As someone who's dealt with similar work expense questions, I'd definitely recommend the employer route first before worrying about tax deductions. Construction companies are usually pretty responsive to safety-related requests, especially when you can point to potential liability issues. You might also want to document your sunscreen purchases and keep receipts just in case the tax laws change after 2025 when some of those suspended deductions might come back. Even if you can't use them now, having good records could be helpful later. Another thought - if you end up having any skin issues from sun exposure at work, those medical expenses might be deductible if they're significant enough. Not that anyone wants to deal with that, but it's worth knowing your options.

I work for a tax preparation service and see questions like this all the time. The unfortunate reality is that as a W-2 employee, you're pretty much out of luck for deducting the sunscreen under current tax law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act really limited options for unreimbursed employee expenses. However, I'd strongly encourage you to approach this from the workplace safety angle that others have mentioned. In California's extreme heat, employers have heightened responsibilities under Cal/OSHA regulations. You could frame this as a heat illness prevention measure - prolonged sun exposure contributes to heat-related illnesses, and sunscreen is a basic protective measure. I'd suggest putting together a brief proposal for your supervisor highlighting: 1) The cost-effectiveness of bulk sunscreen vs individual purchases, 2) Potential liability reduction for the company, and 3) How it fits into existing safety protocols. Most construction companies would rather spend a few hundred dollars on sunscreen than deal with workers' comp claims or OSHA citations. If they refuse, at least keep detailed records of your purchases. Tax laws could change, and having good documentation never hurts.

my sister in PA got hers in like 5 days im so jealous rn

This happens literally every year and we never learn lol. NY always slower than molasses in January smh

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! 😩 Just got suspended yesterday after my third attempt. What's really frustrating is that the error messages are so vague - they don't tell you what went wrong or how long you have to wait. I've read through all the advice here and it's super helpful, especially the tips about using a wired connection and trying different browsers. Has anyone had luck with the IRS's alternative verification methods? I heard you can sometimes bypass ID.me entirely by mailing in forms, but I'm not sure if that's still an option for online account access. This whole system feels like it was designed to keep people OUT of their accounts rather than help them get in! 🤦‍♀️

I've been battling ID.me for weeks now and finally found a combination that worked! After reading through all the great advice here, I tried using Firefox in incognito mode with a wired connection at around 6 AM on a weekday. The key was being super patient - I literally set a timer for 25 minutes between each step and didn't touch anything until it was done. I also turned off ALL browser extensions, even the ones I thought were harmless. The whole process took about 2 hours, but I finally got verified! One more tip: if you have a smartphone, try using that for the selfie verification instead of your computer's webcam - the mobile camera seemed to work better for the facial recognition part. Don't give up, everyone! This system is absolutely broken but persistence pays off eventually. 🎉

Great question! I've been wondering about this too. What really strikes me is how we went from having so many brackets in the past to basically flattening everything out. One thing I've noticed is that when people talk about "tax the rich," they often focus on income tax brackets, but as someone mentioned, the ultra-wealthy get most of their money through capital gains, which are taxed at much lower rates (0%, 15%, or 20% depending on income level, versus up to 37% for regular income). It seems like we could potentially add more income tax brackets AND reform capital gains taxation to make the system more progressive overall. The fact that someone making $50 million pays the same marginal rate as someone making $700k on their regular income does seem pretty arbitrary when you think about it. I'm curious if other countries have more granular bracket systems? Maybe we could learn from what works elsewhere instead of just debating the same old talking points.

This is such a fascinating discussion! As someone who's been trying to wrap my head around tax policy lately, I really appreciate all the different perspectives here. What strikes me most is how the debate seems to get stuck on the same old arguments when there are clearly more nuanced approaches we could consider. The point about capital gains taxation is huge - it seems like we're having half the conversation if we only focus on income tax brackets while ignoring how the ultra-wealthy actually accumulate and structure their wealth. I'm also intrigued by the international comparisons mentioned. Has anyone looked into whether countries with more progressive tax systems (more brackets + higher rates) actually see better economic outcomes for the middle class? It seems like that would be pretty relevant data for this debate. One thing I keep coming back to is the complexity argument against more brackets. Like, my tax software already handles all the calculations anyway - whether there are 7 brackets or 15 doesn't really affect me as a taxpayer. But it could potentially generate significant revenue for things like infrastructure, education, healthcare. Seems like a pretty good trade-off if the main downside is that wealthy people's accountants have to do slightly more complex math?

I went through this exact situation two years ago and can confirm you'll definitely get your TDS refund! The late PAN-Aadhar linking doesn't make you ineligible for refunds - it just means higher TDS rates were applied temporarily. Here's what actually happens: When your PAN-Aadhar isn't linked, employers are required to deduct TDS at higher rates (usually 20% instead of 10%). But when you file your ITR, the system calculates your actual tax liability based on your income slab, not the TDS rate that was applied. In my case, I had about 75k deducted at the higher rate and got back around 45k when I filed. The refund came through within 6 weeks of filing, which was pretty standard timing. Just make sure to file your ITR before the deadline and verify that all your TDS entries in Form 26AS match what your employer deducted. The system will automatically calculate any excess TDS as refundable. Don't stress too much - you haven't lost that money permanently!

I've been through this exact scenario and want to reassure you - you'll definitely get your TDS refund! Late PAN-Aadhar linking doesn't disqualify you from claiming excess TDS back. Here's what happened in my case: I linked my PAN-Aadhar about 3 months late, and my company deducted TDS at 20% instead of 10% during that period. When I filed my ITR for that year, I got back approximately 38k out of the 52k excess that was deducted. The key things to remember: 1. Higher TDS rates are just a temporary penalty, not permanent loss 2. Your actual tax liability is calculated based on income slabs, not TDS rates applied 3. File your ITR before the deadline and ensure all TDS details in Form 26AS are accurate 4. The refund process is automated - if you've paid more tax than you owe, you'll get it back One practical tip: Download your Form 26AS a few days before filing your ITR and cross-check it against your salary slips/TDS certificates. Sometimes there can be reporting delays, especially when PAN-Aadhar linking happens mid-year. Don't let your colleagues' conflicting advice stress you out - the tax system is designed to refund excess payments regardless of when you completed the PAN-Aadhar linking!