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.

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.

I had the same situation last year with W2s from Texas and California. One thing nobody mentioned yet - check if you need to file as a part-year resident in either state if you actually moved during the tax year. If you just worked in both places but maintained your primary residence in one state, then you're typically a full-year resident of your home state and a non-resident of the other. Don't forget to check if there's a reciprocal agreement between NC and NY (though I don't think there is). Some neighboring states have agreements where you only pay tax to your resident state.

Just a heads up that NY has some of the most aggressive non-resident income tax policies in the country! If you physically worked in NY, they will definitely want their cut. Make sure you're tracking exactly which days you worked in which state. NY has the notorious "convenience of employer" rule where they might try to tax income you earned while physically in NC if it was for a NY-based company and you were working remotely "for convenience" rather than necessity.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation with some underperforming stocks I need to sell before year-end. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you also need to be careful about the order of your trades if you're doing both tax loss harvesting AND taking profits in the same year. My financial advisor told me it's generally better to realize your losses first, then your gains, to make sure you can offset as much as possible. Also, don't forget that you can carry forward unused capital losses to future years if your losses exceed your gains plus the $3,000 you can deduct against ordinary income. The December 31 trade date rule definitely applies, but make sure your brokerage platform is actually working properly on New Year's Eve if you're cutting it that close - some have had technical issues during holiday periods!

This has been such a valuable discussion! As someone who's been putting off tax loss harvesting because I was confused about the timing, you've all given me the confidence to finally execute my strategy. Just to summarize what I've learned for anyone else who might be reading this: - December 31st is the absolute deadline (trade date, not settlement date) - After-hours trades on 12/31 still count for the current tax year - Watch out for wash sale rules (30 days before/after) - Keep good documentation, especially for last-minute trades - Consider the order of trades (losses first, then gains) - Be mindful of mutual fund distribution dates I'm planning to sell my underperforming positions this week to avoid any last-minute stress, but it's reassuring to know I have until December 31st if needed. The tools mentioned (taxr.ai for analysis and Claimyr for IRS questions) also sound like they could be really helpful resources. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and expertise - this community is amazing!