@Maya Diaz To update your address with the IRS, you ll'need to file Form 8822 Change (of Address -) unfortunately you can t'do this through the online account. You can mail it or fax it to the IRS, and they recommend doing this as soon as possible since it can take 4-6 weeks to process. For USPS, you can submit a change of address online at usps.com or at any post office location. I learned this the hard way when I moved last year and didn t'realize the IRS required a separate form! Also worth noting that if you re'married filing jointly, both spouses need to sign Form 8822.

To update your address with the IRS, you'll need to file Form 8822 (Change of Address) - you can't do it through the online account unfortunately. You can mail it or fax it to them. For USPS, you can submit a change of address online at usps.com or visit any post office. The IRS form is crucial because they don't automatically get updates from USPS address changes. I learned this the hard way when I moved last year and assumed my tax refund would be forwarded - it wasn't! Make sure to update both systems separately to avoid the delivery issues that Summer mentioned earlier.

That's wild about the house color affecting assessment! Did your neighbor do this intentionally as a strategy? And what color was it? I'm wondering if there are other "tricks" people use to keep assessments lower...

My neighbor didn't do it as a strategy - they just have unusual taste (bright purple with green trim). But assessors do factor in "curb appeal" which affects marketability. There are legitimate ways to keep assessments reasonable though. Don't pull permits for small cosmetic updates. Complete renovations in the months after assessment period. Point out problems during assessment (old roof, outdated HVAC). Don't be home during exterior-only assessments so they can't see interior upgrades. And definitely appeal if your assessment seems out of line with comparable properties.

That explains why it started, but not why we still have it in addition to income, sales, and other taxes. Seems like governments just keep adding taxes without ever removing old ones!

@Drake You're absolutely right - it's the classic "tax ratchet" effect. Once a government establishes a revenue stream, they rarely give it up even when newer, more efficient methods become available. Local governments especially resist change because property tax is so predictable and hard to evade compared to income or sales taxes. The real problem is we've built entire municipal budgets around property tax revenue for over a century, so eliminating it would require massive restructuring of how we fund local services. Most politicians won't touch that with a 10-foot pole because it's politically risky, even if it might be more fair overall.

Canadian residents still pay Canadian taxes on worldwide income, so that wouldn't typically be advantageous unless they're playing for a Canadian team. What some players do (not just Canadians) is establish residency in states with no income tax even if they play elsewhere. Tyler Seguin talked about this openly years ago - maintaining Florida residency while playing for the Stars in Texas (also no state income tax). He maximized his time in Florida during off-seasons to help cement his residency status there. It's all about where you spend the majority of your non-working days.

How much of your internet bill can you reasonably claim? I work from home and use it for both personal and business but I'm not sure what percentage is appropriate to deduct.

For internet, the IRS expects you to only deduct the portion used for business. If you use your internet 40% of the time for art commissions, you can deduct 40% of the bill. You'll need to be able to justify whatever percentage you claim if asked. The same goes for your home office space if you have a dedicated area for your art. You can deduct that percentage of rent/mortgage, utilities, etc. based on the square footage used exclusively for business compared to your total home square footage. Just make sure it's a space used ONLY for business, not a multi-purpose area.

It definitely feels that way sometimes. But I will say that once you learn how to properly deduct your business expenses, you might end up owing very little. My first year I thought I'd owe hundreds in taxes on my $1200 in side income, but after proper deductions it was only like $75.

I totally get the frustration! The $400 threshold does seem low for triggering self-employment tax requirements. But think of it this way - you're building a legitimate business and contributing to Social Security/Medicare through those taxes, which will benefit you later. Plus, as others mentioned, proper expense tracking can really minimize what you actually owe. I started tracking everything in a simple spreadsheet and was surprised how much I could deduct - even small things like PayPal fees add up over the year.

Does this fix the support page too? I still need to get a refund since I already paid for Premium which doesn't even work.

It did partially fix the support page for me - I could at least access it, though submitting forms was still hit or miss. For refunds, I had better luck calling their billing department directly at 319-373-3600 and selecting the billing option. Took about 25 minutes on hold, but I eventually got through to someone who processed my refund. The support page seems to be completely broken, but their phone systems still work.

Smart approach. Which software are you using this year instead? I need to find an alternative to finish my returns.

I switched to FreeTaxUSA this year after all the TaxAct horror stories. It's been rock solid so far - no script errors, clean interface, and their support actually works. The free version handles most situations, and even their paid version is cheaper than TaxAct Plus. I was able to import my prior year data from TaxAct without any issues too.