Anyone have a recommendation for good tax software that handles self-employment taxes well? I've been using FreeFileWhatever but it gets confusing with all the schedules.

Just wanted to add something that might help with the quarterly payment calculations - the IRS safe harbor rule can be really useful for self-employed folks. If you pay at least 100% of last year's total tax liability (or 110% if your prior year AGI was over $150,000), you won't face underpayment penalties even if you end up owing more at filing time. This is especially helpful when your self-employment income varies throughout the year. You can use last year's numbers as a baseline for your quarterly payments and then adjust up or down based on how your current year income is tracking. Also, remember that your quarterly payments are due on the 15th of January, April, June, and September (not every three months like you might expect). The IRS has specific due dates that don't follow a regular quarterly calendar. One more tip - if you're just starting with self-employment, consider opening a separate savings account just for taxes. I transfer about 25-30% of each payment I receive into that account to cover both the self-employment tax and federal income tax. Makes it much easier to handle the quarterly payments and avoid scrambling for cash when they're due.

Don't you also need to worry about "statutory residency" in some states? I think some states consider you a full-year resident if you're there for more than 183 days even if you moved.

I actually went through this exact same situation two years ago - California to Texas mid-year with the same employer. A few things that might help beyond what others have mentioned: 1. Keep detailed records of your move date - lease agreements, utility shutoff/startup dates, driver's license change, voter registration change, etc. California can be pretty aggressive about challenging part-year residency claims. 2. Your employer should have updated their payroll system when you moved, but double-check that they stopped California withholdings after your move date. I had to fight to get a corrected W2 because they kept withholding CA taxes for 6 weeks after I moved. 3. Since Texas has no state income tax, you'll only need to file the California part-year return. Make sure you're only reporting income earned while physically present in California - this is key if you did any remote work. 4. California's part-year resident form (540NR) can be tricky. The software should handle most of it, but pay attention to the income allocation section. You want to be very precise about which income belongs to which period. Good luck! The process is more straightforward than it initially seems once you understand the basics.

If you're really stuck, you can also log back into your H&R Block account and look at the actual depreciation schedule they created last year. Sometimes it's easier to see it there than on the actual tax forms. Go to your account, look at last year's return, and there should be a section for "Depreciation Worksheets" or something similar that shows a breakdown year by year. Just FYI - I found FreeTaxUSA's rental property section to be pretty good once you get past this initial hurdle of entering the prior year stuff. Much more straightforward than H&R Block in many ways!

I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA last year and ran into the exact same issue with my rental property! One thing that helped me was to look at the actual depreciation worksheet that H&R Block generated, not just the forms. When you log into your H&R Block account, there should be a detailed depreciation schedule that shows the breakdown year by year - this made it crystal clear what the cumulative amount was. Also, double-check that you're looking at the right property if you have multiple rentals. I almost entered the wrong depreciation amount because I was looking at the wrong property's line on my Schedule E. The Form 4562 Box 22 that others mentioned is definitely the right place to look for the cumulative prior-year depreciation amount. FreeTaxUSA's interface for rental properties is actually pretty intuitive once you get past this initial setup. Good luck with the switch - you'll definitely save money compared to H&R Block's fees!

I've been researching this exact issue after making a similar mistake with Enterprise Products Partners preferred units in my IRA. What I discovered through painful experience is that the "preferred" designation is really just about payment priority and stability - it doesn't change the fundamental partnership tax treatment. Here's what caught me off guard: even though preferred MLP units often have more bond-like characteristics (fixed distributions, less volatility), they're still partnership interests that pass through their proportionate share of the MLP's business income. The IRS doesn't distinguish between common and preferred units when it comes to UBTI - they both represent ownership in the same underlying partnership entity. I ended up calling my tax advisor after getting my K-1, and he explained that the UBTI issue stems from the fact that MLPs typically engage in active business operations (pipeline operations, energy production, etc.) rather than passive investment activities. This active business income becomes "unrelated" to the tax-exempt purpose of your IRA, hence UBTI. The silver lining is that not every dollar of your MLP distributions will be UBTI - some portion might be return of capital or passive income that doesn't trigger the filing requirement. But you won't know the exact breakdown until you receive your K-1 next year. My advice would be to contact Energy Transfer's investor relations for historical data and prepare for the possibility of Form 990-T filing, but don't panic until you see the actual numbers.

As someone who's dealt with MLP tax complications in retirement accounts, I wanted to add another perspective on managing this situation. While everyone's focused on the UBTI implications (which are absolutely valid concerns), there's another angle worth considering - the timing of when you address this. If you're early in the tax year and your Energy Transfer preferred units haven't generated significant distributions yet, you might have time to implement a strategy. Some investors I know have used a "wait and monitor" approach where they track their UBTI accumulation quarterly and make decisions based on whether they're approaching the $1,000 threshold. The key insight from my experience is that Energy Transfer's UBTI generation can vary significantly based on their business activities in a given year. During years when they're doing more acquisition activity or have higher operational income, the UBTI percentage tends to be higher. In years focused more on debt reduction or when they have more depreciation flowing through, it can be lower. I'd suggest setting up a simple spreadsheet to track your quarterly distributions and estimate your annual UBTI based on the historical percentages others have mentioned (40-50% range). This way you can make an informed decision by Q3 about whether to hold through year-end or consider other options. Sometimes the actual impact ends up being much more manageable than the initial worry, especially if you only hold a modest position size.

Hey Jamal! I totally understand the confusion - I went through the exact same thing when I started freelancing as a social media manager. The whole "but I don't have a real business" mindset is so common, but here's the truth: you absolutely ARE a legitimate business already! The IRS doesn't care if you have fancy LLC paperwork or a storefront. The moment you started doing graphic design work for money, you became what they call a "sole proprietor." It's the default business structure for anyone working for themselves. For TurboTax, here's exactly what to enter: - Business name: Just use "Jamal Brown" or "Jamal Brown Graphic Design" - Tax ID: Your SSN works perfectly fine - Business address: Your home address - Business type: Sole Proprietorship - Business code: Look for "Graphic Design Services" in their dropdown The key is to stop getting hung up on the word "business" - TurboTax is just asking for info about you doing work for yourself. That's it! Also, don't stress about not getting 1099s. You're still legally required to report that $8,400, but it's totally normal for small clients not to send them (they're only required to if they paid you $600+ and you're not incorporated). Make sure to dig up every possible business expense - Adobe subscriptions, computer equipment, internet portion used for work, phone bills, any design courses or books, even supplies. These deductions can really add up and reduce your tax liability significantly. You're already doing the right thing by wanting to report everything properly. The first year is always the most intimidating, but once you get through it, you'll realize it's much more straightforward than it seems!

Hey Jamal! I was in your exact shoes last year - doing freelance copywriting on the side, making about $6,800, and completely lost on how to report it. The whole "business" terminology in TurboTax totally threw me off too! Here's what I learned after way too much stress and research: You don't need to register anything or get fancy paperwork. The IRS automatically considers you a sole proprietor when you're earning money from freelance work. It's really that simple! When TurboTax asks for your business info, just treat it like it's asking about "you doing freelance work": - Business name: "Jamal Brown" or "Jamal Brown Design" - Use your SSN (no EIN needed) - Home address for business address - Sole Proprietorship as business type The biggest thing that helped me was changing my mindset from "I'm not a real business" to "I'm a freelancer reporting my income." Same thing in the IRS's eyes, just different words. Also, make sure you track every expense you can think of - Creative Cloud subscription, any equipment, portion of your internet bill, even that new desk chair if you bought it for work. I found almost $2,000 in deductions I would have missed! One heads up - you'll owe self-employment tax (about 15.3%) on top of regular income tax, so the total tax hit might be higher than you expect. But the expense deductions help offset that quite a bit. You're already doing the right thing by wanting to report everything honestly. Don't let the confusing terminology psych you out - you've got this!