Does anyone know if the VITA certification tests are the same difficulty level as last year? I barely passed the Advanced certification and am nervous about doing it again.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I just wanted to share my experience as someone who's been coordinating a VITA site for 3 years. A few additional tips for returning volunteers: - Start checking the Link & Learn system regularly starting in early November - sometimes the new year's tests roll out gradually - Don't wait until the last minute! Sites usually want all volunteers certified by mid-December so we can schedule training sessions - If you're planning to do Advanced certification again, I'd recommend reviewing Schedule C (business income/expenses) and the retirement savings contributions credit - these seem to trip up a lot of people Also, for anyone worried about the difficulty level - the IRS actually provides really good feedback when you get questions wrong during practice tests. Use that to your advantage! The goal isn't to make the tests hard, it's to make sure volunteers are prepared to help taxpayers accurately. Looking forward to another great tax season helping folks in our community!

Thanks for asking this question - I was having the exact same confusion! The explanation about progressive tax brackets makes perfect sense now. One thing that helped me understand it better was looking at the actual tax bracket amounts for our filing status. For 2024 Married Filing Jointly, you're only paying that 35% rate on income between $364,200 and $462,500. Everything below that gets taxed at lower rates (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%), which is why your average comes out to 23.6%. I found it helpful to think of it like this: if you made $400,000, only $35,800 of that would be taxed at 35%, while the rest gets taxed at progressively lower rates starting from 10%. When you average it all out, you get that blended rate that's much lower than your top bracket.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I was in the exact same boat - seeing a 32% tax bracket but only a 21.8% blended rate and wondering if something was wrong with my tax software. What really clicked for me was understanding that the tax bracket is just the rate on your "last dollar" earned, not your entire income. The progressive system means you're paying much lower rates on most of your income, which is actually a good thing! For anyone still confused, I found it helpful to look at the IRS Publication 15 tax tables and manually trace through how much tax you'd pay at each bracket level. It's a bit tedious but really drives home why the blended rate is so much lower than your marginal bracket rate.

I understand your frustration completely. The disconnect between family court orders and actual IRS rules creates these impossible situations for parents. Based on what you've described, you likely had your son for significantly more than 183 nights this year (the IRS threshold for custodial parent status), especially with that 4-month absence. Under IRS rules, the custodial parent has the primary right to claim the child as a dependent. However, you're caught between two systems: the IRS rules that would likely support your claim, and a court order that could hold you in contempt if violated. My suggestion would be to document everything - every night each child stayed with you versus your ex, all expenses you covered during the absence period, any communication about the missed parenting time. Then consider going back to court specifically requesting a one-year modification to the tax arrangement based on the actual custody time this year, not a permanent change to the parenting plan. You might also want to speak directly with an IRS agent about your specific situation. They can clarify whether your actual custody time this year would qualify you as the custodial parent under their rules, which could strengthen your position if you need to return to family court.

This is such a complex situation, and I really feel for you being caught between two different sets of rules. As others have mentioned, the IRS and family courts operate independently, which creates these frustrating scenarios. One thing that might help is understanding that the IRS has specific criteria for determining who can claim a child, and actual custody time is a major factor. If you had your son for those 4 months plus your regular 50% time, you likely exceeded the 183-night threshold that makes you the "custodial parent" under IRS rules. However, violating a court order - even one that seems unfair given the circumstances - can lead to contempt charges. That said, courts can also modify orders when there are substantial changes in circumstances, and a 4-month abandonment certainly qualifies. Have you considered requesting a one-time modification just for this tax year? You could present it as asking for relief based on the actual parenting time rather than trying to change the permanent arrangement. Sometimes judges are more willing to make temporary adjustments than permanent ones. Also, keep meticulous records of everything - custody exchanges, expenses you covered, any missed visits. This documentation will be crucial whether you go back to court or if there are any IRS questions later. The more evidence you have of the actual situation, the stronger your position becomes.

Called IRS today - 2 hour wait just to be told to wait longer lmaooo 🤡

Same here! Filed with H&R Block on Jan 30th with EIC and still stuck on "processing" - it's so frustrating when you're counting on that money. At least now I know about the Feb 15th hold requirement, that makes me feel a bit better about the delay. Hope we all get our refunds soon! 🤞

Just want to say as someone who's been self-employed for years, taking the job while pregnant isn't a bad idea at all. The paperwork isn't that complex for small amounts and you can literally do it whenever you have time. The tax software questios are basically: did you make money from self employment? how much? did you have expenses? list them. That's it. And the money could be great for baby stuff! Take the job if you want it, the tax part is not a reason to turn it down.

Congratulations on the baby coming soon! I totally understand your hesitation about complicating taxes during such a busy time, but honestly, for $3,300 in freelance income, it's really not as overwhelming as it seems. The self-employment tax will be around $465 (15.3% on about 92% of your earnings), but you can deduct legitimate business expenses to lower that. Things like a portion of your internet bill, any software or supplies you bought for the work, even part of your phone bill if you use it for business calls. With married filing jointly (definitely stick with that), you'll just add a Schedule C to your regular tax return. Most tax prep software walks you through it step by step with simple questions. The whole process might add 30-45 minutes to your normal tax filing. That extra income could really help with baby expenses, and since you're due in 6 weeks, you could potentially finish the project before the baby arrives or work on it flexibly afterward. Don't let tax concerns stop you from taking an opportunity that could benefit your growing family!