For TurboTax specifically, they'll ask if you have self-employment income. Say yes, and then you'll be guided to the "Business Income" section. Enter your Patreon/Buy Me A Coffee as a sole proprietorship business. You can use your own name as the business name if you don't have a formal business name.

One important thing to remember is keeping track of your expenses throughout the year, not just at tax time! I wish someone had told me this when I started my Patreon. Set up a simple spreadsheet or use an app to log art supplies, software subscriptions, equipment purchases, and even things like packaging for rewards you send to patrons. Also, don't forget about the home office deduction if you have a dedicated workspace for your art. Even if it's just a corner of a room that you use exclusively for creating content, you can potentially deduct a portion of your rent/mortgage, utilities, and other home expenses. TurboTax has a simplified method that lets you deduct $5 per square foot up to 300 square feet, which is much easier than calculating actual expenses. The key is being organized from day one rather than scrambling to reconstruct everything come tax season!

I'm also stuck in the 0805 cycle and it's been 6 weeks since I filed! Filed on January 28th, got the 0805 code by February 14th, but still no direct deposit date. My transcript shows a "150 Transcript" with cycle code 20240805 but no 846 refund issued code yet. I've been checking WMR daily and it just says "still being processed." Starting to wonder if there's a systematic issue with certain 0805 returns this year. Has anyone tried calling the practitioner priority line or is that only for tax professionals?

I'm also in the 0805 cycle and experiencing the same delays. Filed on February 5th, transcript updated with cycle code 0805 on February 21st, but still no refund after 5 weeks. What's particularly frustrating is that WMR just keeps saying "still being processed" with no additional information or timeline. I've been checking daily and there's been zero change in status. My transcript shows the same pattern others have mentioned - the 150 code but no 846 refund issued code. It seems like there's definitely a larger issue with 0805 cycle codes this season. I claimed the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Credit, which might be contributing to the delay based on what others have shared. At this point I'm just hoping it resolves itself soon since calling the IRS seems nearly impossible to get through to an actual person.

For future reference, you can also check if you saved your tax return PDF in your email. FreeTaxUSA typically sends a confirmation email with your completed return attached when you finish filing. Search your email for "FreeTaxUSA" or "tax return" from around the time you filed last year. If you find that email, your AGI will be clearly shown on line 11 of the Form 1040. This is usually the fastest way to get your AGI without having to call anyone or use third-party services. I always make sure to save these emails specifically for situations like this!

Great thread with lots of helpful solutions! I had a similar issue last year and ended up finding my AGI in the most obvious place - my actual tax return that I had printed and filed away. Sometimes we overthink these things when the answer is sitting in our filing cabinet or downloads folder. For anyone still struggling, here's what worked for me: I searched my computer for any files with "1040" or "tax" in the name from last year's filing period. Found the PDF copy of my return that way, and there was my AGI on line 11. If you're really stuck and none of these methods work, remember that many tax prep services will accept alternative verification methods if you explain the situation. Some will let you answer additional identity verification questions instead of providing your AGI. Worth asking your new tax service about backup options before going through all the hassle of getting transcripts or calling the IRS.

3 Has anyone used the IRS Free File program when transitioning from 1040-NR to 1040? I'm in the same boat and wondering if any of those services handle this state refund situation correctly.

I went through this exact situation two years ago when I transitioned from H-1B to green card status. The key thing to understand is that your state refund is taxable to the extent you received a federal tax benefit from deducting those state taxes on your 1040-NR. Since you were required to itemize on the 1040-NR (no standard deduction available), you almost certainly did receive a tax benefit from the state tax deduction. However, the amount that's taxable might not be the full refund amount if you hit the $10,000 SALT deduction cap. You'll need to do what's called the "tax benefit rule" calculation. Look at your 2023 return and see how much state tax you actually deducted. If it was limited by the SALT cap, then only the portion that provided a benefit is taxable when you receive the refund. The change from nonresident to resident status doesn't affect the taxability of the refund - what matters is whether you got a federal tax benefit in the year you took the deduction. Report the taxable portion on Schedule 1, Line 1 of your 2024 Form 1040.

I'm dealing with a similar grant situation and want to add one important consideration that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you understand the "clawback" provisions in your grant agreement. Many economic development grants require you to maintain certain employment levels or other conditions for a specified period after receiving the funds. If there's a possibility you might have to return some of the grant money due to not meeting future requirements, you may need to consider whether setting up a contingent liability on your balance sheet makes sense. This doesn't change the M-1 treatment for the current year, but it's good practice to document potential future obligations. Also, since you mentioned this is for job creation in an enterprise zone, double-check if your state offers any additional tax credits that coordinate with the grant. Sometimes these programs stack, and you don't want to miss out on legitimate tax benefits while you're sorting out the grant reporting.

I've been following this discussion and want to emphasize something that's often overlooked - the timing of when you recognize the grant income for book purposes versus tax purposes can create ongoing complexities beyond just the initial M-1 adjustment. Since you mentioned the remaining funds are sitting in restricted cash and earmarked for 2023 hiring, you'll need to be consistent with your treatment going forward. When you do spend those funds in 2023 on qualifying expenses, make sure you don't accidentally include them as taxable income again in next year's return. I'd recommend creating a multi-year tracking spreadsheet that shows: 1) Total grant received, 2) Annual spending by category, 3) Cumulative M-1 adjustments made, and 4) Remaining restricted balance. This will be invaluable when preparing future returns and will help ensure you maintain consistent treatment across tax years. Also, given the complexity of your situation with the employment maintenance requirements mentioned in the comments, consider having a tax professional review your approach before filing. Economic development grants can have unique provisions that aren't always obvious, and an error could be costly if you're audited later.