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I'm surprised nobody mentioned quarterly estimated taxes yet! If you're making money from self-employment, you might need to make quarterly tax payments to avoid penalties. The IRS expects you to pay taxes throughout the year, not just at filing time.
Quarterly taxes for a 16yo mowing lawns seems excessive. IRS isn't going after kids for missing quarterly payments on small amounts. In my experience, filing annually is fine for teen side jobs unless they're making serious money (like $10k+).
As someone who went through this exact situation a few years ago, I can share what worked for me. First, yes you do need to report this income since you're over the $400 threshold for self-employment. But don't stress too much about the bank deposits - for amounts under $10k, they typically won't question where the cash came from. Here's what I wish someone had told me: start keeping better records NOW. Create a simple spreadsheet with dates, jobs, and payments. Also track your expenses like gas, equipment, supplies - these deductions can significantly reduce what you owe. I ended up saving about $400 in taxes just by deducting my lawn mower, gas, and maintenance costs. For filing, you'll use Schedule C and Schedule SE along with Form 1040. The self-employment tax is about 15.3%, but you might not owe income tax depending on your total income. Since your parents claim you as a dependent, you still need to file your own return. Consider it good practice for adult life! Most tax software can handle this situation, or you might want to have your parents help you through it the first time.
Same here! My as of date has been all over the place - went from Feb 10th to March 1st then back to Feb 20th. It's so confusing and stressful when you're waiting for your refund. Thanks everyone for clarifying that it doesn't actually indicate refund timing. I wish the IRS would make this stuff clearer instead of having us all guess what these dates mean!
This is so helpful! I've been checking my transcript daily and getting anxious every time that "as of" date changes. Mine went from Feb 28th to March 10th then back to March 3rd this week and I thought something was wrong with my return. Really appreciate everyone explaining that it's just their internal processing date and not related to when I'll actually get my refund. Definitely going to stop obsessing over it now and just wait for the actual refund codes to show up instead!
This thread has been a lifesaver! I'm a first-time filer and had no idea what any of these transcript codes meant. My as of date has been doing the same jumping around thing and I was convinced my return got lost or something. Really glad to know it's totally normal and doesn't affect when I'll actually get my money. Now I can finally stop checking it 10 times a day š
Also check your state requirements! My state requires an additional form filed with the Secretary of State when switching from sole prop to LLC, plus I had to get a business license. The tax stuff is just one piece of the puzzle.
This is so true. In my state, I also had to publish a notice in the local newspaper when I formed my LLC. Cost me like $90 and I would have completely missed it if my accountant hadn't mentioned it.
Great question! I went through this same transition last year. You'll definitely want to submit a new W-9 form (not 1099 - that's what they send you) with your LLC's EIN and business name. One thing to consider is the timing - if you want all your 2025 income to be reported under your LLC, make sure to get that new W-9 to them ASAP and specify an effective date. Otherwise you might end up with income split between your SSN and EIN on different 1099s, which creates extra paperwork at tax time. Also, don't forget to update your invoices to reflect your new business name and EIN. It helps keep everything consistent and professional. The company's accounting department will appreciate the clear documentation of when the change took effect.
Been through this same review process twice now and wanted to share some insights that might help ease your stress! The 60-day timeline is their worst-case scenario - in reality, most reviews wrap up in 2-4 weeks. The IRS uses this extended timeframe to cover themselves legally, but the actual processing is usually much faster. A few things that helped me during my reviews: First, resist the urge to check the status daily - it rarely updates more than once a week anyway. Second, make sure your bank account info is still current since that's where delays sometimes happen on the backend. The accuracy review typically triggers when there's a discrepancy between what you reported and what third parties (employers, banks, etc.) reported to the IRS. It's usually something minor like a W-2 amount that doesn't perfectly match or an interest statement that arrived late. Nothing to panic about! Your state refund should definitely process normally - states don't wait for federal reviews to complete unless there's a specific legal reason (like garnishments). California especially runs their own timeline completely separate from federal processing. Stay patient and try not to stress too much. The vast majority of these reviews result in the refund being released without any issues or additional action needed from you! šŖ
Thank you so much for this detailed explanation! As someone who's never had to deal with an IRS review before, this really helps put things in perspective. The part about it usually being minor discrepancies makes total sense - I did have a couple of late-arriving 1099s that I had to amend for, so that's probably what triggered it. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and tips!
Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact same thing a few months ago! Got the same "60-day accuracy review" message and was completely stressed about it. Mine ended up resolving in about 3 weeks, way faster than the 60 days they warned about. The key thing that helped me was understanding that this review is actually pretty routine - the IRS runs these on a certain percentage of returns every year, especially if there are any minor data matching issues between your return and what employers/banks reported. It's not necessarily a red flag that something's wrong with your taxes. One tip: screenshot that status page for your records, just in case. And definitely don't call the IRS like the message says - you'll just waste hours on hold for them to tell you the same thing the website already told you. For California specifically (saw you mentioned that in the comments), your state refund should process completely separately. CA doesn't typically hold up state refunds for federal reviews unless there's a specific garnishment or legal issue involved. Try not to stress too much - I know it's easier said than done when you're counting on that money! But statistically speaking, the vast majority of these reviews end with the refund being released without any problems. Just keep checking back every few days and it should update soon š¤
Mateo Sanchez
For student loan tax credit issues specifically, you might want to try the Education Credits line at 1-800-829-8815. I had a similar situation last semester with my American Opportunity Tax Credit and this number got me to someone who actually understood education credits instead of bouncing between departments. Also, make sure you have Form 8863 or your 1098-T handy when you call - they'll need those details right away. The wait was still about 45 minutes when I called at 7:15 AM, but at least I talked to someone who knew what they were doing! Good luck with finals week! š
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Levi Parker
ā¢This is super helpful! I didn't even know there was a specific Education Credits line. As someone who's been struggling with the AOTC for my spring semester, this could save me so much time. Quick question - when you called that number, did they handle both questions about eligibility AND issues with already-filed returns, or do they only help with one type of education credit problem? Also really appreciate the tip about having Form 8863 ready - I probably would have called unprepared and wasted even more time! š
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Fernanda Marquez
I feel your pain! Been there with the endless phone loops. Here's what finally worked for me after weeks of frustration: Try calling 1-800-829-1040 and when you get to the automated menu, press 2 for "Personal Income Tax" then 1 for "Form 1040" then 3 for "All other tax questions" then 2 again. This bypasses some of the initial screening and gets you into the queue faster. Also, if you're dealing with education credits specifically, definitely try that Education Credits line at 1-800-829-8815 that Mateo mentioned - that's gold! I learned the hard way that having your Social Security card, tax return, and any relevant forms (like 1098-T for student loans) ready before you even dial makes a huge difference. The agents move much faster when you're prepared. Hang in there - you'll get through eventually! šŖ
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