Has anyone compared H&R Block Tax Pro Go to the similar TurboTax Live Full Service? Trying to decide between them and the pricing seems similar.

I actually used H&R Block's Tax Pro Go service last tax season and had a pretty good experience overall. Like others mentioned, being detailed in the questionnaire is key - I made sure to mention my rental property income and some freelance work upfront. The upfront pricing held true for me ($179), and my assigned tax pro caught a few deductions I hadn't thought about, including some property management expenses. The whole process took about 5 days from upload to final review. One thing I'd add is that you can actually message back and forth with your tax pro through their portal if you have questions, which was helpful when I needed clarification on some business expense categories. Way less stressful than trying to figure it all out myself in TurboTax, especially with the more complex stuff like depreciation on rental property.

I went through this exact same situation last year with a tech company that included about $800 in travel reimbursements on my 1099-MISC. What worked for me was sending a polite but detailed email to their accounts payable department explaining the tax implications for both parties. I included references to IRS Publication 15 which clearly states that reimbursements under an accountable plan shouldn't be reported as nonemployee compensation. I also mentioned that incorrectly reporting reimbursements could potentially create issues for them during their own tax filings or audits. Within two weeks, they sent me a corrected 1099-MISC. The key was being educational rather than demanding - I framed it as "helping them comply with IRS guidelines" rather than "you made a mistake." Sometimes companies genuinely don't know the rules and appreciate being informed professionally. If they still refuse, definitely go with the approach others mentioned of reporting the full amount and deducting the expenses. Just make sure you categorize those deductions correctly on your Schedule C!

This is such a frustrating but common issue! I'm a tax preparer and see this mistake constantly. Your instinct is absolutely correct - expense reimbursements shouldn't be included as income on your 1099-MISC if they were legitimate business expenses you incurred on behalf of the client. Here's what I typically recommend to my clients in your situation: First, try the polite approach that others mentioned. Send your client a brief email explaining that reimbursements for documented business expenses shouldn't be reported as nonemployee compensation per IRS guidelines. Include copies of your receipts and any emails showing they approved these expenses beforehand. If they won't budge, don't stress too much. Report the full 1099-MISC amount on your Schedule C Line 1, then deduct those same expenses in the appropriate categories (travel, materials, etc.) on the expense section. Your net income will be the same either way - you're just grossing up both sides of the equation. The key is documentation. Keep every receipt, email approval, and record showing these were legitimate business expenses they asked you to cover. That way you're fully protected if there are ever any questions down the road.

Make sure you're keeping detailed records of when your daughter is with you vs when she's with your ex. If your ex's boyfriend does try to claim her and it triggers an IRS review, having a calendar with all the days marked will be super important. Also save things like school records that show your address, medical appointments you took her to, etc. My sister went through something similar and what helped her was having text messages where her ex admitted the kid lived with her most of the time. The more documentation you have, the better!

This is a tricky situation that involves both IRS rules and family court obligations. From a pure tax perspective, you're absolutely right about the residency requirement - the boyfriend cannot claim your daughter as a dependent if she doesn't live with him for more than half the year. Since your ex-wife isn't filing taxes, she can't "transfer" her right to claim your daughter to her boyfriend. The IRS doesn't recognize such transfers between non-spouses. With your 60/40 custody arrangement where your daughter lives with you the majority of the time, you actually have the stronger claim under IRS rules regardless of what your custody agreement says. However, here's the important part: while the IRS won't enforce your custody agreement, family court might hold you in contempt if you violate the tax provisions. Some judges take these agreements very seriously. You might want to consider petitioning the court to modify the tax provision since your ex is no longer filing taxes - this would give you legal protection to claim your daughter every year. As for splitting the Child Tax Credit, if your custody agreement only mentions alternating the "tax exemption" and doesn't specifically address splitting refunds, you likely have no legal obligation to share the money. But again, family court interpretation can vary. I'd recommend consulting with a family law attorney to understand how your specific state and judge might view this situation. It's better to be proactive than deal with contempt charges later.

Same boat here - was about to get an advance but after reading these comments I'm definitely gonna wait it out. Those fees are insane! Does anyone know roughly how long refunds are taking this year if you e-file?

I work at a tax prep office and can confirm what others are saying - the advances are NOT worth it. We see people pay $100-200+ in fees for what amounts to getting their money 2-3 weeks early. The APR on these "loans" can be over 300%! If you absolutely need cash now, you're honestly better off asking family/friends or even using a credit card cash advance. At least with a credit card you know exactly what the interest rate is upfront.

This is such a frustrating situation but you're definitely not alone! The expense reimbursement issue that StarGazer101 mentioned is probably exactly what happened. I've seen this mistake so many times - companies treat reimbursements as contractor payments in their accounting systems. Here's what I'd suggest for your next steps: 1. Send them a formal email (not just a phone call) listing out each expense reimbursement separately from your actual service payments. Be very specific about dates and amounts. 2. Reference IRS guidelines that expense reimbursements under an accountable plan should NOT be included in Box 1 of a 1099-NEC. 3. Give them a reasonable deadline (like 10 business days) to issue a corrected 1099-NEC. 4. If they refuse, you're not stuck! You can still file correctly by reporting the full 1099 amount on Schedule C line 1, then deducting those same reimbursed expenses on the appropriate expense lines of Schedule C. The key is keeping meticulous records of everything - your original invoices showing the separation between fees and reimbursements, receipts for the expenses, and all your correspondence with the company. Don't let this stress you out too much. The IRS deals with 1099 discrepancies all the time, and as long as you have good documentation, you'll be fine!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My client reported $2,800 more than I actually received, and after reading through these comments, I'm pretty sure they included some software reimbursements I had to purchase for their project. One thing that's been really helpful for me is creating a detailed timeline of all payments received vs. what they reported. I used my bank statements, PayPal records, and original invoices to build a complete picture. It's tedious but having everything laid out chronologically makes the discrepancy crystal clear. @Dylan Hughes - definitely follow up on that expense reimbursement angle that StarGazer101 mentioned. That $3,200 difference sounds exactly like what happened to me. When I contacted my client's bookkeeper with a clear breakdown showing "actual design fees: $X" vs "expense reimbursements: $Y", they immediately understood the problem. The key is being super specific in your communication. Don't just say "the amount is wrong" - show them exactly which payments were for services vs which were reimbursements. Most small businesses genuinely don't realize they're making this mistake. If they still won't budge after you clarify the reimbursement issue, at least you'll know exactly how to handle it on your tax return using the Schedule C approach others have outlined here.