Has anyone used both TurboTax Business and H&R Block Premium & Business for S-corps? Trying to decide which one to go with this year. I've been using TurboTax for personal returns but not sure if it's the best for S-corps.

This is such a timely question for me! My wife and I are in almost the exact same situation - she started an S-corp last year and we've always filed jointly for our personal taxes. One thing I learned that might help you is to make sure you're keeping really good records throughout the year, not just at tax time. We started using QuickBooks to track all the business expenses and income monthly, which made preparing the S-corp returns much easier. It also automatically categorizes a lot of transactions, so you're not scrambling to figure out what each expense was for when you're doing your taxes. Also, don't forget about quarterly estimated tax payments for the S-corp income! Since it flows through to your personal return, you might need to adjust your withholdings or make quarterly payments to avoid underpayment penalties. We got hit with that our first year because we didn't realize the business income would push us into a higher tax bracket. The reasonable compensation issue that Ravi mentioned is super important too. We ended up consulting with a CPA just for that piece to make sure we got it right, even though we did the actual tax prep ourselves.

I think everyone is overlooking something important here. If you're using the van for personal trips just to "advertise" your business, that's not a smart financial move regardless of tax implications. The extra wear, tear and gas from unnecessary driving will cost you more than any potential business you might get from someone randomly seeing your van. Instead, consider parking your van in high-visibility areas during non-work hours. That way it's still "advertising" without adding miles or expenses. Or use that money to invest in proper advertising channels that actually target potential customers instead of random people on the road.

One thing to keep in mind is that the IRS has specific rules about what constitutes "ordinary and necessary" business expenses. If you start using your van significantly more for personal trips just to get your business seen, you need to be prepared to justify that the primary purpose is still business-related. I'd recommend keeping detailed records of any leads or business that actually comes from people seeing your van. If you get audited, having documentation that shows your mobile advertising strategy actually generated revenue will strengthen your case. Without that proof, the IRS might view excessive personal use as primarily personal rather than business, even with all the branding. Also consider that your business insurance might need to be updated if you're significantly increasing the mileage on your commercial vehicle. The cost of higher premiums could offset any tax benefits you're hoping to achieve.

To all those having trouble reaching a human at IRS. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

Don't worry too much! The disappearing progress bars on Where's My Refund are super common this time of year. When the bars disappear but you still see the processing message, it usually just means your return moved to a different stage or department - not necessarily a problem. Tax Topic 152 disappearing is also normal as returns progress through the system. That said, if it's been more than 21 days since you filed, it might be worth checking your account transcript on the IRS website to see if there are any issues or holds. The transcript will show you exactly what's happening behind the scenes with codes and dates. If you're really concerned after checking your transcript, you can try calling the IRS, though wait times are brutal right now. Most of the time though, these changes are just part of normal processing. Keep checking WMR every few days for updates!

Has anyone else noticed that TurboTax seems to handle RSUs differently this year? Last year I had no problems but this year it keeps throwing errors even though my situation is exactly the same. Is there a specific version of TurboTax that handles RSUs better? Currently using Premier.

I've been dealing with RSU issues in TurboTax for years and there's actually a specific workflow that usually fixes the "unaccounted shares" error. The key is making sure you enter everything in the right order: First, enter your W-2 completely (this includes the RSU income in Box 1). Then when you get to the investment section, enter your 1099-B transactions but make sure to check the box that says "This sale was already reported as income on a W-2 or 1099-MISC" for the shares that were sold to cover taxes. The critical part is in the cost basis adjustment - you need to enter the fair market value on the vesting date as your cost basis for ALL the shares (including the ones sold for taxes), not just the ones you kept. TurboTax gets confused when people only adjust the cost basis for the shares they kept. Also double-check that your total vested shares (1300 in your case) equals sold shares (672) plus delivered shares (628). Sometimes there are small fractional shares that get missed in the count.

Here's a specific example. My daughter. Age 17. Two jobs last year. Made $4,800 total. Under filing threshold. We included both W-2s. IRS has automated matching system. They know about both jobs. They will send notice if one is missing. Could trigger audit. Not worth the risk. Better to file correctly. Teach good habits now. She can use the refund for college savings. Tax compliance is important life skill.

As someone who's been through this exact scenario, I can confirm what others are saying - you absolutely must report ALL income if you choose to file. The IRS has sophisticated matching systems that will catch missing W-2s within months. I learned this the hard way when I helped my niece with her taxes two years ago. What might help is understanding WHY her state refund drops with the second W-2. Often it's because: - The combined income pushes her into a higher state tax bracket - She loses eligibility for certain state credits or deductions - The additional withholding from the second job wasn't proportional to the tax owed Instead of omitting income, consider if she's eligible for any legitimate deductions or credits she might be missing. Sometimes there are education-related credits or deductions that can help offset the tax impact. The $60 difference, while frustrating, is much better than dealing with IRS notices, penalties, and the stress that comes with them later.