Has anyone dealt with partial reimbursement? My company only reimburses 80% of meals while traveling, meaning I'm covering the other 20%. Can I deduct that 20% portion?

This is a common misconception that trips up a lot of business travelers! The key principle here is that you can only deduct expenses that you actually bear the cost of. Since you were fully reimbursed by the client, you have no net out-of-pocket expense to deduct. Think of it this way - if you could deduct the $3,700 AND keep the $3,700 reimbursement, you'd essentially be getting paid to take a business trip, which isn't how the tax code works. The timing of when you fronted the money versus when you got reimbursed doesn't matter for tax purposes. What matters is that by the end of the tax year, you were made whole. Make sure to keep all your receipts and documentation of the reimbursement though - the IRS likes to see the paper trail showing these were legitimate business expenses that were properly reimbursed, especially when the amounts are significant like yours.

Has anyone used the primary residence exclusion in this type of situation? If he lived there 2 out of 5 years before the "buyout," could he exclude his portion of gain under the $250k exclusion?

This is a tricky situation but definitely manageable with proper documentation. Since your brother's name remained on the deed, he'll need to report this on his return even though he didn't receive proceeds from the 2024 sale. The key is treating the buyout as his actual "sale date" rather than the 2024 transaction. On Schedule D, report his cost basis as his original investment in the property, and his proceeds as the $15,000 he received during the buyout. Include a statement explaining that he disposed of his interest in [year of buyout] and received full compensation at that time. Make sure to keep all documentation from the original buyout agreement - this will be crucial if the IRS has questions. You'll also want to get the sale details from his ex (sale price, date, etc.) to properly complete the forms, even though his "sale" technically happened years earlier. The good news is that if he lived in the home as his primary residence for 2+ years before the buyout, he may qualify for the primary residence exclusion on any gain (though it sounds like he likely has a loss anyway). Consider consulting with a tax professional if the numbers are significant, as this type of split ownership situation can have nuances that are worth getting right the first time.

Just a heads up that different payroll systems display RSU info differently. My company (Big Tech) shows the gross RSU value, taxes withheld, and net value all clearly separated, while my husband's company uses this confusing "stock offset" term just like your wife's does. My tax software (TurboTax Premier) actually has a specific section for RSU income that helped us make sense of all this. It walks you through entering the W2 info correctly and helps verify that the RSU income is properly accounted for. Might be worth using if you're not already.

This is such a common source of confusion! I went through the exact same thing when I started getting RSUs. The key insight that finally made it click for me was realizing that your wife essentially gets paid twice for the same work - once in cash (her regular salary) and once in stock (the RSUs). The "stock offset" is just the payroll system's way of saying "we already gave you this money, but it was in the form of shares instead of cash." So when you see her gross income includes both salary and RSU value, but then the stock offset removes the RSU portion from net pay, it's because she already received that compensation as actual shares in her brokerage account. The confusing part is that the RSU income still gets taxed like regular income (which is why it shows up in gross pay), but the "payment" of that income happened via share delivery rather than cash. Your wife's total compensation is actually her net cash pay PLUS the value of shares she received, not just the net pay amount.

Hey Max! I totally get the panic - been there myself. The good news is that for just 1-2 days late, you're looking at a really minimal penalty. The IRS charges 0.5% per month (calculated daily), so for a couple days you're talking pennies to maybe a few dollars depending on what you owe. But here's the thing - don't stress too much about it. If you do get hit with a penalty, the First Time Penalty Abatement that others mentioned is basically a get-out-of-jail-free card if you've been compliant for the past 3 years. I used it myself about 2 years ago when I had a similar situation (also due to a family emergency, ironically). The IRS approved it without any questions - didn't even need to provide documentation about the emergency. Just called and said "I'd like to request First Time Penalty Abatement for this penalty" and they took care of it on the spot. Your family emergency is totally understandable and these things happen. Don't beat yourself up over it - you'll get it sorted out!

Don't panic! I was in almost the exact same situation last year - payment was 2 days late due to a banking issue. The penalty was literally $3.47 on a $2,800 tax bill, so we're talking pocket change here. What really helped me was calling the IRS practitioner priority line (if you have a tax pro help you) or the regular taxpayer line early in the morning. I got through around 7:15 AM and the agent was actually really understanding. Just mention you've never been late before and ask about First Time Penalty Abatement - they pulled up my record, saw I had clean history for 3+ years, and removed it immediately. The key is being proactive. Even if you don't get a penalty notice (which you might not for such a small amount), you can still call preemptively if you're worried about it. The IRS agents deal with way worse situations daily, so a responsible taxpayer who's 1-2 days late with a good explanation isn't going to raise any red flags. Hope this helps ease your stress! Family emergencies definitely count as reasonable cause if you need to go that route.

Can someone explain what tax bracket these bonuses fall under? I got a $500 Amazon gift card for opening a premium checking account. Will this push me into a higher tax bracket? I'm already close to the next bracket with my regular income.

Something to keep in mind is that you might also want to factor in the tax cost when evaluating these bank bonuses. For example, if you're in the 22% tax bracket and get a $300 Amazon gift card, you'll owe about $66 in taxes on it. So the "real" value of the bonus to you is closer to $234. I've started keeping a spreadsheet tracking all my bank bonuses throughout the year so I can set aside money for the tax bill. It's easy to forget about these when tax time comes around, especially if you opened multiple accounts. Just received a $400 bonus from Wells Fargo last month and immediately moved $88 to my tax savings account (assuming 22% bracket). Also worth noting - some banks are better about sending the 1099-INT forms than others. Credit unions in particular seem to be inconsistent with reporting, but you're still legally required to report the income regardless.