Does anyone know if you can just make one big quarterly payment at the beginning of the year instead of 4 separate ones? I always forget the deadlines and miss at least one payment.

I've been in a similar boat with side income confusion! One thing that really helped me was using the IRS's own estimated tax worksheet (Form 1040-ES) to calculate exactly what I owed. It walks you through the math step by step. For your situation with around $5,500 total side income, you're definitely looking at owing more than $1,000 in combined income tax and self-employment tax. The self-employment tax alone (15.3%) on that amount would be about $842, plus regular income tax on top. A few practical tips that saved me headaches: - Set up automatic transfers to a separate "tax savings" account for about 25-30% of each side gig payment - Keep detailed records of any business expenses (equipment, software, travel, etc.) - they can add up to significant deductions - Consider making your first quarterly payment ASAP if you haven't already, even if it's just an estimate The good news is once you get into the rhythm of either quarterly payments or adjusted W-4 withholding, it becomes pretty routine. Much better than getting hit with a big tax bill and penalties next April!

I completely understand your stress about waiting for mail! As someone who's been through this exact situation, let me reassure you - if you e-filed and selected direct deposit, you most likely won't receive ANY mail from the IRS unless there's an issue with your return. The IRS stopped sending routine acknowledgment letters for e-filed returns back in 2021. Your best bet is to check the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website (it's completely free) rather than obsessively checking your mailbox. I filed around the same time as you last year and got my refund deposited without ever receiving a single piece of mail. The tool will show you exactly where your return is in the process and give you a timeline for when to expect your refund. Save yourself the daily mailbox anxiety - the online tool is way more reliable than waiting for correspondence that probably isn't coming!

I totally get the mailbox-checking anxiety! I went through this same exact situation when I filed in January last year. Here's what I learned: if you e-filed with direct deposit, you're probably not getting any mail at all unless there's a problem. The IRS basically went paperless for routine stuff a few years ago. Instead of driving yourself crazy checking the mailbox, use the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website - it's free and way more accurate than waiting for mail that's probably never coming. I checked mine obsessively every morning until my refund hit my bank account with zero mail correspondence. The tool will tell you if there are any issues or delays, and honestly it's much faster than waiting weeks for a letter. Your January 22nd filing date means you're right in that 21-day processing window, so hopefully you'll see movement on the tool soon!

One thing to keep in mind when dealing with multiple 1099 forms - make sure you're checking for any backup withholding that might have been taken out. Some of your 1099s might show federal tax withheld (usually in Box 4 for 1099-INT or Box 6 for 1099-DIV) if you didn't provide a correct TIN or if you were subject to backup withholding for other reasons. This withheld tax gets credited to you just like regular tax withholding from your paycheck, so you want to make sure you're capturing all of it when you file. TurboTax should pick this up automatically when you enter your 1099 information, but it's worth double-checking that the total federal tax withheld on your return includes any backup withholding from your investment accounts. Also, don't forget that some 1099-DIVs might have state tax withheld too, which you'll need to report on your state return if your state has income tax.

One additional tip for organizing multiple 1099s - create a simple spreadsheet or table before you start entering data into TurboTax. List each financial institution, the type of form (1099-INT vs 1099-DIV), and the key amounts from each box. This gives you a clear overview and helps catch any discrepancies. I learned this the hard way when I had to go back and figure out why my totals didn't match what TurboTax was calculating. Turns out I had accidentally double-entered one of my smaller savings account 1099-INTs. Having everything laid out in a spreadsheet first would have made it much easier to spot the duplicate entry. Also, if you have any 1099s that arrive late (after you've already filed), don't panic. You can file an amended return (1040X) to include the missing income. It's better to be accurate than to rush and miss something.

The IRS absolutely must send you a CP12 notice explaining any math adjustments. If it's an offset for debt, you'll get a BFS notice instead. This is legally required. The problem is these notices are typically mailed 2-4 weeks AFTER they adjust your refund. It's a ridiculous system. If you filed with international income using Form 1116 (Foreign Tax Credit) or Form 2555 (Foreign Earned Income), there's a high chance they adjusted your calculations. These forms have some of the highest error rates according to IRS statistics.

I feel your frustration! The $242 difference is significant and you deserve to know why it happened. Based on your international work situation, here are the most likely scenarios: **Most probable causes for your adjustment:** • Foreign Tax Credit miscalculations (Form 1116 errors are very common) • Foreign Earned Income Exclusion issues if you used Form 2555 • Currency conversion rate differences between what you calculated vs. IRS rates • Withholding discrepancies between US and Canadian employers **What you should do RIGHT NOW:** 1. Log into your IRS online account and check your transcript - look for adjustment codes 2. Don't wait for the mail - call the IRS directly at (800) 829-1040 early morning for shorter wait times 3. Have your Social Security number and exact filing amounts ready when you call The agent can tell you the specific reason code immediately over the phone. With international income involved, these adjustments often involve complex calculations that software sometimes gets wrong. The good news is that if it was genuinely an error on their part, you can file an amended return to get your money back. You WILL receive a written explanation (CP12 notice), but it could take another 2-3 weeks to arrive. Don't let them keep your $242 without an explanation!

Does anyone know how the new tax law changes for 2025 will affect these credits? I heard they were expanding something but not sure if it affects the dependent age limits.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my 18-year-old who graduated high school last year but decided to take a gap year before college. He's working part-time and living at home. From what I'm understanding here, since he's over 17 and not a student, he can't be a qualifying child. But if his income is under $4,700 and I provide more than half his support, he could qualify as a qualifying relative for the $500 Credit for Other Dependents, right? The tricky part is calculating whether I'm providing "more than half" his support. He pays for his own gas and some personal expenses, but I cover housing, food, health insurance, and his phone. Does anyone know if there's a specific worksheet or method the IRS recommends for calculating this support test?