Just want to add - hobby losses are treated differently than business losses. Since you're just selling personal items without intent to make a profit, this would be considered a hobby activity. You report the income on Schedule C but check "No" for business activity. The downside is you can only claim enough expenses to offset your income - you can't claim a loss if your expenses exceed your income. But since you're just trying to show zero profit, that shouldn't be an issue in your case.

I don't think this needs to be on Schedule C at all. This sounds like selling personal items, which would go on Schedule D as capital gains/losses. You report your basis (what you paid) and your selling price, and pay taxes only on the gain if there is any.

thats a decent EIC amount! make sure you got all your ducks in a row cause the IRS loves to verify EIC claims

Looking at your transcript, the key thing to understand is that April 15th date isn't when you'll get your refund - that's just when the credits are scheduled to post to your account. With cycle code 20250605 (which means week 6 of 2025, processed on Thursday), you're actually in a pretty good spot timing-wise. Most people with similar cycle codes from that processing batch have been seeing their refunds hit accounts within 1-2 weeks after the credit posting date. So realistically you're probably looking at late April/early May for the actual deposit. Your $6,547 refund comes from the EIC of $6,960 plus the $2,501 credit minus your $2,914 self-employment tax. Just keep checking WMR and your bank account around April 20th-25th!

I might be in the minority, but for my first year with a partnership, I just bit the bullet and hired a CPA. Cost me about $800, but they handled all the K-1 generation, made sure our allocations were correct, and found deductions I would have missed. Plus they showed me exactly what they did so I could potentially DIY in future years. Sometimes paying a professional for year one is worth it just for the peace of mind and education. My CPA literally walked me through each form so I understood what was happening.

As someone who just went through this exact process for the first time, I can share what worked for me. I ended up using a hybrid approach - I used TaxAct Business to prepare the 1065 return (which automatically generated the K-1s), but before jumping in, I spent time understanding our partnership agreement and how different income/expense categories should be allocated. The key insight I wish someone had told me earlier: the K-1 forms are literally just printouts from your business tax return software. You don't create them separately - they're generated automatically once you complete Form 1065 with all your partnership details and allocations entered correctly. For a first-timer, I'd recommend either: 1) Upgrade to business tax software and take your time working through it methodically, or 2) Pay a professional for year one but ask them to walk you through the process so you understand it for next year. The worst thing you can do is guess on partnership allocations since the IRS scrutinizes these pretty carefully. Also, definitely file for an extension if you're running short on time - partnerships have a March 15 deadline, but an extension gives you until September 15 to get everything right.

Had something similar happen to me. The first thing you need to do is get a copy of your Wage and Income Transcript and your Account Transcript from the IRS. These will show what's been reported under your SSN and what returns have been filed. You can request these online at irs.gov/transcripts. Once you see what's actually been filed, you'll have a better idea of what you're dealing with. If what was filed is incorrect, you may need to file Form 14157 (Complaint: Tax Return Preparer) AND possibly Form 14157-A (Tax Return Preparer Fraud or Misconduct Affidavit).

This is absolutely unacceptable professional conduct. As someone who's dealt with IRS issues before, I can tell you that what your EA did - filing your return without your review or signature - is a serious violation that could have major consequences for you. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. **Get your transcripts ASAP** - Request your Wage & Income Transcript and Account Transcript from the IRS online. This will show exactly what was filed under your SSN and when. 2. **Document everything** - Keep records of all communications with this EA, your original agreement, and the fact that you never signed Form 8879 for e-filing authorization. 3. **File complaints** - Report them to both the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility AND the National Association of Enrolled Agents. This behavior needs to be on record. 4. **Consider legal action** - Filing tax returns without authorization could potentially be fraud. You might want to consult with a tax attorney, especially since you paid $1,250 for services that weren't properly rendered. The silver lining is that with years of withholding from your paychecks, you may actually be due refunds rather than owing money. Don't let this bad experience discourage you from getting your tax situation resolved properly - just make sure you work with a reputable professional this time who will actually communicate with you and follow proper procedures. You deserve better than this, and there are good tax professionals out there who will treat your situation with the care and transparency it deserves.

Ask the kid's school for an attendance record or enrollment verification letter showing your address. Schools usually have a form letter they can print out quickly that shows the child's address and guardian info. Most important thing is responding quickly and thoroughly.

I went through this exact same audit situation two years ago with my partner's son. The key thing that saved me was creating a comprehensive timeline document showing his residency throughout the entire year. I included: - Monthly utility bills with both our names/address - School enrollment records from August showing my address as his home address - Medical appointment records from his pediatrician (I was listed as the person who brought him) - Bank statements showing regular purchases of his school supplies, clothes, food throughout the year - A signed statement from his teacher confirming he lived at my address Since you're not legally married to her mom, focus heavily on the "member of household" test - you need to prove she lived with you for more than half the year (183+ days) and that you provided more than half her support. The IRS approved my claim and I kept all my credits. The whole process took about 10 weeks from when I mailed my response to getting my refund released. Don't stress too much - if you have the documentation, you should be fine. Just make sure to respond within the 30 days and keep copies of everything you send!