Jsut a heads up the NY state tax dept is VERY aggressive about claiming people as residents. I know 2 travel nurses who got audited cause they worked more than 183 days in NY but claimed florida as there home. One lost and had to pay like $12k in back taxes plus penalties. Make sure u can prove u have ACTUAL significant expenses in florida not just mail going there. NY will absolutely count the days u spend in the state and if its over 183 theyre gonna come after u.

Isabella, your situation is definitely complex and you're right to be concerned! Based on what you've described, there are some red flags that could put you at risk with the IRS. The biggest issue is that you're spending most of your time in the NYC area (sounds like potentially over 183 days) while only visiting Florida briefly between assignments. The IRS looks at where you actually conduct your life and work, not just where your mail goes. To strengthen your Florida tax home claim, you'd need to establish regular, substantial expenses there - not just occasional dinners. Consider: - Setting up a formal rental agreement with your cousin (even $300-400/month with a written lease) - Keeping a vehicle registered/insured in Florida - Maintaining a storage unit for your belongings - Documenting every day you spend in Florida with receipts, photos, etc. Given that your husband is based at LaGuardia and you're consistently working in the NYC area, you might want to seriously consider whether establishing NYC as your official tax home would be simpler and safer in the long run. Yes, you'd lose some tax advantages, but audit protection might be worth it. I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional who specializes in travel healthcare workers before your next filing. The potential penalties from an unsuccessful audit could be substantial.

This is a really frustrating situation, but you're handling it the right way by documenting everything and filing with the labor board. From a tax perspective, you're actually in a straightforward position - you only need to report the income that's actually shown on your W-2 for 2024, regardless of what you should have been paid. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given: make sure to keep copies of ALL your documentation (timesheets, pay stubs, communications with your employer) in multiple places - digital copies, physical copies, maybe even email them to yourself. If this drags out or if your employer tries to retaliate, having bulletproof documentation will be crucial. Also, don't let your employer intimidate you about this. What they're doing is wage theft, plain and simple, and it's illegal in every state. The fact that they're claiming it's for "break times" or that you were "rounding up" when you have documentation proving otherwise shows they know they're in the wrong. Stay strong and keep fighting for what you're owed!

I went through something very similar with a previous employer who was consistently "adjusting" my hours downward. One additional thing to consider - if your employer has been doing this systematically, they may also owe you interest or penalties on the unpaid wages, depending on your state's laws. When you file your complaint with the labor board, ask specifically about penalty wages (sometimes called "waiting time penalties") that might apply if your employer willfully withheld wages. In some states, employers can be required to pay additional compensation equal to your daily wage for each day the wages remain unpaid, up to a certain maximum. Also, keep an eye on your next few paychecks to make sure your employer doesn't retaliate by further manipulating your hours or suddenly finding reasons to reduce your shifts. Document everything going forward too - retaliation for filing wage complaints is illegal and can strengthen your case significantly. The tax advice others have given is spot on - just report what's on your W-2 this year, and any settlement will be taxable when you actually receive it. But don't let the potential tax implications discourage you from pursuing what you're rightfully owed. $1,718 is nothing to sneeze at!

Based on your situation, I'd strongly recommend considering bonus depreciation over Section 179 given that your business use is dropping to around 30% next year. Here's why: With Section 179, when your business use drops below 50%, you'll face recapture on the ENTIRE excess depreciation taken above what normal depreciation would have been. So you'd potentially recapture close to that full $14,000 amount. With bonus depreciation, the recapture is proportional to your business use reduction. If you go from 51% to 30% business use, you'd only recapture based on that 21 percentage point reduction, not the entire deduction. Given your specific numbers and the fact that you barely used the vehicle for business in 2023, here's what I'd consider: 1. **Bonus depreciation** - Better than Section 179 for your situation 2. **Partial bonus depreciation** - Maybe only take 30-40% of the allowable deduction now to minimize future recapture 3. **Standard mileage** - Simplest option, minimal 2023 deduction but no recapture headaches The standard mileage route might actually be smartest here since you had such minimal business use. You'd get about $8.50 deduction for 2023 (13 miles × $0.655) but avoid all the complexity and recapture risk. Sometimes the simplest path is the best one, especially when the "benefit" is really just borrowing from future tax years.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my consulting business vehicle. One thing I'd add is that you might want to consider your overall tax planning strategy for both years, not just the vehicle depreciation in isolation. If you expect your income to be significantly different between 2023 and 2024, that could influence the decision. For example, if you're having an unusually high income year in 2023 due to a large project, taking the larger deduction now (even knowing you'll face recapture) might make sense if it pushes you into a lower tax bracket or helps with other income-based thresholds. Also, don't forget about state tax implications - some states handle depreciation recapture differently than federal, so the timing decision might have different impacts depending on where you're located. That said, given your minimal 2023 business use, the standard mileage approach really does seem like the cleanest solution. Sometimes avoiding complexity is worth more than maximizing every possible deduction, especially when you're essentially just shifting the tax burden between years rather than actually saving money.

Has anyone looked into the IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution option? If you're over 70.5 years old, you can donate directly from your IRA to a charity and it counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution without increasing your taxable income. You don't itemize it because it's never counted as income in the first place. Might be something to consider for older taxpayers facing this issue.

I completely understand your frustration! I was in almost the exact same situation last year with about $7,200 in charitable donations but only $23,500 total itemized deductions. After researching extensively, I can confirm what others have said - those charitable deductions are essentially "lost" for tax purposes if you take the standard deduction. There's no carryforward provision unless you exceed 60% of your AGI (which at $380k would be $228k in donations - way more than your $8,500). However, I did learn about the "bunching" strategy that's been mentioned. Instead of donating $8,500 every year, you could potentially donate $17,000-20,000 in alternating years. This way you'd itemize every other year (assuming your other deductions stay consistent) and take the standard deduction in the off years. With your income level, you might also want to consider donating appreciated stock or mutual funds instead of cash if you have any. You avoid capital gains tax AND get the full market value deduction. Just make sure you've held the securities for more than a year to get long-term capital gains treatment. The Donor Advised Fund suggestion is also worth exploring - it lets you make a large contribution in one year for the tax benefit, then distribute to charities over multiple years as you see fit.

Another option: you can actually get your wage and income transcript directly from the IRS website which will show any 1099s filed for you. Go to IRS.gov and search for "Get Transcript Online." If nothing shows up for that company, they probably haven't filed it yet. Also, keep in mind you're supposed to get your 1099s by January 31st. If companies don't comply, they can face penalties. The IRS actually takes this seriously because they want the tax revenue from contractors.

Had this same problem last year. What I did was file Form 8919 "Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages" along with my return. This is for when you were treated as an independent contractor but should actually have been an employee. The benefit is you only pay the employee portion of FICA taxes (7.65%) instead of the full self-employment tax (15.3%). Check out the criteria on the form - if you were essentially working like an employee (they controlled your schedule, provided equipment, etc.), this might apply to you and save you some money.