My tax person said not to worry about blank wages its normal during processing just gotta wait it out

This happened to me last year! My wages were blank for almost a month while everything else updated. Turns out my employer had filed my W-2 late and the IRS was waiting for that info to populate. Once it finally showed up, my refund was approved within a few days. Don't panic - as long as your other info is updating it means they're actively processing your return!

Don't forget about the QBI deduction (Qualified Business Income)! As a self-employed person, you might be eligible to deduct up to 20% of your net business income. This is HUGE and many new self-employed people miss it. It's on Form 8995 or 8995-A depending on your income level. Also, start making SEP-IRA or Solo 401k contributions if you can afford it. Not only do you save for retirement, but contributions reduce your taxable income. You can contribute way more than with a regular 401k from an employer.

Omar, I totally feel your pain - I went through the exact same panic when I started freelancing! Here's what I wish someone had told me on day one: First, breathe! You're not behind the 8-ball as much as you think. Since you started 3 months ago, you've only missed one quarterly payment (due April 15th). The next one is due June 15th, so you have time to get organized. For your $14,500 in income, definitely track every business expense - computer equipment, software subscriptions, internet bill (business portion), office supplies, even a portion of your home if you use it as an office. These deductions can significantly reduce what you owe. Here's my simple system: Open a separate "tax savings" account and immediately transfer 30% of every payment you receive. This covers both income tax and self-employment tax. It might seem like a lot, but you'll thank yourself come tax time. Also, consider making your first estimated payment ASAP for the missed quarter, then stay current with June, September, and January payments. The IRS is usually lenient with first-time self-employed folks, especially if you show good faith by catching up quickly. You've got this! The first year is always the scariest, but once you get into a routine, it becomes second nature.

Has anyone actually got audited for not reporting a tiny amount like this? I made $180 from Doordash last year and just didn't bother reporting it... am I going to jail lol?

I was in a very similar situation last year with Grubhub - made about $320 and no 1099. After going through this exact same frustration with HR Block wanting me to upgrade, I ended up using FreeTaxUSA which let me file Schedule C completely free for federal (only paid $14.99 for state). The key thing I learned is that you absolutely should claim your mileage deduction even with such a small amount. I tracked about 150 miles of deliveries and with the standard mileage rate, my deduction was actually higher than my income, so I ended up with a small business loss that reduced my overall tax liability from my regular job. Don't skip reporting it though - even without a 1099, you're still required to report all income. The $600 threshold is just for when companies have to send YOU the form, not when you have to report it. But with proper mileage tracking, you might actually come out ahead tax-wise!

Wanted to add that having a Schedule C loss is much more likely to increase audit risk than just having high expenses relative to income. If your deductions put you in a loss position for multiple years, that's when the hobby loss rules come into play. In your case with $5k income and $2.1k in mileage deductions, you're still showing a profit, so that's much less concerning from an audit risk perspective.

You're definitely overthinking this! As a fellow side business owner, I totally get the anxiety about audit risk, but the reality is that legitimate business expenses are exactly what you're supposed to deduct - regardless of the percentage. The IRS isn't sitting there calculating ratios and flagging returns that hit certain thresholds. What they care about is whether your expenses are: 1. Ordinary and necessary for your business 2. Properly documented 3. Actually business-related (not personal) Since you're already tracking everything with timestamps, locations, and business purpose, you're doing exactly what you should be doing. Don't leave money on the table by under-claiming legitimate expenses just because you're worried about some imaginary percentage rule. Your side business income is small relative to your W-2, you're showing a profit, and mileage is one of the most straightforward business deductions there is. Claim what you're entitled to!

Has anyone tried TaxSlayer instead? I'm considering switching from FreeTaxUSA because of this issue, but don't want to start over if TaxSlayer has the same problem.

I just went through this exact same issue with FreeTaxUSA a few weeks ago! After reading through all these comments, I can confirm that the solution mentioned by Jordan Walker is correct, but I want to add some specifics that might help others. In FreeTaxUSA, after you enter your 1099-INT information, you need to look for a section called "Income Adjustments" (not "Interest Income Adjustments" as mentioned earlier). It's usually a few screens after you initially enter the 1099-INT data. Within that section, there's a subsection specifically for "U.S. Savings Bond Interest" where you can enter the amount of interest you previously reported. The key thing I learned is that you need to have documentation showing exactly how much interest you reported each year. I went back through my last 8 years of tax returns and added up all the savings bond interest I had reported annually. This came to $2,847 that I had already paid taxes on, which I was able to subtract from the $4,200 shown on my 1099-INT. One tip: FreeTaxUSA will ask you to explain the adjustment in a text box. I simply wrote "Previously reported U.S. Savings Bond interest per IRC Section 454(a)" and included the years I had been reporting. The software handled the rest automatically on Schedule B. Hope this helps others avoid the hours of frustration I went through!