Has anyone tried just calling CK customer service to ask about this? I'm in the same boat (DDD 2/25) and still nothing in my acct. Kinda freaking out tbh 😬

@Amara Nwosu I wouldn't panic just yet! Credit Karma's customer service can be helpful, but they'll likely tell you the same thing - deposits typically process within 24-48 hours of your DDD. Since today is 2/25, you should definitely see it by tomorrow morning. That said, calling them could give you peace of mind and they might be able to see if the deposit is "pending" in their system. Their phone support is usually pretty responsive compared to other online banks. You can also check the Credit Karma app notifications - sometimes they'll send an alert when a large deposit is processing even before it shows in your available balance. If you don't see anything by end of business tomorrow (2/26), then I'd definitely follow up with both Credit Karma and potentially check your IRS transcript to make sure the refund was actually sent to the right account.

Something else to consider - depending on how many platforms you're using, you might get a bunch of 1099-MISC or 1099-K forms, and they often don't accurately reflect your actual gambling profit since they don't account for losses. I used 14 different sportsbooks last year, and the 1099s showed over $120k in "income" even though my actual profit was only about $28k. Make sure your personal records are super detailed so you can prove your actual net winnings if audited. The platforms aren't coordinating with each other, so each one reports gross winnings without considering your losses elsewhere.

Great question about the quarterly taxes! I went through this exact situation last year and can share what I learned. The key thing is that if you expect to owe $1,000+ in taxes when you file, you should make quarterly payments to avoid penalties. For your $40k in gambling profits, you're definitely going to owe more than $1,000 (probably around $10k-15k depending on your tax bracket and other income). The quarterly due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year. Since your gambling income fluctuates, I'd recommend using Form 1040ES to calculate your estimated payments. You can either make equal payments each quarter based on your projected annual income, or use the annualized income method if your earnings are really uneven throughout the year. One strategy that worked for me was to set aside about 25-30% of my gambling profits in a separate savings account specifically for taxes. That way I wasn't scrambling to find the money when quarterly payments were due. You can make payments online through the IRS Direct Pay system or EFTPS. The penalty for underpayment isn't huge, but it's definitely avoidable with some planning. Better to pay a little extra throughout the year than get surprised with penalties next April!

I'm a property manager (not yours obviously lol) and I can tell you we always request W9s for any payment over $600, even when it's not taxable income. It's just company policy for record-keeping and because our accounting system requires it. Our legal team makes us do it even when we know the payment won't be reported as income.

I'm going through something very similar right now! My landlord had to reimburse me for a busted water heater that left me without hot water for 3 weeks. They also asked for a W9 before cutting the check, which had me worried. After reading through all these responses, I feel much better about it. The key thing I'm taking away is that the W9 request itself doesn't mean it's taxable income - it's just their standard procedure for payments over a certain amount. I'm definitely going to keep detailed records of everything like Miguel suggested, and make sure any documentation clearly states it's a "rent reduction" rather than compensation for inconvenience. It sounds like the specific wording really matters for tax purposes. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's hard to find elsewhere!

Has anyone used TurboTax for handling car deductions and EV credits? I'm trying to figure out if it walks you through all this complicated stuff or if I need something more specialized for my 2025 taxes.

I'm in a similar boat - making around $70k and considering an EV purchase partly for the tax benefits. After reading through all these responses, it sounds like the key is understanding the difference between tax credits and deductions, and being realistic about the actual savings. From what I'm gathering, the EV tax credit (up to $7,500) is the real benefit since it's a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes owed, but it depends on the specific vehicle configuration and your tax liability. The business deduction route only works if you have legitimate business use beyond commuting, and even then you're only saving your tax rate percentage of the deducted amount. I'm definitely going to check my mileage patterns first and maybe use one of those tax analysis tools mentioned here before making such a big purchase decision. Thanks everyone for the reality check about not buying a $40k+ car just to save a few thousand in taxes!

Has anyone tried DonorsChoose? I've had great success getting classroom supplies funded that way. It's not a tax deduction for you personally, but it's a way to get supplies without spending your own money. I've gotten over $2,000 in supplies funded this year alone.

As a fellow teacher who's been in this exact situation, I feel your pain! I've explored similar workarounds over the years and learned some hard lessons about what works and what doesn't. The 501(c)(3) idea is creative but unfortunately won't work as others have explained. However, I've found a few legitimate strategies that have helped me: 1. **Track everything meticulously** - I use a simple spreadsheet to log every classroom expense with photos of receipts. This helped me realize I was missing some legitimate deductions. 2. **Separate personal vs. donated supplies** - When I buy supplies that I leave permanently in the classroom (like books for the class library), those can potentially be charitable donations if documented properly. 3. **Professional development overlap** - Some of my "classroom supplies" are actually professional development materials (books, software subscriptions) that qualify for education credits. 4. **State-level deductions** - My state allows additional educator expense deductions beyond the federal $300 limit. The reality is there's no magic bullet to deduct everything we spend, but with careful categorization and record-keeping, you might find you can legitimately claim more than you initially thought. It's frustrating that we have to spend so much of our own money, but at least we can maximize what little relief the tax code does provide.