Has anyone dealt with reporting a deceased person's mortgage interest deduction on a partial year return? My brother passed away last spring and I'm trying to figure out if I need to prorate the mortgage interest or just take the full amount shown on his 1098.

I'm sorry for your loss and understand how confusing this must be while handling your father's estate. As others have mentioned, the OMP discrepancy is likely just a system reporting error since you have documentation showing the mortgage was paid off and were able to sell the house without issues. For the final tax return, you'll want to report the mortgage interest that was actually paid during the time your father was alive (January through November). The key document here is that "paid in full" letter you mentioned - keep that with the tax records as supporting documentation. The IRS understands that 1098 forms sometimes contain errors, especially in situations involving payoffs or deceased taxpayers. If you're concerned about potential questions from the IRS, you might consider attaching a brief explanation to the return noting that the mortgage was paid off in August (with the paid-in-full letter as proof) and that the OMP figure on the 1098 is incorrect. This kind of proactive documentation can save headaches later if there are any audit questions.

For golf influencers, I'd recommend establishing clear documentation standards from the start. Create a simple spreadsheet tracking each equipment purchase with columns for: purchase date, item description, cost, content where it was featured, and revenue attribution. The IRS looks favorably on taxpayers who can demonstrate a clear business purpose and profit motive. If your client is genuinely making income from this content and treating it as a business (not just a hobby), equipment purchases are much more defensible. One thing to watch out for: make sure they're not double-dipping by deducting equipment they later sell or give away. If they do equipment reviews and then sell the clubs, that sale price should be reported as income, and the original purchase becomes cost of goods sold rather than a business expense. Also consider depreciation for expensive items like club sets - depending on how long they plan to use them for content creation, it might be better to depreciate over several years rather than expense everything in year one.

One additional consideration I haven't seen mentioned yet - if your client does equipment reviews and receives free golf clubs/equipment from manufacturers for testing, they need to report the fair market value of those items as income. This actually strengthens the business expense argument for equipment they purchase themselves, since it demonstrates the review/testing activity is clearly income-generating. I'd also suggest having them maintain a content calendar that shows planned equipment purchases tied to upcoming video concepts. This proactive approach demonstrates business planning rather than just deducting personal golf expenses after the fact. For audit protection, consider having them sign a brief memo each time they purchase equipment outlining the intended business use. Something like "Purchased TaylorMade driver set for upcoming 'Best Drivers Under $500' video series, planned filming dates X-Y." Takes 30 seconds but creates contemporaneous documentation of business intent.

Has anyone used TurboTax for a situation like this? I'm in the same boat (husband W2, me 1099) and wondering if the basic version will handle self-employment taxes or if I need to upgrade to the more expensive version.

This is exactly the situation I found myself in last year! Your husband is absolutely right - his W2 withholding only covers income taxes, not your self-employment taxes. I learned this the hard way when I got hit with a huge tax bill. One thing that really helped me was setting up a separate savings account just for taxes on my freelance income. I put aside about 25-30% of each payment I receive (to cover both self-employment tax and income tax). It prevents that shocking bill at the end of the year. Also, since you're in Florida, you might want to look into quarterly estimated payments for this year if you plan to continue freelancing. The IRS can hit you with penalties if you don't pay as you go and you owe more than $1,000 at filing time. I use the 1040ES forms to calculate what I should pay each quarter - it's actually not as complicated as it sounds once you get the hang of it.

Has anyone here actually made decent money as a campus ambassador? I filled out W9s for two different clothing brands last year and barely made $300 total. Wondering if it's even worth bothering with the tax paperwork.

Just went through this same process last month! As someone who was equally confused, here's what I learned: 1. Leave the "Business name" section blank - you're working as yourself, not a registered business 2. Check "Individual/sole proprietorship" for tax classification 3. Use your SSN (required) 4. Sign and date One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - start keeping track of any expenses related to your ambassador work right away! Things like phone bills (portion used for work), gas if you drive to events, supplies, etc. These can be deducted when you file taxes next year on Schedule C. Also, don't stress too much about quarterly payments unless you're making serious money (like over $1000 in taxes owed). Most ambassador programs don't pay enough to worry about that. The companies will send you a 1099-NEC if you make over $600 with them in a year, but you still need to report the income even if it's less than that. Good luck with the program - it's actually pretty fun once you get past the paperwork!

Quick question - does Saudi Arabia have an income tax? I thought they didn't tax income which would make this easier since you wouldn't be double taxed, right?

As someone who went through a similar dual citizenship tax situation, I'd strongly recommend getting professional help sooner rather than later. The complexity of US tax law for expats is no joke, especially when you factor in FBAR requirements, potential FATCA reporting, and making sure you're properly claiming exclusions. One thing that wasn't mentioned yet - make sure you understand the "bona fide residence test" vs the "physical presence test" for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Since you're living in Saudi Arabia as a Saudi citizen (not just working there temporarily), you'll likely qualify under the bona fide residence test, which can be more flexible than the physical presence test that requires you to be outside the US for 330 days out of 365. Also, even though Saudi Arabia doesn't have personal income tax, you still need to be careful about other types of income (investments, rental properties, etc.) that might not qualify for the FEIE. The US tax code doesn't care which passport you used to open accounts or earn income - your US citizenship creates the obligation regardless. Don't panic about past years - the Streamlined Procedures really are designed for situations like yours where people genuinely didn't know about their filing requirements. But definitely get started on this soon!