Anyone know if this is different in Quebec? I have a similar situation but with Revenu Quebec and they seem to have different rules for everything...

I went through almost the exact same situation last year with my first bit of freelance income. Here's what I learned from my tax preparer: You absolutely need to report the $520 income on your T2125 - there's no minimum threshold for reporting self-employment earnings. The good news is that with such a small amount, you likely won't owe any income tax on it due to the basic personal exemption. For the expenses without receipts, I'd strongly recommend NOT claiming them. I made the mistake of estimating some expenses my first year and it caused headaches later when CRA requested documentation during a routine review. It's better to miss out on legitimate deductions than risk issues with unsupported claims. One thing that helped me going forward was setting up a simple system: I use a dedicated email folder for all business-related receipts and confirmations, plus I take photos of physical receipts immediately. Even something as basic as a spreadsheet tracking expenses by date and category makes tax time so much easier. Since this is your first time with self-employment income, consider keeping better records even for small gigs - you never know when that side work might grow into something bigger!

Just a warning based on personal experience - make sure both of you aren't claiming 100% of the interest and taxes! My ex and I both claimed the full amount on our separate returns because we each got a 1098 showing the full amount, and it triggered an audit. Major headache that took months to resolve. We ended up having to amend both returns and split based on our actual payments (which was 50/50 in our case). The IRS was fine with the split once we documented it, but they definitely notice when the same address has double-claimed deductions.

Great question! I went through this exact situation two years ago with my partner. We split our mortgage payments 65/35 and were able to deduct the mortgage interest and property taxes in the same proportion on our federal returns. The key is documentation - keep clear records of who paid what. We set up separate automatic payments from our individual bank accounts to make the paper trail obvious. Your mortgage servicer should provide annual statements (1098 for interest, property tax statements) that you'll both receive, but you only claim your actual portion. One tip: consider whether itemizing makes sense for both of you. In our case, my partner's portion of the deductions plus their other itemizable expenses didn't exceed the standard deduction, so they took the standard deduction while I itemized and claimed my 65% portion. This worked out better tax-wise than if we had both tried to itemize smaller amounts. Also, keep a simple written agreement between yourselves documenting the payment split arrangement - it doesn't need to be fancy, just something showing you both agreed to the percentage breakdown. This helps if there are ever questions down the road.

One thing I'd add to the great advice already shared - make sure you get written documentation from the bank about the account structure. Ask them for a letter or official document that states you were a joint account holder with rights of survivorship (if that's what it was). This documentation could be valuable if you ever face questions from the IRS or need to prove the account's status. Also, consider opening a separate account and transferring the funds there rather than keeping them in the original account. This creates a cleaner paper trail and separates any future transactions from the original joint account history. Plus, you'll want to update the account to remove your aunt's name from any remaining documentation. The fact that you're being so careful about doing this right shows you're on the right track. Most people in your situation don't owe any federal taxes on joint accounts, but having proper documentation gives you peace of mind and protects you if any questions arise later.

I went through almost the exact same situation when my grandfather passed and I discovered I was on his checking account. The key thing that helped me was getting a copy of the original account signature card from the bank - this document showed exactly how the account was set up and whether it had survivorship rights. One thing I learned is that even though you didn't know about the account, the IRS treats joint ownership based on the legal structure, not your knowledge of it. Since you were already a legal owner, you're generally not receiving an "inheritance" in the taxable sense. However, I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional or CPA, especially since $42,000 is a significant amount. They can review your specific situation and ensure you're handling everything correctly. The consultation fee is worth it for the peace of mind, and they can help you understand if there are any state-specific rules in your area that might apply. Also, don't feel rushed to make any decisions about the money right now. Take time to get proper advice and documentation first.

PSA: whoever you pick make sure to check their reviews on google first! And get a price estimate b4 they start working

Honestly might be worth checking if any of these places offer free consultations first. I've heard some will at least look over your docs and give you a rough estimate of complexity/cost before you commit. That way you can shop around without getting locked into their fees upfront.

Ugh, this is so frustrating! I'm literally going through the exact same thing right now - filed in early February, got all my confirmations, but transcript shows "return not filed". Reading through all these comments is actually really helpful though. Sounds like there are so many reasons this could happen (processing delays, verification holds, W-2 discrepancies, etc.) and the IRS just doesn't tell us anything! 😤 I think I'm gonna try that taxr.ai thing everyone's mentioning since multiple people said it actually found their specific issues. Way better than sitting on hold with the IRS for hours. Thanks for posting this - at least we know we're not alone dealing with this mess!

This is such a common issue and it's so frustrating that the IRS doesn't give us better communication about what's happening! I went through something similar last year - filed in February and transcript showed "return not filed" for over 6 weeks. Turned out there was a small error that triggered a manual review and they never sent me any notification about it. A few things to check: 1) Log into your tax software account and look for any rejection notices you might have missed 2) Double-check that all your personal info (SSN, name, address) matches exactly what the IRS has on file 3) If you used direct deposit, make sure those bank details were entered correctly. If everything looks good on your end and it's been more than 21 days since filing, I'd definitely recommend calling the IRS (prepare for long hold times 😩) or trying one of those transcript analysis tools people are mentioning. Don't just wait it out - the sooner you find out what's actually happening, the sooner you can get it resolved. Good luck!