Slight tangent but related - has anyone noticed that the reporting thresholds for these forms keep changing? I know for 1099-K (for payment processors) they were going to lower the threshold to $600 for 2023 taxes but then delayed it. Is there a similar threshold change happening for 1099-MISC too? Just wondering if more people will be getting these forms for small amounts like OP.

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you save a copy of that 1099-MISC form somewhere safe! The IRS already has their copy, but you'll need yours for your records and to reference when filing. I learned this the hard way when I lost mine and had to contact Zazzle to get a duplicate. Also, since this is your first time dealing with this, you might want to set up a simple spreadsheet or folder system to track your Zazzle earnings throughout the year. It makes tax time much easier when you can see your monthly totals and any business expenses you might be able to deduct. Even if you're not actively creating new designs, keeping organized records will save you headaches later. The good news is that once you figure out the process this year, it becomes pretty routine for future years!

Has anyone noticed that the 1099-B forms look different depending on which tax year they're for? I still have last year's form and it definitely had something labeled as line 12, but this year's form from the same brokerage doesn't have it anymore.

You're absolutely right about the form changes - I went through this same confusion last year! The old "line 12" information is now scattered across different boxes on the current 1099-B form. What you want to look for is Box 3 (which shows if basis was reported to the IRS), and also check the transaction details section where there should be columns showing your proceeds, cost basis, and whether each transaction's basis was reported. The key is that your tax software needs this basis reporting information to know whether you need to provide additional cost basis details. One tip that helped me: if you log into your brokerage account online, many of them now have a "tax center" section that actually shows you exactly how to map their 1099-B format to popular tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block. That saved me from having to decode all the boxes myself! Don't stress too much about finding the exact "line 12" - focus on making sure you're reporting your cost basis correctly, which is what that line was really about anyway.

I went through this exact same issue about six months ago and can confirm what others have said - there's no way to retrieve expired IP PINs from previous years. The IRS treats them as single-use security codes that expire after each tax year. What worked for me was requesting account transcripts for the years I needed through irs.gov/account/view-your-account-information. You can get them online instantly if you can verify your identity, or mail in Form 4506-T if you prefer. The transcripts will show if your returns were processed normally, which is usually what you actually need to prove rather than having the specific PIN numbers. I also found it helpful to search through my emails for "IP PIN" or "identity protection" - the IRS has been sending email reminders in recent years, and sometimes those contain reference numbers or confirmation that your PIN was issued. It's not the PIN itself, but it can be useful documentation. For the future, I now take a photo of my IP PIN letter as soon as it arrives in December and save it in multiple places. Learned that lesson the hard way after going through the same frustrating phone experience you described!

I've been dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share what I learned after reading through all these helpful responses. Like many others here, I initially thought I needed to somehow retrieve my actual old IP PINs, but after trying the transcript approach that several people recommended, I realized I was asking the wrong question entirely. I requested account transcripts for the years I needed through the IRS website, and they clearly showed my returns were processed without any identity verification issues. This was actually much better proof than having the old PIN numbers would have been - it demonstrates that whatever PIN I used at the time was correct and accepted by the IRS. The key insight for me was understanding that IP PINs are intentionally designed to be temporary security codes that can't be retrieved later. It's not a limitation or oversight - it's a deliberate security feature. The transcript showing clean processing is the real verification you need in most cases. For anyone else facing this issue, I'd strongly recommend starting with requesting those account transcripts first before spending hours on hold with the IRS phone system. You can get them instantly online if you can verify your identity, and they'll likely give you the proof you actually need without the frustration of trying to recover something that's intentionally not recoverable.

Here's a step-by-step guide to finding your Direct Deposit Date on your transcript: 1. Log into your IRS account at irs.gov/account 2. Select "Get Transcript Online" 3. Choose "Account Transcript" for the current tax year 4. Download the PDF 5. Look for Transaction Codes in the middle section 6. Find code "846 - Refund Issued" 7. The date next to this code is your DDD If you don't see code 846 yet, your refund hasn't been scheduled. The most common reason for this is that your return is still processing. The technical explanation is that the Refund Processing Pipeline must complete all verification steps before a TC 846 can be generated in the Master File Account database.

Just wanted to add that if you're checking your transcript frequently (like many of us do during tax season!), the IRS typically updates transcripts overnight Monday through Friday. So if you don't see any changes today, check back tomorrow morning. Also, keep in mind that even after you see the 846 code with your direct deposit date, it can take 1-2 business days for the funds to actually appear in your account depending on your bank's processing times. I've learned this from experience - saw my DDD on a Friday transcript but didn't get the deposit until the following Tuesday because of the weekend.

I had a similar issue but with a SIMPLE IRA through my job. What finally fixed it for me was entering my W-2 income first, THEN entering the retirement contribution. When I did it the other way around, the software didn't apply the credit correctly for some reason. Might be worth trying different sequences of entering information?

This is such a common confusion! I went through the exact same thing a few years ago when I first started contributing to a Roth IRA. The key thing to understand is that Roth contributions are made with after-tax money, so they don't reduce your current taxable income at all. Since you mentioned you're a delivery driver with significant mileage deductions, it sounds like your tax liability is already quite low. The Saver's Credit can only reduce your tax liability to zero - it can't create a refund if you don't owe much to begin with. So even if you qualify for the credit, there might not be enough tax liability for it to offset. One thing that might help for next year: consider whether a traditional IRA might make more sense for your situation. Traditional IRA contributions ARE deductible and would directly reduce your taxable income, which could be more beneficial given your current tax situation. You can always do a mix of both traditional and Roth to balance current tax savings with future tax-free growth. Also, make sure you're not missing out on the Qualified Business Income deduction (Section 199A) if you haven't already claimed it - that can be a significant deduction for self-employed folks like yourself!