IRS and Tax Filing Issues

Patrick Peterson49 said:I honestly have no clue what the issue is 😕—I filed ten different powers of attorney and they all cleared within two days at most...
maybe the guy over at the IRS just messed something up 🤷

I actually managed to track down the issue for the other client—the one getting an ERROR 404... apparently, some extra certificate or part of a digital credential from the bank was supposed to be assigned automatically, but for some reason, it just didn't happen... the guy there clicked two buttons and now everything is fine...

As for the second client where I don't have authorization... he thinks they probably haven't entered the info at the IRS yet because sometimes it takes them four or five days to process authorizations—especially since I didn't hand over a physical USB when submitting the paperwork; I just dropped off the paper version...

We'll see how it goes in a few days...

Here’s a little update—might be old news to some of you, but hey, it can't hurt to have it on hand...

Just so we're clear: you can drop off written powers of attorney for your clients at any IRS office, regardless of where the client is actually based...

For instance, if the bookkeeping is handled in Washington, D.C., but the client's headquarters and primary branch are out in Seattle, you can just file that power of attorney right there in D.C. without any hassle...

Make sure to fill out three copies of the power of attorney...

Timothy Morgan38 said:So far, I've submitted two powers of attorney, and both are marked for full management of all authorizations...

2 Patrick Peterson49

For my first client, it's telling me I'm not authorized to receive FARC info
For the second client, when I try to request FARC info after waiting a few minutes on the "sending message to the IRS" screen, it says ERROR 404

So, I just requested authorization for this second client (ERROR 404), and I got a list clearly stating I have unlimited authority for all the listed actions...

But for the first guy, the moment I try to send it, it tells me I'm not authorized to sign the request

Finally sorted that part out... turns out the folks over at University of California, Berkeley misplaced the paperwork and never actually processed the power of attorney...

Timothy Morgan38 said:Here’s a little update—might be old news to some of you, but hey, it can't hurt to have it on hand...

Just so we're clear: you can drop off written powers of attorney for your clients at any IRS office, regardless of where the client is actually based...

For instance, if the bookkeeping is handled in Washington, D.C., but the client's headquarters and primary branch are out in Seattle, you can just file that power of attorney right there in D.C. without any hassle...

Make sure to fill out three copies of the power of attorney...

Exactly. No more wasting cash on postage, and you don't have to play phone tag with some clerk at the IRS just to check a single line item.
Here’s a real-world example where having digital access saved my skin: I had this small business client deal with a sudden new charge—some mandatory fines from the Department of Homeland Security. I flagged it for him, he checked his records and saw it was already paid, but the DHS hadn't cleared the payment yet. Without that instant info, we would've been looking at a full-blown bank levy. Then we'd be stuck in a massive headache trying to prove who was actually right.

How are you guys handling the documentation requirements for VAT refunds?
So, my assistants back at my small-town office were insisting that everyone needs to switch over to the IRS online portal because they can't accept physical reconciliation cards at the end of the year anymore. I went ahead and migrated everything to the digital system, but now, for my very first refund request, they called me up demanding hard copies of the logbook, the logbook summary, and the Central Hub files just to process the money.
Honestly, what’s even the point of using the IRS digital portal if I still have to physically go down there and hand over all this data and a Central Hub report just to get my tax refund back? When I asked about this, they didn't have a clue.
Of course, Murphy's law always seems to be in full effect for me, so I ended up having to redo my power of attorney forms three different times. First, they told me to list myself, then they said to list the company I work for, and finally, they insisted on both. Even the help desk over the phone couldn't give me a straight answer.

silverbadger said:How are you guys handling the documentation requirements for VAT refunds?
So, my assistants back at my small-town office were insisting that everyone needs to switch over to the IRS online portal because they can't accept physical reconciliation cards at the end of the year anymore. I went ahead and migrated everything to the digital system, but now, for my very first refund request, they called me up demanding hard copies of the logbook, the logbook summary, and the Central Hub files just to process the money.
Honestly, what’s even the point of using the IRS digital portal if I still have to physically go down there and hand over all this data and a Central Hub report just to get my tax refund back? When I asked about this, they didn't have a clue.
Of course, Murphy's law always seems to be in full effect for me, so I ended up having to redo my power of attorney forms three different times. First, they told me to list myself, then they said to list the company I work for, and finally, they insisted on both. Even the help desk over the phone couldn't give me a straight answer.

well, you still have to submit the refund request in paper form anyway...

Classic institutional idiocy... it's just like dealing with Chase... you submit a report electronically, but you still need a PAPER confirmation that they actually received it... like, wtf... it's either digital or it's paper... just pick one...

Since I need to handle my IRS filings, I was just wondering if the whole process is a massive headache—how long does it usually take to get everything submitted and finalized? Just trying to get a head start on the prep work!

Thomas Alvarez74 said:Since I need to handle my IRS filings, I was just wondering if the whole process is a massive headache—how long does it usually take to get everything submitted and finalized? Just trying to get a head start on the prep work!

It’s not exactly rocket science... usually takes about a week or two before everything clears...

My developer set up this tool so I can just export an XML file directly into the IRS portal
But whenever I try to upload it, I get hit with an error saying the form won't process—basically telling me to try again later...
I figured I’d just try doing it manually, since it's not exactly the first time my dev has messed something up... honestly, I couldn't even finish entering everything by hand before some guy from the IRS calls me up! He says they actually noticed the form was failing on their end and asked me to just email it over so they could figure out what's broken... seriously, those guys were lightning fast, gotta give 'em credit... now instead of playing detective with my programmer, I can just forward him the email from the IRS and let him deal with it...

silverbadger said:How are you guys handling the documentation requirements for VAT refunds?
So, my assistants back at my small-town office were insisting that everyone needs to switch over to the IRS online portal because they can't accept physical reconciliation cards at the end of the year anymore. I went ahead and migrated everything to the digital system, but now, for my very first refund request, they called me up demanding hard copies of the logbook, the logbook summary, and the Central Hub files just to process the money.
Honestly, what’s even the point of using the IRS digital portal if I still have to physically go down there and hand over all this data and a Central Hub report just to get my tax refund back? When I asked about this, they didn't have a clue.
Of course, Murphy's law always seems to be in full effect for me, so I ended up having to redo my power of attorney forms three different times. First, they told me to list myself, then they said to list the company I work for, and finally, they insisted on both. Even the help desk over the phone couldn't give me a straight answer.

Believe it or not, I filed an IRS refund claim and it went through without a single follow-up question. I've got another refund coming next month, so I'll let you know how it goes.
For another client, I had a VAT carryover to N/A, and that went through too—though, naturally, they required the Central Hub docs.
In these situations, I’m convinced the "key to success" is just having a good relationship with the clerk.

Raymond Martinez10 said:Believe it or not, I filed an IRS refund claim and it went through without a single follow-up question. I've got another refund coming next month, so I'll let you know how it goes.
For another client, I had a VAT carryover to N/A, and that went through too—though, naturally, they required the Central Hub docs.
In these situations, I’m convinced the "key to success" is just having a good relationship with the clerk.

If we were on Facebook right now, you'd be hitting that like button.😁

I guess I should brag too—the agents and the whole IRS apparatus in my neck of the woods actually take digital filing seriously. If a problem pops up, they actually resolve it in a reasonable timeframe...

Raymond Martinez10 said:Believe it or not, I filed an IRS refund claim and it went through without a single follow-up question. I've got another refund coming next month, so I'll let you know how it goes.
For another client, I had a VAT carryover to N/A, and that went through too—though, naturally, they required the Central Hub docs.
In these situations, I’m convinced the "key to success" is just having a good relationship with the clerk.

When you say they didn't ask any follow-up questions, do you mean you actually requested a refund, they sent the money back, and nobody called you to demand your logbooks for an audit?

As for the agents, I’m with you there. I have a couple of clients who constantly carry debt and all they ever get are these little reminders to pay a bit here or there before the next notice hits—they've been dragging it out for a year like that. Meanwhile, I have another client who stays completely current, but the one time he’s late with his taxes by JUST THREE DAYS, he gets a notice threatening a lawsuit. It makes zero sense. It really just comes down to which agent you end up with.

Kimberly Harris6 said:When you say they didn't ask any follow-up questions, do you mean you actually requested a refund, they sent the money back, and nobody called you to demand your logbooks for an audit?

As for the agents, I’m with you there. I have a couple of clients who constantly carry debt and all they ever get are these little reminders to pay a bit here or there before the next notice hits—they've been dragging it out for a year like that. Meanwhile, I have another client who stays completely current, but the one time he’s late with his taxes by JUST THREE DAYS, he gets a notice threatening a lawsuit. It makes zero sense. It really just comes down to which agent you end up with.

The IRS gets you so used to following the rules that you become like a mule conditioned to the whip... if you're always compliant, any little delay triggers an automatic notice... just like how a mule finds it totally bizarre if it doesn't get hit for a day... 😂

Has anyone here tried filing an ID form through the IRS portal when no salary was actually paid?
Here’s the deal... at a recent tax seminar, they mentioned how to handle the ID form if there was no payout, specifically noting that Section II should be left blank. But using the online IRS application, it feels like that's physically impossible to do. The only thing the system lets me do is leave field 7 under Section II—"Income Tax and Surtax Paid"—empty.
Am I just messing this up? Has anyone else run into this exact roadblock?

Hey everyone!

I have a quick question for the group: when you all finally received your Goldman Sachs card and the USB reader, did yours come with an installation CD included in the package? 😕
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I am completely out of my element when it comes to this kind of technical setup...🙂

Jose Johnson51 said:Hey everyone!

I have a quick question for the group: when you all finally received your Goldman Sachs card and the USB reader, did yours come with an installation CD included in the package? 😕
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I am completely out of my element when it comes to this kind of technical setup...🙂

If this is your first time setting up the Goldman Sachs portal, you can actually call their IT support to walk you through the whole setup process (it's free for the initial setup). It’s probably the safest way to go to make sure everything works right... That's what I did with mine.

Kimberly Harris6 said:If this is your first time setting up the Goldman Sachs portal, you can actually call their IT support to walk you through the whole setup process (it's free for the initial setup). It’s probably the safest way to go to make sure everything works right... That's what I did with mine.

I think I might just take that advice and give them a ring tomorrow. Thanks, 🙂

Once you receive your card from Goldman Sachs, is there any need to contact the IRS before installation begins?

No, you first have to get that Deloitte card installed on your computer, and then, provided you actually need them for other clients, you take those powers of attorney along with the card and head down to the IRS

Jose Johnson51 said:No, you first have to get that Deloitte card installed on your computer, and then, provided you actually need them for other clients, you take those powers of attorney along with the card and head down to the IRS

Does the person in charge actually have to show up in person, or what?