This situation is unfortunately more common than it should be, especially with small businesses. Here are some immediate steps you can take: 1. **Document everything** - Take photos of your checks and keep a detailed log of hours worked vs. pay received. This will be crucial evidence if you need to file complaints. 2. **Request a meeting** - Ask your boss for a sit-down conversation about payroll. Come prepared with specific questions: "Can you show me how you calculate my withholdings?" and "When will I receive my W-2 for tax filing?" 3. **Know your rights** - Your employer is legally required to provide you with a paystub showing gross pay, all deductions, and net pay. In many states, this is mandated by law regardless of business size. 4. **Contact your state's Department of Labor** - They can investigate wage and hour violations and often have resources specifically for situations like this. Many have anonymous tip lines. 5. **Start setting aside money NOW** - Assume you'll owe taxes on your full gross income and save accordingly. Better to be prepared than caught off guard. The fact that you never filled out a W-4 is a major red flag. Don't let the fear of losing your job prevent you from protecting yourself financially. Your boss's evasive behavior suggests he knows he's not handling this properly.

This is a really concerning situation, and you're absolutely right to question what's happening. As someone who's dealt with payroll issues before, here are some red flags I'm seeing: 1. **No W-4 form** - This should have been the very first thing you filled out when starting work. Without it, your employer has no legal basis for withholding taxes. 2. **No paystubs** - Even the smallest businesses are required to provide documentation of what's being withheld from your pay. The fact that he's just writing personal checks without any breakdown is highly irregular. 3. **Evasive behavior** - A legitimate employer would be happy to explain their payroll process and show you exactly where your tax money is going. I'd strongly recommend starting with the basics: send your boss a text or email requesting copies of your W-4 and paystubs for all pay periods. Having this in writing creates a paper trail. If he can't or won't provide these basic documents, that tells you everything you need to know. Also, start calculating and setting aside about 25-30% of your gross pay for taxes, just in case. You don't want to be stuck with a huge tax bill if it turns out he's been pocketing your withholdings instead of sending them to the IRS. Your instincts are spot on - trust them and protect yourself!

The IRS does not require individuals to file a zero return if your income is under the standard deduction. But as a tax preparer I often recommend filing anyway for 3 key reasons: 1) statute of limitations starts running when you file (protecting you from future audits), 2) establishes income history for loans/benefits, and 3) prevents the IRS from creating a substitute return for you (which never works in your favor).

Based on what you've described about your mom's situation, she's likely not legally required to file a federal return since she had no income and the art business resulted in a net loss rather than profit. However, I'd strongly recommend she file anyway for several important reasons. First, that $2,400 business loss could be valuable for future tax years. Business losses can be carried forward to offset income when she does start earning again, potentially saving her money down the road. But she needs to file this year to establish and document those losses. Second, filing creates a paper trail that can be helpful later for things like loan applications, benefit eligibility, or even just proving her income status for various programs. Many people don't realize how often you need to show tax returns as proof of income (or lack thereof). At 58 and single, she's definitely not required to file with zero income, but the potential benefits of filing likely outweigh the minimal effort involved. You might also want to check if she qualifies for any refundable credits - sometimes people with little to no income can still get credits that result in refunds. The good news is that a zero-income return is typically very straightforward to file, and many free filing options are available for her income level.

My experience with Navy Federal for tax refunds has been significantly better compared to my previous credit union. With my old credit union, they would consistently hold the funds until exactly the DDD regardless of when they received the ACH notification. Last year, my Navy Federal account received the deposit 36 hours before the official date on my transcript. The process was also much smoother than when I had Bank of America, which once placed a 5-day hold on my tax refund for "verification purposes" despite it being a government direct deposit.

Based on my experience with Navy Federal over the past three tax seasons, I can confirm they typically release refunds 1-2 days early, but I'd recommend setting realistic expectations. What I've found helpful is checking your IRS transcript first thing in the morning on the day before your DDD - if the 846 code shows up, there's a good chance NFCU will release it that day. Also worth noting that if you're expecting a large refund (over $5,000), there might be additional verification steps that could delay things regardless of your bank. I've had refunds as early as 48 hours before the official date, but I've also had them arrive exactly on the DDD. The key is having your direct deposit information accurate on your return - double-check your routing and account numbers because any errors will definitely cause delays.

2 Has anyone used H&R Block for S-corp returns? They quoted me $350 which is cheaper than both options the original poster mentioned.

I can help clarify the extension process for S-corps since someone asked about it. You can file Form 7004 to get an automatic 6-month extension, which pushes the deadline from March 15th to September 15th. However, this is only an extension to FILE, not to pay any taxes owed. The key thing with S-corps is that even if you had losses like the original poster, you still need to file the return by March 15th (or September 15th with extension) because the K-1s that flow to your personal return are needed for your April 15th personal filing deadline. Also regarding H&R Block - I've seen mixed results with their S-corp preparation. Their seasonal preparers often lack the specialized S-corp knowledge that dedicated business tax professionals have. For a simple first-year return with losses, they might be fine, but make sure whoever prepares it understands S-corp basis rules and proper documentation requirements for future years.

Has anyone dealt with the healthcare premium tax credit in this situation? My boyfriend and I are having a baby next month and we get our insurance through the marketplace with a subsidy. We're trying to figure out if claiming the baby will affect our subsidy amount.

Congratulations on your new baby! As someone who went through this exact situation a few years ago, I can share what we learned. The key thing to understand is that since you're unmarried, you both technically qualify to claim your daughter, but only ONE of you can actually do it each tax year. Given that your incomes are similar ($58k vs $62k), the decision should come down to who gets the bigger tax benefit. Here are the main things that will be affected by who claims her: 1. **Child Tax Credit** - Up to $2,000 per child 2. **Child and Dependent Care Credit** - If you're paying for childcare 3. **Earned Income Tax Credit** - This phases out at higher incomes, so might benefit the lower earner more 4. **Head of Household filing status** - Better tax brackets and higher standard deduction than filing single Since you pay for health insurance, that shows you're providing support, but it doesn't automatically mean you should be the one to claim her. The person who gets to file as Head of Household will likely see the biggest benefit. My advice: Use tax software to run both scenarios before you file. See what your combined tax liability looks like with each of you claiming her, then go with whichever saves your household the most money overall. You can also alternate years if that works better long-term. Just make sure you communicate clearly about who's claiming her each year - the IRS will flag duplicate claims and that creates a headache for everyone!