lmaooo liberty tax stays playing games wit ppls money. switched to HR block this year and way better experience ngl

I used to work at a tax prep office and can confirm what Dylan said - Liberty Tax almost always takes their advance loan repayment from your federal refund first. They have to set up a temporary bank account during tax prep that intercepts your federal refund, deducts what you owe them, then deposits the remainder into your actual account. Your $800 state refund should come directly to you without any deductions. Just make sure to keep checking your account because sometimes the timing can be weird depending on when the IRS processes everything.

This is incredibly helpful information! I've been volunteering with a local animal rescue and have paid for supplies, transport costs, and even veterinary bills for animals in their care. I never realized I could potentially deduct these expenses if I got proper documentation from the rescue organization. One thing I'm wondering about - what happens with mileage? I drive about 200 miles per month transporting animals to adoption events, vet appointments, and foster homes. I know there's a standard mileage rate for charitable work, but do I need special documentation for that too, or is just keeping a mileage log sufficient? Also, does anyone know if there are limits on how much you can deduct for charitable contributions in a single tax year? I'm realizing my animal rescue expenses might add up to quite a bit when I include all the supplies, mileage, and occasional emergency vet payments I've made.

This thread has been incredibly educational! As someone who's been casually volunteering and occasionally paying for small expenses, I had no idea there was such a structured way to handle charitable deductions for indirect donations. I'm particularly interested in the documentation aspect that everyone keeps mentioning. It sounds like the key is getting written acknowledgment from the charity, but I'm wondering - is there a specific timeframe for requesting this documentation? For instance, if I paid for something 6 months ago but didn't think to ask for acknowledgment at the time, is it still valid to request it now? Also, I noticed someone mentioned different rules for different dollar amounts ($250 threshold). Could someone clarify what the documentation requirements are for smaller amounts versus larger contributions? I tend to make a lot of small purchases (supplies under $100 each) rather than big single expenses, so I want to make sure I'm handling these correctly. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences and templates - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that's hard to find elsewhere!

I used Cash App for my tax refund this year and wanted to share my experience since I see a lot of mixed feedback here. My $2,800 refund came through without any issues - took about 2 days from when the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool showed it was sent to when it appeared in my Cash App account. A few things that might have helped my smooth experience: • I'd been using Cash App for about 8 months before tax season with regular small transactions • My identity was fully verified months in advance • I made sure my legal name on the tax return matched exactly what's in Cash App • My refund was under $3,000 which seems to be below the threshold where people report more issues That said, after reading everyone's experiences here, I totally understand why people prefer traditional banks for tax refunds. The lack of customer service really is concerning - if something had gone wrong, I would have been completely stuck with no one to call. Next year I'm probably going to open a basic checking account at a local bank just for tax purposes. The peace of mind seems worth it, especially for larger refunds. If you do stick with Cash App, definitely take everyone's advice about verifying everything early and filing as soon as possible!

I've been considering Cash App for my tax refund too, but honestly after reading everyone's experiences here, I'm having second thoughts. The common thread seems to be that while it CAN work, there's always that underlying anxiety about potential holds, verification issues, and the complete lack of customer support if something goes wrong. What really concerns me is that several people mentioned their refunds being held for "security reviews" with no clear timeline or communication from Cash App. When you're counting on that money for important expenses, that uncertainty can be really stressful. I think I'm going to take the advice from folks here and just open a simple checking account at a local credit union. Yes, it's an extra step, but for something as important as my tax refund, having access to actual customer service and more predictable processing times seems worth it. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - both good and bad. This kind of honest feedback is exactly what I needed to make an informed decision!

Here's a super simple way I calculated mine: Marginal rate: Look at the tax bracket where your last dollar of income falls. For married filing jointly in 2023, if your taxable income was between $89,451 and $190,750, your marginal rate is 22%. Effective rate: Line 24 (total tax) ÷ Line 9 (total income) × 100 = your percentage

Great question! As someone who also has both W-2 income and self-employment income, I can relate to the confusion around calculating these rates properly. Here's what I've learned from my own experience: **For Marginal Rate:** Find your taxable income on line 15 of your 1040, then look up which tax bracket that puts you in for married filing jointly. That bracket percentage is your marginal rate for federal income tax. But remember, any additional self-employment income will also be subject to the 15.3% self-employment tax (though you get to deduct half of it). **For Effective Rate:** This is where it gets tricky with self-employment income. You want to divide your total tax burden by your total income. So add up: - Line 24 (total tax from 1040) - Line 4 from Schedule 2 (self-employment tax) Then divide that sum by your total income (W-2 wages + net profit from Schedule C). One thing that really helped me understand this better was realizing that my effective rate tells me what I actually paid on average, while my marginal rate tells me what I'd pay on the next dollar I earn. This distinction is super important for planning whether to take on more consulting work! The self-employment tax piece definitely makes it more complex than just having W-2 income, but once you understand the components, it becomes much clearer.

This is exactly the situation I was in last year! I made around $340 from Instawork and was so confused about whether I needed to report it. After doing some research and talking to a tax preparer, here's what I learned: Yes, you absolutely need to report all income regardless of the amount or whether you got a 1099. The IRS expects you to report every dollar you earned. For Instawork, this goes on Schedule C as self-employment income. The silver lining is that since you're under $400, you won't owe the 15.3% self-employment tax - just regular income tax on that $385. In TurboTax, look for the "Self-Employment" or "Business Income" section and there should be an option for income without tax documents. One thing I wish I had known earlier: start tracking your expenses now! I was able to deduct mileage to gig locations, parking fees, and even some work clothes I had to buy. Those deductions helped offset the tax liability significantly. Even though $385 seems small, properly reporting it and claiming legitimate deductions shows the IRS you're being compliant and thorough.

I've been in a similar situation with gig work income! Even though $385 seems like a small amount, you definitely need to report it. The IRS requires you to report ALL income regardless of whether you received tax documents or not. For Instawork specifically, this counts as self-employment income that goes on Schedule C. In TurboTax, look for the "Business Income" or "Self-Employment" section - there should be an option for "Income without a 1099" or similar wording. The good news is since you earned less than $400, you won't owe the additional 15.3% self-employment tax, but you'll still need to pay regular income tax on it based on your tax bracket. Don't forget to track any business expenses! Even for gig work, you can deduct things like mileage to job sites, required uniforms or equipment, and phone/internet costs if you use them for finding gigs. These deductions can help reduce the tax impact of that income.