Does anyone know how the 5 dependency tests work for parents living with adult children? My mom moved in with me last year after Dad passed away. She gets about $1800/month from Social Security but I pay for housing, utilities, groceries, and most of her medical bills not covered by Medicare. Her annual income is about $21,600 which seems high, but I'm definitely providing more than half of her total support when you count everything.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with my own dependency confusion right now. My 22-year-old brother lives with me and my spouse while he's finishing his master's degree. He works part-time and made about $12,000 last year, but we pay for his housing, utilities, food, and help with tuition costs. The tricky part is he's not a full-time student anymore since he's only taking thesis credits this semester. Does that affect whether I can claim him? I know the age test for qualifying child requires being under 24 AND a full-time student, but I'm not sure how "full-time" is defined when you're just doing research/thesis work. Also, since he's my brother (not my child), would I need to look at the qualifying relative tests instead? The relationship test should be fine since he's my sibling, and I'm pretty sure we provide way more than half his support. Just trying to figure out which set of rules applies here!

Does anyone use tax software instead of an accountant? I'm using TurboTax Business for my Schedule C and wonder if the subscription cost is handled the same way. Would I deduct my TurboTax subscription cost on this year's return or next year's?

Great question! I went through this same confusion when I started my consulting business. The key principle everyone's mentioned is correct - you deduct tax prep fees in the year you actually pay them, regardless of which tax year the return covers. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet is to keep really good documentation of when you pay these fees. I create a simple spreadsheet each year tracking the date, amount, and what the payment covers (2023 tax prep, estimated payment penalties, etc.). This has been super helpful during tax time and gives me confidence I'm being consistent year over year. Also, if your accountant offers payment plans or lets you pay in installments, each payment gets deducted in the year you make it. So if you paid $400 in December 2023 and $450 in March 2024 for the same tax return, you'd split the deduction across those two tax years accordingly.

Has anyone tried one of those magnetic vehicle signs instead of permanent lettering? I'm thinking that might be an option - put the signs on for business trips and take them off for personal use.

Great discussion everyone! As someone who's dealt with vehicle deduction issues for years, I want to emphasize something that hasn't been fully addressed - the documentation burden for "advertising drives" is really high. If you decide to claim miles driven specifically for advertising purposes (not combined with other business trips), you'll need to document not just where you went, but also your marketing strategy showing this was a legitimate business decision. The IRS will want to see that this was part of a real advertising plan, not just an excuse to deduct personal driving. My recommendation would be to focus on the clear-cut deductions: the cost of vehicle signage/lettering (100% deductible as advertising), and legitimate business miles where you're actually conducting business. The gray area stuff like "advertising drives" might not be worth the audit risk unless it's a significant part of your documented marketing strategy. Also, keep in mind that if you're audited, they'll look at the reasonableness of your total vehicle deductions compared to your business income. Taking aggressive positions on marginal deductions could flag your entire return for closer scrutiny.

idk why they make this so complicated fr. like why cant they just tell us exactly when were getting paid 🤔

I feel your pain! The "as of" date is basically meaningless for predicting refunds - it's just an accounting date that updates automatically. What you really want to look for is the 846 refund issued code on your transcript. That's the only reliable indicator of when your money is actually coming. I waited 12 weeks last year and that date changed probably 20 times before I finally got the 846 code. Hang in there! 🤞

This thread has been super helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation but have a specific question about reporting income from selling handmade items. I started making jewelry as a hobby during the pandemic and sold about $850 worth through Instagram and local craft fairs this year. The materials probably cost me around $300 total. Should this go in "other income" or do I need to file Schedule C since I was actively trying to make sales? I wasn't really thinking of it as a "business" but I did keep track of expenses and was definitely trying to make a profit. The line between hobby and business seems really blurry here and I don't want to mess this up!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been putting off doing my taxes because I was so confused about this "other income" section. Based on everyone's responses, it sounds like I need to be more systematic about this. I have a few different situations: I sold my old textbooks for about $320 (definitely less than I paid for them originally), got a $100 referral bonus from my bank, and made $180 helping my neighbor build a deck. From what I'm reading here, the textbook sales don't need to be reported since I sold at a loss, but the bank referral bonus and the deck work should go in "other income." One question though - should I put each item on a separate line with descriptions, or can I combine them? Like "Bank referral bonus $100, Construction work $180" all on line 8z? The forms don't seem super clear about whether you need to itemize each source separately or if you can group similar things together.