Watch out for state taxes too! Federal might not tax certain scholarships but some states have different rules. My roommate did exactly what ur talking about with the Roth conversion thing, saved a bunch on federal but got hit with unexpected state taxes cause our state counts more scholarship money as taxable than the IRS does.

Great advice from everyone here! One thing I'd add - make sure your friend gets any scholarship/fellowship documentation in writing from their university's financial aid office. I learned this the hard way when the IRS questioned how I reported my graduate stipend. Universities sometimes aren't super clear about what portions are taxable vs non-taxable, and having official documentation that breaks down tuition remission vs living expenses vs research stipends can be a lifesaver if you ever get audited. Also, if they're doing the Roth conversion, consider spreading it over multiple years if the amount is large. Even if they're under the standard deduction this year, converting a big chunk could bump them into higher tax brackets or affect other benefits like health insurance subsidies that others mentioned. The timing matters too - if they expect to have higher income next year (like transitioning from student to full-time work), this year might be the perfect opportunity for the conversion while they're in the 0% tax bracket.

PSA for everyone: Save your last paystub of the year ALWAYS!!! I learned this the hard way. If you have your last December paystub, you'll have almost all the info you need if your W-2 gets lost or is super late. Also, check if your company has an online payroll portal like ADP, Workday, UKG, etc. Sometimes W-2s are available electronically there before they arrive in the mail. My company never even mailed mine last year, they just expected everyone to download it from the portal.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this exact situation! I started a job in late November a few years back and was super worried about the same thing. Your employer is absolutely required to send you a W-2 regardless of when you started - even if you only worked one day in 2024, you'd still get one. Since you made $8,500, that's definitely reportable income and your employer will face penalties if they don't provide your W-2 by January 31st. I'd suggest checking if your company has an online payroll system first (like the others mentioned) - that's often the fastest way to get it. Don't stress too much yet since we're still in January, but definitely keep that last pay stub from December handy just in case. The IRS takes missing W-2s seriously, so if your employer is being unresponsive after the deadline, you'll have recourse. Good luck with your first "real job" tax season!

The photography business loss might raise some red flags since the expenses are much higher than the income. Make sure you can prove you're trying to make a profit. Take classes to improve skills, have a business plan showing projected path to profitability, advertise your services, maintain separate business accounts, etc. I've been running a photography business for years and had losses the first two years. As long as you treat it like a serious business and not a hobby, you should be fine claiming the losses.

Great question! Yes, you'll definitely need separate Schedule C forms for each business. The IRS considers these distinct activities - your jewelry business, delivery work, and photography are all different types of operations with different income streams and expense categories. For your photography business showing a loss, you can absolutely deduct those losses against your other income as long as you're operating it as a legitimate business (not a hobby). The key is demonstrating profit motive - keep records of your business plan, marketing efforts, time invested, and steps you're taking to improve profitability. One thing to watch out for: with $19k in equipment expenses against $6.8k income, make sure you're properly depreciating larger equipment purchases rather than deducting them all in one year. Camera gear, lighting equipment, etc. typically need to be depreciated over several years unless you elect Section 179 or bonus depreciation. Also consider whether some of those equipment purchases might qualify for the Section 179 deduction, which could let you deduct up to $1,160,000 in qualifying business equipment in the year you placed it in service (for 2024). This could be beneficial for your photography business if the equipment qualifies.

I'm in the exact same situation! Filed early February, got a 3/12 DDD, and still nothing in my account as of this morning (3/15). The tracker hasn't budged from "Refund Approved" either. Reading through these comments is actually really reassuring - sounds like this is pretty normal and the IRS systems are just terrible at updating in real time. I'm going to give it until Monday like others suggested before I start really panicking. It's so stressful when you're counting on that money though! Will definitely update here if/when mine hits.

Same exact situation here! Filed 2/8, accepted 2/9, got a 3/12 DDD and it's now 3/15 with nothing in my account and the tracker still stuck on "Refund Approved." This thread is honestly making me feel so much better - I was starting to think something went seriously wrong with my return. It's crazy how unreliable the IRS systems are. I called my bank this morning and they confirmed no pending deposits, but based on what everyone's saying here it sounds like we just need to be patient a few more days. The fact that others are reporting their refunds hitting even when the tracker never updated is reassuring. I'll definitely post an update when mine comes through. Thanks for sharing your experience OP - misery loves company! 😅

Does anyone know if there's a good tax software that makes calculating these estimated payments easier? I've been using TurboTax but it doesn't seem to have a good way to project for the upcoming year or help me figure out these quarterly amounts.

I've been dealing with estimated taxes for years as a small business owner, and I think there's another important point that hasn't been mentioned yet. The IRS actually gives you some flexibility with the safe harbor rules that can make this whole process less stressful. If you pay either 90% of this year's tax liability OR 100% of last year's tax liability (110% if your AGI was over $150,000) through withholding and estimated payments, you won't face underpayment penalties - even if you end up owing more when you file. This means you can use last year's tax return as a baseline for your quarterly payments, which is especially helpful if your income varies significantly. For the uneven quarterly periods, I've found it easier to just set up automatic payments for the same amount each quarter based on last year's taxes. It's not perfectly optimized, but it keeps me safe from penalties and I can adjust when I file my return. Sometimes the peace of mind is worth paying a little extra during the year.