You should verify why no federal taxes are being withheld. This could be due to how you filled out your W-4 form or an error by your employer. The Child Tax Credit can help offset your tax liability and potentially generate a refund, but it depends on your total income, filing status, and other factors. Speak with your HR department or payroll contact immediately to correct your withholding for future paychecks.

I went through something very similar when I switched jobs mid-year and my new employer somehow set up my withholding incorrectly. The good news is that with 2 kids under 10, you have some solid tax credits working in your favor. The Child Tax Credit alone could give you up to $4,000 ($2,000 per child), and depending on your income level, a significant portion of that can be refundable even if you paid zero in withholding. The Earned Income Tax Credit could also apply if your income falls within certain ranges - with 2 qualifying children, this can be worth thousands more. Your health issues might also qualify you to file as Head of Household, which has better tax brackets and a higher standard deduction. I'd definitely recommend running your numbers through some tax software to get a realistic picture, but don't panic - families with dependents often come out better than they expect, even with withholding issues.

Anyone know if these state tax-exempt dividend issues work the same way in TaxHawk? I've heard it's basically the same as FreeTaxUSA but with a different name.

Just wanted to add my experience here - I had the exact same Wealthfront/FreeTaxUSA struggle last year! What finally worked for me was logging into my Wealthfront account and downloading ALL the tax documents, not just the main 1099-DIV. There's usually a "Tax Center" or "Tax Documents" section where you can find the supplemental state information that breaks down which dividends are exempt by state. Once I had that state breakdown, entering it in FreeTaxUSA was actually straightforward. In the state section (after you've entered your federal 1099-DIV info), there's a specific question about state-exempt interest and dividends. You just enter the amount that's exempt for your specific state based on that Wealthfront supplemental document. The key thing I learned is that you can't rely on just the 1099-DIV form - you really need that additional state-by-state breakdown that Wealthfront provides separately. Hope this helps save you some of the hair-pulling I went through!

Don't forget that as a college student, you might qualify for education tax credits like the American Opportunity Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit! Those can be worth up to $2,500 depending on your situation. So definitely file that W-2 and claim your education expenses too!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who was in almost the exact same situation last year! I had a campus job that lasted only a month and made about $520, and I was so confused about whether to report it since it seemed like such a tiny amount. The advice here is spot on - you absolutely need to report ALL W-2 income, no matter how small. I learned this the hard way when I initially didn't include mine and got a notice from the IRS a few months later asking about the discrepancy. It wasn't a huge deal to fix, but it was definitely stressful and could have been avoided. One thing that really helped me was keeping track of ALL my tax documents in one place - even the small ones. Now I have a simple folder (physical and digital) where everything goes as soon as I receive it. Makes filing so much easier when you're not scrambling to find that one random W-2 from a job you barely remember! Also, definitely look into those education credits Oliver mentioned - they can make a huge difference for students. Good luck with your first time filing!

Has anyone tried using the relatively new safe harbor for rental real estate under Section 199A? It might not solve the passive activity loss issue directly, but it could provide a qualified business income deduction that offsets some of the S-Corp income.

Another consideration for your grouping election - make sure you're prepared to defend the "appropriate economic unit" determination if the IRS challenges it. The regulations under 469(c)(7)(A) list five factors they consider: similarities and differences in types of business, extent of common control, geographical location, interdependencies between activities, and extent of common ownership. In your case, you have strong arguments for several factors: common control (you own 100% of both), geographical location (same property), and interdependence (the S-Corp depends on the real estate for its operations). The fact that your S-Corp is the primary tenant actually strengthens the interdependence argument. One tip: when you file the grouping statement with your return, be very specific about which factors you're relying on and provide concrete details. Don't just say "common control and geographical location" - explain that you have 100% ownership of both entities and that the S-Corp operates exclusively from the LLC-owned property under a triple-net lease arrangement. Also keep detailed records of your material participation in both activities. The IRS may scrutinize whether you're truly materially participating in the rental activity or if it's just passive ownership.

Just a warning - our company tried to avoid reporting gym memberships as taxable and got audited. The IRS specifically looked at our wellness benefits and we ended up having to amend W-2s, pay back taxes, plus penalties. Not worth the risk in my opinion.

Thanks for sharing all these perspectives! As someone who's been dealing with payroll compliance for years, I want to emphasize that proper W-2 reporting really is the safest approach here. Nick, for your $65/month benefit, you're looking at adding about $780 annually to each employee's taxable income. While that might seem like a lot, many employees still find significant value in employer-sponsored gym benefits even when taxable - especially if you can negotiate group rates that are better than what they'd pay individually. One approach I've seen work well is being completely transparent about the tax implications upfront, but also highlighting the total value they're receiving. For example, if you can get gym memberships that would normally cost $80/month for $65 through group purchasing power, employees are still getting a $15/month discount even after paying taxes on the benefit. The key is clear communication - don't let it be a surprise on their first W-2. Include the tax impact in your initial rollout materials so employees can make informed decisions about participation.