it off within those 6 months. I spoke with someone who missed the deadline by just a few days and got slammed with retroactive interest on the entire amount at something like 24% APR. For what it's worth, I also ended up calling the IRS directly (eventually got through after multiple attempts) to compare their installment plan options. For my situation, their plan was actually cheaper in the long run than the PayUSATax fee, but it really depends on how much you owe and how quickly you can pay it back. The IRS direct payment option with a bank account has no fee at all if you can manage the lump sum. Just make sure whatever route you go, you keep all your confirmation receipts and check your IRS account online to verify the payment posted correctly!

I've been researching tax payment options myself and wanted to share what I've learned. PayUSATax is definitely legitimate - they're an IRS-authorized payment processor, which you can verify on the official IRS website. However, before committing to any payment plan with fees, I'd strongly recommend double-checking your tax calculations first. I've seen several people mention finding missed deductions that significantly reduced their tax bills. Even a small reduction could make the difference between needing a payment plan and being able to pay in full. If you do go with PayUSATax, just be extra careful about that PayPal 6-month promotion. The terms are strict - if you're even a day late on the full payoff, they'll charge you retroactive interest on the entire amount at credit card rates (20%+). That could end up costing you way more than just paying the IRS directly with their installment plan. For comparison shopping, the IRS's own direct payment from your bank account is free, and their installment plans typically charge a setup fee plus interest that might be lower than third-party processor fees depending on your situation. Worth getting the exact numbers before deciding. Keep all your receipts and confirmation numbers regardless of which route you choose!

Something that confused me when my kid was in school - the 1098-T doesn't always match the calendar year expenses! My son's spring semester payment was due in December 2023, but the university reported it on the 2024 1098-T because that's when classes started. This messed up our tax calculations for both years! Also, don't forget that the American Opportunity Tax Credit is available for FOUR years, not just four school years. So if your program takes 5 years, you still only get it for 4 tax years. We learned this the hard way.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation with my twin daughters who are both college sophomores. One key thing I learned from our tax preparer is that even though you didn't receive a 1098-T, you should still keep detailed records of ALL your educational expenses throughout the year. Here's what many people don't realize - just because your tuition is covered by grants doesn't mean you can't have ANY education tax benefits. If you or your family paid for required course materials, lab fees, or other qualified expenses out-of-pocket, those could potentially qualify for education credits even when tuition is fully covered by aid. Also, regarding the excess aid in your checking account - the IRS looks at how you actually used those funds, not just the fact that you received them. If you can document that the money went toward qualified educational expenses (required textbooks, supplies, equipment mandated by your courses), then that portion remains tax-free. Only the portion used for non-qualified expenses (like personal spending, entertainment, non-required items) would potentially be taxable income. I'd recommend starting a simple spreadsheet now to track every educational expense you pay out-of-pocket, even small ones. This documentation could be valuable for future tax years, especially if your financial aid situation changes.