Great question! I went through this exact same confusion when I started freelancing last year. You're absolutely right to check "Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC" - that's the correct box for your situation as an independent contractor who hasn't formed a separate business entity. Just to clarify the terminology that trips up a lot of people: "Individual" on the W-9 doesn't mean employee - it refers to you as an individual person operating a business (sole proprietorship) rather than as a corporation or partnership. When you're freelancing on your own, you're automatically considered a sole proprietor by the IRS even if you never filed any paperwork to "become" one. For section 3, literally just check that one box and you're done with that section. Make sure to put your legal name (not any business name you might use) on line 1, and if you do business under a different name, that would go on line 2. Use your SSN as your TIN unless you've gotten an EIN specifically for your freelance work. One last tip - keep a digital copy of your completed W-9 because you'll likely need to provide it to other clients as your freelance business grows!

I had this exact same confusion when I started freelancing! You're definitely overthinking it - "Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC" is absolutely the right box to check. The IRS groups these together because they're treated the same way for tax purposes. As a freelance web developer working independently, you're automatically a sole proprietor even without filing any paperwork. The "Individual" part just means you're operating as a person rather than as a corporation or partnership - it has nothing to do with being an employee. For section 3, just check that one box and you're done with that section. No other fields need to be filled out there unless you were an LLC choosing a specific tax election (which doesn't apply to you). One tip I wish someone had told me: create a template of your completed W-9 and save it securely. You'll be filling out a lot more of these as you get more clients, and having a template makes it much faster. Just make sure to keep it somewhere safe since it contains your SSN or EIN. Good luck with your freelance journey - the tax stuff gets easier once you've done it a few times!

One thing to consider - if you earned over $400 in self-employment income (which you did at $6,800), you're legally required to file it as self-employment on Schedule C. Not doing so could flag your return for audit. I've been freelancing for years and while the self-employment tax sucks, the deductions make a huge difference. Track EVERYTHING - mileage to client meetings, software subscriptions, equipment, portion of internet and phone, home office space, professional development courses, etc. I even deduct a percentage of my electricity since I use my computer and lighting for design work.

Don't forget to make quarterly estimated tax payments on your self-employment income going forward! I learned this the hard way and got hit with penalties my first year freelancing. The IRS expects you to pay taxes throughout the year, not just at filing time.

I completely understand your panic - I had the exact same reaction when I got my first 1099-MISC during OPT! That $5 from Chase is most likely from a cash back reward, account opening bonus, or some promotional credit they gave you. Here's what you need to know to put your mind at ease: **This will NOT impact your visa status at all.** Bank rewards and bonuses are considered regular income that all taxpayers (including international students) report. The IRS and USCIS don't view this as problematic income. **For taxes:** Since you're on F1 OPT, you'll file Form 1040NR as a nonresident alien. Just include this $5 as "Other Income" - most tax software will have a section specifically for entering 1099-MISC forms. The amount is so small it won't meaningfully affect your tax liability, but you should still report it since Chase already sent the info to the IRS. **Don't ignore it completely** - even though $5 seems insignificant, the IRS already has a record of this payment from Chase, so it's better to include it than risk any questions later. You're being appropriately responsible by asking about this! Many international students get small 1099-MISC forms from banks and it's totally normal. Just add it to your regular tax filing process and you'll be fine.

I went through this exact same situation during my F1 OPT year! Got a 1099-MISC from Wells Fargo for $15 in account bonuses and was completely panicked about what it meant for my visa status. Here's what I learned after consulting with my school's international student advisor and doing my taxes: **Visa Impact: ZERO.** These small bank bonuses/rewards are considered normal miscellaneous income that has no bearing on your F1 status. USCIS doesn't view this type of income as problematic - it's not unauthorized employment or anything that violates your visa terms. **Tax Filing:** You'll report this on Form 1040NR Line 8 (Other Income). Since you're already filing taxes for your OPT employment, just add this $5 to that same return. Don't file separately for it. **Software Recommendation:** I used Sprintax specifically because it's designed for international students and handles all the nonresident alien forms properly. Regular TurboTax can work but you need their premium version that supports 1040NR, and even then it can be confusing for our specific situation. **Why Chase reported it:** Banks are required to report certain payments to the IRS, even small ones sometimes. This is completely routine and nothing you did wrong. The $5 amount is so minimal it won't affect your actual tax liability, but since the IRS already knows about it from Chase, definitely include it in your filing. You're being smart by asking about this rather than ignoring it!

One trick I learned from my accountant - if the furniture is valuable enough, you could sell it yourself and then donate the cash directly to the charity. That way you avoid the pickup fee entirely, and you can deduct 100% of the cash donation (assuming you itemize). Cash donations are also easier to document than property donations.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I actually work for a nonprofit that partners with furniture removal companies like the one you described. The key distinction is whether the removal company is acting as your agent or as the charity's agent in the transaction. If you're paying the removal company directly and they're providing a service to you (picking up your stuff), then that fee isn't deductible even though the end result benefits charity. However, if the charity itself is contracting with the removal company and asking you to cover the cost, that might be different - but you'd need documentation showing this arrangement. Also, make sure you're getting your donation receipt from the actual 501(c)(3) charity, not from the removal company. The charity should be able to provide you with their tax ID number and a proper acknowledgment letter for your donation records. Some of these removal companies try to issue their own receipts which can cause problems during an audit.

Something similar happened to my wife last year. Turned out someone had her SSN and attempted to file a return. The most important thing is to ACT FAST. The longer this goes unresolved, the more complicated it can get. When we called the IRS, they put a special marker on her account and gave us a PIN we need to use for filing taxes going forward. It protects against anyone trying to file with her SSN again. You should ask about this when you talk to them!

I went through something very similar about 6 months ago - that sinking feeling when you see something unexpected in your IRS account is awful! Since you confirmed it's showing up in your official IRS online account, this is definitely legitimate and needs immediate attention. Here's what worked for me: I filed my legitimate return first thing the next morning (even though I was worried about the verification issue), then immediately called the IRS. When I got through, I explained that I had a verification notice in my online account but had never failed to file. The agent was actually really helpful and walked me through the process. In my case, someone had attempted to file a return with my SSN but it got flagged by their fraud detection system before processing. The "verification of non-filing" notice was basically the IRS asking me to confirm I hadn't actually filed yet, which cleared up the confusion. The whole thing took about 2 weeks to resolve, and I did get my refund (just delayed). The agent also set me up with an IP PIN for future protection. Don't let the stress eat you up - this is more common than you'd think and the IRS has good procedures for handling it!