I got both 810 and 811 within 2 weeks of verifying. Refund hit my account 3 days later. hang in there!

These codes are driving me insane!!! Why cant the IRS just speak english instead of this number nonsense 🤮

Quick question - if I'm claimed as a dependent on my parents' taxes, can I still file my own return for my scholarship income? Or does all my income get reported on their return?

Just to add another perspective - I'm a tax preparation volunteer with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), and we see this exact situation ALL the time with college students. The confusion is totally understandable because scholarship taxation rules are honestly pretty complex. A few key points that might help: 1. Keep ALL your scholarship documentation - the award letters, disbursement records, and receipts for what you spent the money on. You'll need these to determine what's taxable. 2. If you're unsure about whether something counts as a "qualified education expense," err on the side of caution and treat it as taxable income. Better to pay a small amount of tax than risk an audit later. 3. Many colleges have free tax prep services during tax season - check if yours does! We helped dozens of students last year figure out their scholarship situations. The good news is that even if you owe some tax on the scholarship money, it's usually a pretty small amount since students are typically in the lowest tax brackets. And as others mentioned, education credits often result in refunds that more than offset any tax owed.

I went through this exact same situation last year! Here's what worked for me: First, try sending a certified letter to your previous employer's HR department requesting your W-2. This creates a paper trail and shows you made a formal request. Include your full name, SSN, employment dates, and current mailing address. If that doesn't work within 2 weeks, definitely call the IRS at 800-829-1040. They can contact your employer directly and will also send you a wage and income transcript that has all the same information as your W-2. The transcript is actually accepted by most tax software and preparers. One tip: if you have your final paystub from that job, it should show your year-to-date earnings and withholdings, which is basically all the info that would be on your W-2. Many tax preparers can work with that if you're in a real time crunch. Don't stress too much - this happens more often than you'd think, and there are definitely ways to get the info you need before the deadline!

I went through this nightmare last year with a previous employer who just completely ignored my requests for my W-2. Here's what I learned: start with the IRS "Get Transcript" service online if you can verify your identity, or request it by mail if the online verification is giving you trouble. The wage and income transcript they send has everything you need. If you're really in a time crunch, don't be afraid to use Form 4852 as a substitute. I know it sounds scary, but if you have your last paystub from that job, you can estimate pretty accurately. Just make sure you keep all your documentation in case the IRS asks questions later. One thing I wish I'd known earlier: you can also try contacting your state's Department of Labor. They sometimes have records or can put pressure on employers who aren't complying with W-2 requirements. Each state has different rules, but it's worth a shot. The most important thing is don't let this delay your filing if you're close to the deadline. File with what you have using Form 4852 if needed, and you can always amend later when you get the actual W-2. Missing the deadline and paying penalties is way worse than having to file an amended return.

Maria, I went through something very similar last year when I had to withdraw $6,000 from my Roth for an emergency car repair. The good news is it's much more straightforward than it initially seems! A few practical tips from my experience: First, when you contact your brokerage to make the withdrawal, specifically tell them you want to withdraw "contributions only" - while technically all withdrawals come from contributions first anyway, having this documented in their records can be helpful later. Second, ask them to email you a confirmation of the withdrawal details for your records. When tax time comes, you'll get that 1099-R form that shows the total withdrawal amount. Don't panic when you see it - it will likely show the full amount as a "distribution" without specifying it's penalty-free contributions. That's totally normal. Form 8606 Part III is where you tell the IRS the real story. One thing I wish I had known: keep a simple spreadsheet or document tracking your total Roth contributions by year. It makes filling out Form 8606 so much easier. I had to dig through three years of tax returns to reconstruct my contribution history, which was stressful during an already stressful time. TurboTax walked me through the whole process pretty smoothly once I had all my paperwork together. You've got this!

Maria, I completely understand your stress about this situation! I've been through a similar withdrawal process myself and want to reassure you that withdrawing Roth contributions is actually one of the more straightforward tax situations, even though it can feel overwhelming at first. Since you're only withdrawing $7,500 from your $18,000 in contributions, you're well within safe territory - no taxes, no penalties. The key thing to remember is that your brokerage's 1099-R will just show the withdrawal amount without distinguishing contributions from earnings, so you'll need Form 8606 Part III to tell the IRS this was a contribution withdrawal. For documentation, I'd suggest creating a simple folder (physical or digital) with: your last 3 years of tax returns showing your Roth contributions, any year-end brokerage statements, and the 1099-R you'll receive for this withdrawal. This gives you a complete paper trail if you ever need it. One practical tip: when you call your brokerage to initiate the withdrawal, ask them to note in your account that you're specifically requesting a "contribution withdrawal." While all withdrawals technically come from contributions first anyway, having this documented can provide extra peace of mind. You're making the right choice by only touching contributions and leaving your earnings to continue growing. The paperwork might seem intimidating, but TurboTax should handle most of the heavy lifting once you have your 1099-R in hand. You've got this!

Does anyone know if there's a minimum business size where you don't have to worry about the inventory stuff? I heard somewhere that very small businesses can just use cash method and expense inventory when purchased...

This is exactly the kind of inventory confusion that trips up so many small business owners! I went through the same thing when I first started my retail business. One thing that really helped me understand it was thinking about it this way: that $135,000 of ending inventory isn't an expense yet - it's still an asset sitting on your shelves that you'll sell next year. So you can't deduct it as a business expense this year because you haven't actually "used it up" to generate revenue yet. The COGS calculation essentially says "okay, you bought $675,000 worth of stuff, but $135,000 of it is still unsold, so you only actually 'consumed' $540,000 worth of inventory to generate this year's sales." I'd also recommend keeping really good records of your physical inventory counts at year-end. The IRS can get picky about this stuff during audits, and having solid documentation of what you actually had on hand makes everything much smoother. Good luck with tax season!