Can't reach IRS? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the IRS
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the IRS drops your call
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
Has anyone used the Salvation Army donation value guide? Their values seem higher than Goodwill estimates but still way below what designer items would sell for.
I use their guide as a starting point for regular clothes, but for anything designer I document eBay sales. Salvation Army guide doesn't differentiate between a Walmart jacket and a North Face jacket, let alone high-end designer stuff.
One thing I learned the hard way is to be extra careful with luxury handbags and accessories. I donated a Louis Vuitton bag that was in excellent condition and initially valued it at $800 based on what I saw selling online. But during my research, I discovered that authentication is a huge factor in resale value - many buyers won't pay top dollar without proof of authenticity. If you're donating designer bags or accessories, make sure you have original receipts, authenticity cards, or dust bags to help establish legitimacy. Even without these, you can still claim fair market value, but be more conservative in your estimates. I ended up using about 60% of the average sold prices I found for similar items without authentication documentation. Also, consider the seasonality - a winter coat donated in summer might not reflect peak market value. I now track comparable sales over a few months to get a better average rather than just looking at current listings.
Join the conversation
Has anyone used FreeTaxUSA for filing dependent returns? My son is working part-time and needs to file, but I don't want to pay the ridiculous fees that TurboTax charges for a simple return.
I used FreeTaxUSA for my daughter's return last year and it was great! Completely free for federal and only $15 for state. Super straightforward for dependent returns, especially if they just have W-2 income. Highly recommend.
Another thing to keep in mind - if your daughter had any taxes withheld from her paychecks (which is likely since she earned $4,800), she'll probably get a refund when she files her own return! Many teens don't realize they're entitled to get back most or all of the federal taxes that were withheld since they typically fall into the 0% tax bracket. It's actually a nice little bonus for filing - she gets her money back that the government has been holding all year. Just make sure she has her W-2 form from the coffee shop before you start preparing her return.
Join the conversation
One thing nobody's mentioned is that collectibles are taxed at a higher rate than other capital gains - up to 28% instead of the normal lower capital gains rates. If you did make a substantial profit on some rare comics or cards, it might be worth talking to a tax professional.
Wait what?? I didn't know collectibles had a different tax rate! Does this apply to all collectibles or just certain types? What about things like sneakers or limited edition items?
It applies to most tangible collectibles - coins, art, comic books, trading cards, stamps, antiques, etc. And yes, limited edition items and even collectible sneakers can fall into this category if they're considered collectibles rather than just personal items. The higher 28% maximum tax rate applies to "collectibles gains" - basically any profits from selling collectibles you've held for more than a year. If you held them for less than a year, they're just taxed as ordinary income like any short-term capital gain.
I worked at a collectible shop for years. Unless you've got some really valuable cards or rare comics, most people lose money on this stuff when you factor in inflation. Don't stress too much if most of what you sold was medium-value collectibles. The IRS is looking for major unreported income, not the $50 you made on your old X-Men comics.
This advice seems risky. Are you suggesting just not reporting anything and hoping the IRS doesn't notice? Wouldn't it be better to at least report the sales and document that most were at a loss?
@Gavin King makes a good point here. Even if you think you lost money on most items, it s'still better to be transparent with the IRS rather than just ignoring potential reporting requirements. If eBay does send you a 1099-K, the IRS will expect to see those sales addressed on your return somehow - either as reportable gains or documented as personal items sold at a loss. Better to be proactive and show you re'making a good faith effort to comply rather than risk penalties later for unreported income that shows up on third-party documents.
Join the conversation
Has anyone used H&R Block instead of TurboTax for rental property home offices? I've had similar problems and wondering if switching software would help.
I switched from TurboTax to H&R Block last year specifically because of rental property issues. In my experience, H&R Block has a better interface for Schedule E and handling home office expenses for rental management. It lets you directly enter the expenses under "other expenses" without trying to force you into a self-employment situation. The guidance was clearer too.
I had this exact same issue with TurboTax last year! The key thing to understand is that rental property management expenses go on Schedule E as "other expenses," not through the traditional home office deduction process. Here's what worked for me: Calculate the percentage of your home used exclusively for rental management (office square footage ÷ total home square footage). Then take that percentage and apply it to eligible home expenses like utilities, insurance, mortgage interest, property taxes, repairs, and depreciation. In TurboTax, go to your rental property section, scroll down to "Other Expenses" and manually enter each allocated expense with clear descriptions like "Home office utilities - 15% of total" or "Home office insurance - 15% of total." Don't use the regular home office deduction wizard at all - it's designed for Schedule C self-employment income, not rental properties. This approach keeps everything properly allocated on Schedule E without double-reporting income. Make sure to keep detailed records showing the space is used exclusively for rental management activities, including photos and a log of business activities conducted there.
Nia Harris
Don't sleep on free filing options through the IRS Free File program if your income is under $73,000. I used OLT (Online Taxes) through this program last year and it was completely free for both federal and state, with a surprisingly good interface.
0 coins
Mateo Gonzalez
•Is that actually legit? I always figured the free options would be bare-bones and missing features or have hidden fees at the end.
0 coins
Khalid Howes
I've been using TaxSlayer for the past three years and can't recommend it enough! Started using it when I was in a similar situation with multiple income sources (W-2 from my main job, 1099s from consulting work, and some investment income). What I love about TaxSlayer is that it doesn't constantly try to upsell you like TurboTax does - you pick your plan upfront and that's it. The interface is clean and intuitive, and it walks you through everything step by step without feeling overwhelming. For your situation with 2 W-2s and a 1099, their Simply Free version might even work, but their Classic plan (around $25) handles everything smoothly. The customer support is also surprisingly good - I had a question about reporting some freelance expenses last year and got a helpful response within a few hours via chat. Much better experience than the big names for way less money.
0 coins