This has been such a helpful discussion! As someone who's been streaming for about a year and just started getting regular Treat Stream deliveries, I had no clue these counted as taxable income. I've probably received around $200-300 worth of food over the past few months and never thought twice about the tax implications. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like I need to get organized ASAP. I'm going to start taking screenshots of every delivery confirmation and set up that spreadsheet system someone mentioned. The idea about setting aside 25-30% of the food value for taxes is really smart too - I can see how that would prevent a nasty surprise come tax time. One question I haven't seen addressed - what happens if a delivery gets messed up or the food is inedible? Like last week someone sent me a pizza that arrived completely cold and basically ruined. Do I still report the full value as income even though I couldn't actually eat it? Or can I adjust for situations like that? Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge - this thread is going to save me from making some expensive mistakes!

Just wanted to add a practical tip for everyone tracking these food deliveries - I've found it helpful to create a simple email folder specifically for Treat Stream and similar services. Most of these platforms send confirmation emails with all the details you need (date, items, retail value), so having them organized in one place makes tax prep much easier. I also take a quick photo of the actual food when it arrives, which helps me remember what was delivered if I ever need to verify the value later. Some items might be priced differently than what I expected, and having that visual record has been useful when double-checking my spreadsheet entries. One more thing - if you're getting a decent amount of these deliveries, it might be worth reaching out to a tax professional who has experience with content creators. The rules around what qualifies as a business meal deduction can get pretty nuanced, and having someone who understands the streaming industry can potentially save you more than their fee costs.

I went through something very similar last year! Your employers definitely should have provided a W-2 since they paid you over $2,400. The fact that your return was rejected using their SSN as an EIN is a red flag that they haven't properly set up to be household employers. Here's what I learned: even if they claim they "reported your income somewhere" on their taxes, that doesn't fulfill their legal obligation to provide you with proper tax documents. You need that W-2 not just for filing, but for your Social Security credits and employment verification down the road. I'd suggest giving them one more chance to get you a proper W-2 (they can still issue one late), but if they refuse, definitely go the Form 4852 route that others mentioned. Keep detailed records of all your conversations with them and any payment records you have. The IRS understands that employees sometimes get stuck in these situations through no fault of their own. Also, don't stress too much about an audit - you're trying to do the right thing here, and that's what matters to the IRS. It's your employers who are potentially in hot water for not handling their responsibilities correctly.

I'm a tax preparer and see this household employee situation all the time unfortunately. Your employers are absolutely required to provide you with a W-2 since they paid you over $2,400. Using their SSN as an EIN was never going to work - they need to get a proper EIN from the IRS for household employment. Here's what I tell my clients in your situation: First, send your employers a written request (email is fine) explaining their legal obligation to provide a W-2 and give them 10 business days to respond. This creates a paper trail. If they don't comply, you can file Form 4852 (Substitute for Form W-2) with your tax return. When filling out Form 4852, be as accurate as possible with your income and estimated tax withholdings (which in your case would be zero since they didn't withhold anything). You'll owe both income tax and self-employment tax on the unreported income, but you won't face penalties since this isn't your fault. I always recommend keeping detailed records of all payments and communications. The IRS is generally understanding when employees are caught in these situations due to employer non-compliance. Your employers, on the other hand, could face significant penalties for failing to properly handle household employment taxes.

Just wanted to add - I'm a dental practice consultant, and this situation is actually pretty common. One thing to watch for: if you purchased any specialized dental equipment for the practice that you're taking to the new location, make sure you document the transfer carefully. The IRS might consider this a "sale" from one business to another, which could trigger depreciation recapture if not handled correctly. Your new business would likely need to purchase these assets at fair market value from the old business. Also, don't forget about any security deposits for office space, insurance premiums, etc. Some of these might be partially refundable, which would offset some of your losses.

I went through a similar situation when I had to dissolve my consulting LLC before it generated any revenue. One thing that really helped was keeping detailed records of everything - not just receipts, but also documentation showing the business purpose of each expense and dates when they were incurred. For the IRS filing, since you elected S-corp status, you're absolutely required to file that final 1120-S even with zero income. The IRS computer system is expecting that return based on your election. Miss it and you could face penalties. Regarding your startup expenses, the good news is that dental practice expenses from one location can generally be carried over to another dental practice since it's the same line of business. The key is proper documentation and making sure your new Colorado practice is set up to properly inherit these costs. One tip: consider whether any of your equipment purchases might qualify as assets that can be directly transferred rather than treated as startup costs. Things like dental chairs, computers, or other equipment might be handled differently for tax purposes than purely startup expenses like licensing fees.

This situation totally sucks, but there's one workaround nobody's mentioned yet. If one spouse qualifies as a "real estate professional" (750+ hours working on real estate activities + more time than spent on any other job), then the rental properties aren't considered passive activities anymore. This means the $25,000 allowance and the MAGI limitations don't even apply - you could deduct ALL the losses against your regular income. But the catch is you need to materially participate in the rental activities and document everything meticulously. My accountant had me start keeping a detailed log of every hour I spend on property management, repairs, research, etc. It's not easy to qualify, but if one of you is already spending significant time managing your rentals, it might be worth exploring.

Has anyone successfully "grouped" their rental properties as a single activity under Reg. 1.469-4? I was reading that this might help with the material participation requirements if you're trying to qualify as a real estate professional.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through a similar situation last year. You're definitely doing the right thing by reporting this - I made the mistake of initially thinking I could "wait and see" if the IRS noticed, but after doing more research I realized that was a terrible idea. One thing I learned that might help you: even though you didn't get a W-2G from DraftKings, they likely have detailed records of your account activity that could be shared with the IRS if requested. Online gambling platforms are subject to various reporting requirements, especially for accounts with significant activity like yours. I'd also recommend keeping a spreadsheet or log of all your gambling activities going forward - dates, sites, amounts wagered, wins/losses, etc. It makes tax time so much easier and gives you solid documentation if you ever face questions from the IRS. For this year's filing, definitely report the full $24k net profit on Schedule 1. Whether itemizing to deduct your losses makes sense depends on your other deductions, but at least you'll have reported the income correctly. Good luck with everything!

I went through almost exactly the same situation with online poker winnings a couple years ago - won big but no tax forms from the site. Here's what I learned after consulting with a tax professional: You absolutely need to report the full $24,000 net gambling income on Schedule 1 as "Other Income" regardless of not receiving a W-2G. The threshold for casinos to issue W-2G forms is much higher for online platforms, but your reporting obligation starts at $1. For documentation, download and save your complete account history from DraftKings before the end of the tax year - sometimes these records become harder to access later. Also save screenshots of your year-end summary showing total deposits, withdrawals, and net position. One thing that surprised me: my tax preparer explained that large gambling winnings often trigger "lifestyle audits" where the IRS looks at your overall financial picture. They want to see that your reported income can support your spending patterns. So if you made any large purchases or deposits that year, make sure your total reported income (including the gambling winnings) aligns with your bank activity. The penalties for not reporting can be severe - not just the taxes owed but potential fraud charges if they determine it was intentional. With $24k in winnings, you're definitely in territory where the IRS would take notice if they discovered unreported income later.