Have you considered filing for an extension? If you're running up against the deadline and aren't sure about the signature requirements, you could buy yourself some additional time to either get a proper wet signature or research alternative filing methods. Just a thought!

Just wanted to share what worked for me in a similar situation last month. I had a client who couldn't come in due to mobility issues, and after researching extensively, I found that the IRS does offer some flexibility for situations like this. You can actually have your client sign a Power of Attorney (Form 2848) electronically, which allows you to sign Form 1096 on their behalf. The POA can be obtained through secure email with proper authentication. This is completely legitimate and I've used it successfully for several clients who couldn't provide wet signatures. Alternatively, if the client can manage it, you could do a video call while they sign the form at home, then have them mail it back to you in a prepaid envelope. This ensures you get the original wet signature the IRS requires while accommodating their health concerns. Both approaches have worked well for me and kept everything compliant with IRS requirements. Hope this helps with your deadline!

Random tip from someone who's been through this - make sure your husband is taking before and after pictures of everything he fixes up! Not only is this good for sales listings, but if you ever get audited, having visual proof of the improvements made can help justify the expenses. The IRS can be picky about hobby vs business classification for flipping activities.

Great question! I went through this exact same confusion when I started my furniture flipping side business. Here's what I learned works best in TurboTax: The initial purchase price of the motorcycles/tools should definitely go under "Cost of Goods Sold" - these are your inventory items that you're buying specifically to resell. For the repair parts and materials he's purchasing to fix them up, those go under "Materials and supplies" in the expense section. This includes things like replacement parts, paint, cleaning supplies, etc. One thing that really helped me was keeping a simple spreadsheet for each item - purchase price, repair costs, selling price, and profit. This makes it super easy when you're entering everything into TurboTax and gives you great records if you ever need them. Also don't forget about other deductible expenses like gas/mileage for picking up items, any selling fees (eBay, Facebook Marketplace, etc.), and even a portion of your phone bill if he uses it for business calls. These little things add up! The key is treating this as a legitimate business from day one with good record keeping. That way there's no question about hobby vs business classification with the IRS.

Has anyone used TurboSelf-Employed for reporting craft sales? I'm trying to decide between that and H&R Block.

@Sophia Long, yes you absolutely need to report that $4,200! Even though it seems like a small amount compared to your regular job, the IRS requires you to report ALL income. Since you made over $400 from self-employment, you'll also owe self-employment taxes (about 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare). Here's what you need to do: 1. File Schedule C to report your business income and expenses 2. File Schedule SE for self-employment tax 3. Start tracking everything NOW - save all receipts for materials, shipping, packaging, even part of your phone/internet bills Don't panic about not having perfect records this year. Try to reconstruct what you can remember spending on supplies, and the IRS is generally reasonable about estimates if they're realistic. One tip: you can deduct the cost of materials, Etsy fees, PayPal fees, packaging supplies, and even a portion of your home if you have a dedicated workspace. These deductions will reduce your taxable income significantly. You've got this! It's not as scary as it seems once you get organized.

I'm a Robinhood user and switched CPAs last year because of similar issues. First CPA wanted to charge me $200 extra for my Robinhood forms. Second CPA included it in their base price of $275 for everything. The difference? The second CPA uses Drake tax software which apparently handles Robinhood imports much better than whatever the first CPA was using. Might be worth asking what tax software they use and if they've tried importing your form directly rather than manual entry. Some CPAs are still manually entering every transaction which is why they charge so much!

I've been preparing taxes for over 15 years and can tell you that $250 specifically for a Robinhood 1099 with minimal trading activity is definitely excessive. For context, most CPAs charge between $50-150 extra for investment forms, depending on complexity. The fact that she's processing other brokerage statements for free but singling out Robinhood suggests she either has a workflow issue with that specific platform or is using outdated pricing assumptions. Many CPAs developed negative opinions about Robinhood forms during the early days when their reporting was genuinely problematic, but their 1099s have improved significantly. With only a few trades and under $1,000 in gains, your form should be straightforward to process. I'd recommend asking her to justify the specific additional work required for your particular situation. If she can't provide a clear explanation, consider getting quotes from other tax professionals. You shouldn't have to pay premium fees for what amounts to basic Schedule D preparation. Also, double-check that your gains are actually reportable - if they're all long-term gains from simple stock sales with proper basis reporting, the complexity should be minimal regardless of the brokerage.

Called IRS about the outage, rep said its scheduled maintenance. Should be back tmrw

Same issue here! Been trying to access my transcript since early this morning and getting the exact same "Service Outage: February 14th" message. Really frustrating timing since I'm also waiting on my refund - filed early and have been obsessively checking for updates. The fact that even the basic navigation links aren't working confirms this is a major system-wide issue. Hopefully it's resolved soon since tax season is in full swing and people need access to their account information.