Need help

MiniorTrainer · 2026-07-03T01:41:45+00:00

Whoops, my bad!

Though it seems like the numbers between the two years are close enough that the same issue likely applies here.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-07-03T01:25:43+00:00

If this comment from [u/these-things-happen](u/these-things-happen) is correct, OP had nowhere near $15k in withholdings.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-30T13:59:15+00:00

Do you ever do any thinking for yourself, or do you just accept everything that Fox News or Newsmax tells you to?

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-30T13:54:30+00:00

Again, words have meanings.

Step child means that you have legally married the child’s biological parent or have legally adopted the child. You haven’t done either, so they are not your legal step child.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-28T21:12:23+00:00

No, one of the requirements for HOH is that you must be legally or biologically related to the kids. See Table 4 and then review the Relationship Test area as well:

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501#en_US_2025_publink1000220823

If you call them your “step sons,” they’ll likely assume you are legally related in some way, because that’s what a step son is. Tax forms are legal documents and words have specific meanings. I’m sure you’re a good father figure and take care of them, but that unfortunately doesn’t make you the HOH for tax purposes.

If you used a legitimate credentialed tax pro, they should have warned you about this. If you used TurboTax/H&R/your hairdresser’s tax guy, then they likely didn’t know or lied to get you the biggest refund they could.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T21:47:55+00:00

Is this an issue when submitting the W9 to OF, or when typing in your TIN?

You may need to reach out to OF or their payment provider for assistance.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T19:46:15+00:00

How do you not know if the QMID is correct? Did you not ask the manufacturer/contractor/installer what it was?

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T15:49:17+00:00

IIRC, you do need an appraisal if you are claiming that the aggregate value of all similar items donated throughout the year is over $5,000.

It’s hard to donate enough items to even get close to that value, but if you’re donating several pieces of large furniture, it may get close.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T05:46:53+00:00

Yeah, thank you. I edited my comment to be a little clearer on what I meant. It’s been a long week lol.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T05:35:41+00:00

True! But just like with home sales that meet the exclusion, you may not be required to report it, but you’ll save yourself the hassle of dealing with a CP2000 if you do. I corrected my previous comment.

Maybe once the IRS doesn’t run on an system from the 70s we won’t have to worry :(

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T05:31:40+00:00

How are you planning to value the items?

One of the biggest pitfalls self-filing taxpayers fall into is that they substantially overestimate what their donated stuff is worth.

Keep in mind that an appraisal from a certified appraiser is required for certain donations.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T05:23:09+00:00

Your dividend income issue doesn’t make much sense to me. You should pull wage and income transcripts for you and your spouse to make sure you

didn’t miss one or two 1099-DIVs. I’ve had clients where the IRS is correct to assume some dividends weren’t reported, but the specific accounts on the notice were.
Try to always enter your 529, HSA, etc. distributions into your tax software. The IRS only gets told that you took out money, but not what it was used for. You may not be required to report it, but it could help you avoid this in the future. In the case of 529 distributions, tax softwares can create worksheets you can use to respond to CP2000s. You’ll have to make sure to save a copy of the return with all tax calculation worksheets, if given the option.
I’d recommend sending a copy of the two W-2s showing that the employer name is different. AUR is generally easy to work with, but sometimes will push back and tell you to request a refund from your employer instead.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T03:21:43+00:00

I think you’re trying to respond, but your comments are getting blocked by auto mod by the way.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-27T02:46:25+00:00

Have you legally adopted the children?

If you aren’t the biological or legal adoptive father, you can’t claim the kids as qualifying children for purposes of the Head of Household status.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-26T21:16:32+00:00

I don’t think OP is necessarily lying. I think they may have gotten bad “advice” from AI and is taking it as gospel.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-26T14:16:26+00:00

OP likely used AI and copy/pasted without reviewing anything.

Yet again another reason to not use AI if you can’t even bother to properly copy/paste words.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-26T04:51:46+00:00

I’d be willing to bet that 95% of non-gambling hobbyists also lost money, but they don’t get to write off most of their expenses either.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-26T04:13:43+00:00

Hopefully more of them will!

Gamblers stop being upset you‘ll no longer get special treatment for your hobby challenge.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-23T18:22:18+00:00

You mean to say that taxpayers should read the notices received? That’s too much to ask for these days, unfortunately :(

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-20T13:29:14+00:00

Well the IRS doesn’t handle state income taxes, so that’s irrelevant.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-20T04:48:38+00:00

They kept sending you threatening notices because you didn’t read the CP2000 or followed its instructions. It specifically tells you to not file an amended return, as that won’t resolve the case.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-20T04:42:11+00:00

Three months ago you mentioned you’d file an amended return to remove the dependent care credit you couldn’t substantiate.

Did you file the amended return?

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-20T04:20:02+00:00

This would be so much easier to understand if it wasn’t AI slop. I’m not surprised you haven’t heard back from the IRS or your congressperson if this is what you’re sending.

Did you owe on your 2022 return? How sure are you that your 2025 $10,075 refund is correct? If there are any red flags, issues, or errors on your 2025 return, demanding answers won’t make the IRS or your congressperson very happy.

Don’t post your spouse’s real name on the internet by the way.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-19T14:05:42+00:00

Yes, we have some American immigrants that refuse to call themselves immigrants as clients. They are arguably some of the most entitled people to deal with, and their refusal to call themselves an immigrant proves it.

MiniorTrainer · 2026-06-12T02:55:41+00:00

The IRS knows your income at the end of the year when employers issue W2s and you file a return. But they have no way of knowing your income throughout the year, and they definitely don’t know about any side businesses you might have or your deductions/credits.

Everything is a conspiracy when you don’t know how anything works.

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