As someone who's been doing 1099 work for a few years now, I can't stress enough how important it is to get organized early! I learned this the hard way after my first year when I had a shoebox full of receipts and no system. Here's what I wish someone had told me when I started: **For templates:** The IRS actually has some decent basic worksheets, but honestly the Google Sheets templates work better for ongoing tracking. Search for "Schedule C expense tracker" and you'll find several good starting points. **Key categories to track:** - Advertising/marketing expenses - Office supplies and equipment - Professional development/education - Travel and meals (remember only 50% of meals are deductible) - Home office expenses (be careful with this one - keep good records) - Vehicle expenses (either actual costs or mileage - pick one method and stick with it) **My biggest tip:** Set up a separate business checking account if you haven't already. It makes everything SO much cleaner come tax time. Even if you're just starting out, the $10/month fee is worth it for the peace of mind and clean record-keeping. Also, don't forget about quarterly estimated payments! The IRS expects you to pay as you go, not just at year-end. A good rule of thumb is to set aside 25-30% of your net income for taxes, depending on your tax bracket. Good luck getting organized - future you will thank you!

Great thread! As a CPA who works with a lot of 1099 contractors, I wanted to add a few important points that might help everyone here: **Quarterly estimated payments:** Calculate these based on your NET self-employment income (after business deductions), not gross. You'll owe both income tax AND self-employment tax (15.3% for Social Security/Medicare). A safer approach is to use Form 1040ES worksheets rather than rough percentages, especially if your income varies significantly. **Record retention:** Keep ALL business records for at least 3 years (7 years if you have significant deductions). For home office, document the square footage of your office space vs. total home, utility bills, mortgage/rent statements, and photos showing it's used exclusively for business. **Common mistakes I see:** - Mixing personal and business expenses (get that separate account!) - Not tracking mileage contemporaneously (log it when it happens, not months later) - Claiming 100% of mixed-use items (like your internet bill - only the business portion is deductible) - Forgetting about the QBI deduction (Section 199A) which can save significant money for many contractors The spreadsheet organization tips here are solid, but don't forget the actual tax strategy piece. Sometimes spending a few hundred on a tax pro consultation early on saves thousands in missed deductions or penalty avoidance!

lol welcome to the waiting game bestie. we all out here suffering together 😭

Ugh this is so frustrating! I'm in the exact same situation - filed with EIC but no PATH message anywhere on WMR. Been refreshing that thing like crazy thinking maybe I missed something 😅 At least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this weirdness. Sounds like the IRS just isn't being consistent with showing the PATH messages this year which is super confusing for everyone

Has anyone used QuickBooks Self-Employed for tracking expenses with multiple gig apps? I'm trying to decide if it's worth the monthly fee compared to just using a spreadsheet.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I've been doing gig work with multiple apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub) for about 3 years now. One thing that really helped me was opening a separate checking account just for my gig work income and expenses. I have all my 1099 payments deposited there, and I use that account's debit card for any business expenses like gas, car washes, phone accessories, etc. It makes record-keeping so much easier when tax time comes around, and if you ever get audited, having that clear separation between personal and business expenses is invaluable. Also, don't stress too much about the taxes owed - yes, you'll pay more than a W-2 employee because of self-employment tax, but with proper deductions (especially that mileage!), it's usually not as bad as people think. Just make sure to start setting aside money for next year's quarterly payments now that you know about them!

Has anyone used the IRS's Interactive Tax Assistant for this question? It literally has a tool specifically for determining if you should file jointly or separately. Saved me tons of research time!

Just to clarify a key point that might be confusing from your question - married couples cannot claim each other as dependents, period. That's not an option available to you. Your only choices are filing jointly or filing separately. Given your situation (you made $7,800 as a student, husband made $65,000), filing jointly will almost certainly be better. Here's why: 1. **Higher standard deduction**: $27,700 for married filing jointly vs. $13,850 each if filing separately 2. **Education credits**: As a student, you'll likely qualify for the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit, which are more beneficial (or only available) when filing jointly 3. **Income averaging effect**: Your low income will help bring down your combined tax rate The only scenario where filing separately might make sense is if one of you has significant student loans on an income-driven repayment plan, since those payments are based on income. But even then, you'd need to calculate whether the loan payment savings outweigh the tax benefits lost. I'd strongly recommend running the numbers both ways before deciding, but for most couples in your situation, joint filing saves significantly more money.

This is really great news! I went through almost the exact same thing earlier this year when I had some stock sales to report for the first time. That status change from "still being processed" with the verification notice to just "being processed" without it is definitely the signal you want to see. The IRS verification system is pretty thorough - they don't remove that verification prompt unless they've actually completed their identity confirmation process. Investment income, especially if it's new for you, almost always triggers some additional review, but it sounds like you've cleared that hurdle. In my experience, once you see that status change, you're typically looking at about 5-10 business days before you see the "approved" status, and then another 1-3 days after that for the actual deposit. The fact that the verification notice completely disappeared is the key indicator here - that doesn't happen unless they're satisfied with whatever checks they needed to run. Keep monitoring WMR daily, but you should be in good shape now. The hardest part (the verification hold) appears to be behind you!

This is exactly the progression you want to see! I had a nearly identical situation last year with some 1099-DIV income from my investment accounts. That status change from "still being processed" with the verification prompt to just "being processed" without it is a very reliable indicator that you've cleared the identity verification hurdle. The IRS doesn't remove that verification notice lightly - their systems are designed to keep it there until they've actually completed whatever identity confirmation they needed. Investment income, especially if it's a new reporting situation for you, almost always triggers additional scrutiny during processing. From my experience and what I've seen others report, you're now looking at roughly 7-12 business days before you should see the status update to "approved," followed by the refund being issued within 1-3 business days after that. The fact that the verification language completely disappeared is really the key signal here. Keep checking WMR daily, but you should be through the most stressful part of the wait now. The verification hold was the main bottleneck, and it sounds like you've successfully moved past that stage!