don't overthink this! i've been a single-member llc for 6 yrs on my wife's insurance. the insurance company doesn't care about your business structure - they only care that you're legally married to the employee. my wife's HR said it's actually super common. the only time it gets tricky is if ur business grows and you want to offer your OWN health insurance plan. but for a one-person shop just starting out, ur totally fine!

I'm in a very similar situation and was worried about the same thing! I've been on my husband's insurance for years while running my freelance graphic design business as a sole proprietor. The key thing I learned is that your eligibility for spousal coverage is based on your marital status, not your employment status or business structure. When I first started my business, I called his HR department just to double-check, and they confirmed that as long as I'm his legal spouse, I can stay on the plan regardless of whether I'm unemployed, self-employed, or have my own business. The only thing that would potentially change this is if his employer has very specific policies about it (which is rare), or if you eventually grow your business large enough to offer your own group health plan. One tip: keep really good records of any business-related health expenses since you might be able to deduct some of them on your Schedule C. Good luck with your new venture - it's so nice to have that security of knowing your health coverage is stable while you're building something new!

Did you check your transcript on the IRS website? Sometimes that gives more detailed info than the "Where's My Refund" tool. You might see codes there that explain why your TAX refund is delayed. You'll need to create an account if you don't already have one.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed on January 20th and still showing "being processed" after almost a month. What's really frustrating is that I have friends who filed later than me and already got their TAX refunds. One thing I learned from calling my tax preparer is that even though we think our returns are "simple," sometimes there are automatic reviews that we don't know about. For example, if your refund amount is significantly different from last year, or if there are any slight mismatches in the data the IRS has on file vs what you reported, it can trigger a review. The good news is that February is historically the worst month for processing times. Once we get into March, things typically speed up a lot. I'm trying to be patient but it's hard when you're counting on that money!

I've been doing dog walking and pet sitting for 3 years now and went through this same confusion. I called the platform I use and they explained that the 1099 they issue follows IRS requirements - it shows payments made to you during the calendar year. For your own sanity, I recommend: 1) Use cash basis (report income when received) 2) Keep good records showing both service dates and payment dates 3) Deduct expenses in the same year as the related income 4) Save about 30% of all income for taxes (learned this the hard way!) And don't forget to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you expect to owe more than $1000 in taxes for the year. That was another expensive lesson for me...

Great advice in this thread! As someone who's been doing freelance pet services for 4 years, I want to add a few things that really helped me get organized: For tracking income vs 1099s, I use a simple spreadsheet with columns for: Service Date, Payment Date, Client, Amount, and Notes. This lets me easily sort by either date depending on what I need. At tax time, I just filter by Payment Date to match my 1099. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - if you're using multiple platforms (Rover, Wag, etc.), each one will send you a separate 1099 if you earned over $600 with them. Don't forget to include ALL of them on your Schedule C, even the smaller amounts. Also, for mileage tracking, I highly recommend using an app like MileIQ or Everlance. It automatically tracks your drives and you just swipe to categorize them as business or personal. Way easier than trying to remember to write down odometer readings for every trip! The quarterly tax payment advice is spot on too. I learned that lesson the expensive way my second year. Now I treat it like any other business expense and it's much less stressful.

Does anyone know if you can claim this credit if you pay a family member to watch your kids? My mother-in-law watches my kids while I work on my freelance projects (all 1099 income), and I do pay her, but it's cash. Can I still claim the dependent care credit?

I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share what I learned after doing some research. Your tax preparer is definitely incorrect about needing W-2 income for the dependent care credit. What really helped me was looking up IRS Publication 503 directly - it clearly states that self-employed individuals can claim this credit. The key is that you need to have "earned income" which includes net earnings from self-employment (your 1099 income). One important thing to keep in mind though - if your business expenses are high and you end up with a loss or very low net earnings from self-employment, that could limit your credit amount. But based on what you're saying about paying $8,000 in childcare expenses, it sounds like you're actively working and should definitely qualify. I'd strongly recommend getting a second opinion from a tax professional who has more experience with self-employment taxation. You shouldn't have to miss out on credits you're legitimately entitled to claim!

I went through something very similar last year and learned the hard way that this kind of communication gap is unfortunately more common than it should be. While automatic extension filing is standard practice at many CPA firms, the complete radio silence afterward is definitely not acceptable professional behavior. Here's what I'd suggest based on my experience: Send your CPA a written email (for documentation) asking three specific questions: 1) Are you preparing my 2019 return? 2) What's your timeline for completion? 3) What's your fee structure for this year's services? Give them 48-72 hours to respond. If they don't respond promptly or give vague answers, start interviewing new CPAs immediately. You have until October 15, which gives you plenty of time to find someone who actually communicates. When you do interview new preparers, ask them directly about their communication policies - how they notify clients about extensions, estimated payment deadlines, and filing status updates. The silver lining is that the extension does protect you from late filing penalties, so even though the communication was poor, they did technically do something beneficial for you. But you deserve much better client service than this.

I've been a CPA for over 15 years and can confirm that filing extensions without explicit client notification is unfortunately more common than it should be, but it's definitely not best practice. Good CPAs should always inform clients when filing extensions, even if it's mentioned in the engagement letter. The concerning part of your situation is the complete lack of communication since January. If there's no signed engagement letter for 2019 services and they filed an extension without your knowledge, you need clarity immediately. They may be assuming you're continuing services based on your 2018 engagement, but that's not how professional relationships should work. My recommendation: Send them a written request today asking if they're preparing your 2019 return, what their timeline is, and what fees they're charging. If they don't respond within 2-3 business days or give you unsatisfactory answers, start looking for a new CPA. The extension gives you until October 15, so you have plenty of time to make a switch if needed. A good CPA will welcome your questions and provide clear answers - that's basic client service.