Have you checked if your car insurance has increased because you're using your vehicle for work? Many policies charge more if you use your car for business purposes, and some won't cover accidents that happen while you're working unless you have a special rider. Just something else to consider when calculating your actual costs.

Great point about insurance coverage! I actually had to deal with this exact issue last year. Most personal auto policies have exclusions for "business use" but there's often a distinction between commuting to work and actually conducting business with your vehicle. For home health nurses, you're essentially using your car as a mobile office to travel between clients. I ended up having to add a business use endorsement to my policy, which cost about $200 extra annually, but it was worth it for the peace of mind. Another thing to consider - if you do get into an accident while traveling between patients, your employer's liability insurance might not cover you since you're using your personal vehicle. Some agencies carry "non-owned auto" coverage that extends to employees using personal vehicles for work, but many don't. Definitely worth calling your insurance agent to clarify your coverage before continuing with patient visits. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a huge bill because of a coverage gap!

I had a very similar situation as an F1 student from Brazil last year. The confusion around Schedule D vs Schedule NEC is unfortunately common because many tax preparers aren't familiar with the specific rules for international students with investment income. Here's what I learned after doing extensive research: The key factor is where you are physically located when you make the trades. Since you're trading through Robinhood while physically present in the US on your F1 visa, these capital gains are considered "effectively connected income" (ECI) and must be reported on Schedule D. Schedule NEC would only apply if you were receiving passive investment income that's NOT effectively connected - for example, if you owned stocks in an Indian brokerage account and sold them while you were back home for winter break. Regarding the India-US tax treaty: You're correct that capital gains don't receive special treaty benefits. However, because your gains are ECI, you'll be taxed at graduated rates rather than the flat 30% nonresident rate. Short-term gains (held less than 1 year) are taxed as ordinary income at your marginal rate, while long-term gains qualify for the preferential capital gains rates (0%, 15%, or 20%). Don't worry about the missing 1099-B - brokers often only provide electronic copies now. Check your Robinhood account online under tax documents. Even without it, you're required to report all transactions using your trading history. I'd strongly recommend getting a second opinion from someone who specializes in international student taxes, as the HR Block advisor's recommendation could lead to significant filing errors.

I want to add another perspective as someone who went through this exact situation as an F1 student from South Korea. The consensus here is absolutely correct - Schedule D is the right form for your Robinhood trades. What really helped me understand this was learning about the "effectively connected income" test. The IRS considers three factors: (1) whether the income is from assets used in or held for use in conducting a trade or business in the US, (2) whether the business activities in the US were a material factor in producing the income, and (3) whether the income is derived from sources within the US. For F1 students actively trading stocks while physically present in the US, you typically meet criteria (2) and (3), making it ECI that goes on Schedule D. The good news about your India-US tax treaty question is that even though capital gains don't get special treaty rates, the ECI treatment means you avoid the 30% flat rate and get taxed like a US resident. I saved about $800 in taxes by having long-term capital gains taxed at 15% instead of my ordinary income rate of 22%. One practical tip: Since you mentioned you made $3,200 in gains, make sure to set aside money for taxes if you haven't already. Even with preferential rates, you'll likely owe something, and international students can't always make estimated payments as easily as US residents. The Schedule NEC advice from HR Block was definitely wrong - that form is for things like rental income from property in your home country or certain royalty payments, not US stock trading.

Honestly, I think you're overthinking this. Lots of people get small amounts through cashapp and venmo and don't report it. The IRS is way too busy going after big fish to care about your $3k unless you're already being audited for something else. Not saying you SHOULDN'T report it, just being realistic about the situation. I have friends who do OF and similar stuff and they don't report anything under like $10k with no issues.

I understand the awkwardness of this situation - tax questions about sensitive income sources can be really stressful when you can't ask your usual help! Just to reinforce what others have said: yes, this is taxable income that needs to be reported. The key factor is that there's a clear relationship between your content and the payments received, which makes it business income rather than gifts. A few practical tips for your situation: - Keep detailed records of all payments received, even without official forms - Track any expenses related to content creation (equipment, internet portion, etc.) as these are deductible - Consider setting aside about 25-30% of future earnings for taxes (income + self-employment tax) - You can describe the income generically as "digital content creation" on your tax forms The good news is that $3,300 over 3 months isn't a huge amount tax-wise, and with proper deductions, your actual tax liability will be much less than the gross income. Filing correctly now also protects you from potential penalties and interest if the IRS catches unreported income later. Don't let the awkwardness of the situation lead to tax problems - it's much easier to handle this properly upfront than deal with IRS issues down the road!

Has anyone had experience with how state taxes treat the PPP loan forgiveness for S-Corps? I know federally it's tax-exempt, but I've heard some states are treating it differently and it's causing issues with the state-equivalent of the 1120S.

Just went through this exact situation with my S-Corp last month! The PPP forgiveness definitely goes on Schedule K line 16b as tax-exempt income, and yes, it increases your shareholder basis even though it's not taxable. For Schedule M-2, you'll report it on line 3 as "Other additions" to your AAA (Accumulated Adjustments Account). This is crucial because it affects your ability to take distributions without tax consequences later. One thing that tripped me up initially - make sure your QuickBooks entries are set up correctly. I created a separate income account called "PPP Loan Forgiveness" and marked it as non-taxable income. This way it flows through properly for tax reporting but doesn't mess up your regular P&L analysis. The $42,000 forgiveness will definitely help your basis position, which is great if you need to take any distributions or if the business has losses to pass through. Keep all your forgiveness documentation with your tax records - you won't need to attach it to the return, but the IRS could ask for it later.

Has anyone here actually successfully dissolved an LLC without hiring a lawyer? I'm trying to figure out if I can handle this myself or if I should just pay someone to take care of it. My LLC (also did nothing) is registered in Florida if that helps.

Great advice from everyone here! Just wanted to add that if you're feeling overwhelmed by all the different requirements (federal, state, dissolution procedures), don't forget that the IRS also has some helpful resources on their website. Publication 3402 specifically covers tax issues for LLCs, including inactive ones. Also, make sure to keep good records of everything you do to close the LLC - the dissolution paperwork, any final tax filings, correspondence with state agencies, etc. This documentation will be valuable if any questions come up later. I learned this the hard way when I had to reconstruct paperwork for an old business years later. One last tip: if you formed the LLC late in the year and it truly had zero activity, some tax preparers recommend including a statement with your return explaining the situation (like "LLC formed in December 2023, no business activity conducted"). It's not required but can help prevent any confusion if the IRS has questions.