Dont forget about self-employment tax! Even with low income, you'll still owe the 15.3% SE tax on your profits. Proper expense categorization helps reduce your taxable income, so its worth getting right. And make sure you're tracking ANY business miles driven (to buy those yoga mats, to scope out teaching locations, etc) cause those are valuable deductions too!

Great point about self-employment tax! I'd also recommend setting up a dedicated business bank account if you haven't already - it makes tracking expenses SO much easier and looks more professional if you ever get audited. Even for a small yoga business, having clean separation between personal and business finances will save you headaches at tax time. For your yoga mats and blocks at $195 total, definitely treat those as supplies since they'll get worn out from regular use. And don't forget you can also deduct things like liability insurance for your classes, any yoga certification courses you take, and even a portion of your streaming subscriptions if you use them to play music during classes (just keep good records of the business vs personal use percentage). One more tip - if you're teaching at different locations, track your mileage between venues. Those miles add up quickly and can be a significant deduction!

I'm experiencing something very similar - filed on February 2nd and still showing pending status after 5 weeks. Like you, I've never had delays this long in previous years. I've been checking Where's My Refund daily and it just keeps saying "Your return is being processed." I called the IRS hotline twice but couldn't get through after waiting over an hour each time. My return is fairly straightforward - just W-2 income and standard deduction - so I'm not sure what could be causing the holdup. It's reassuring to know others are facing the same issue, though I wish we had more clarity on when this will resolve.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Filed on January 27th and still showing pending after 7+ weeks. This is incredibly frustrating because like you, I've never experienced delays this long in previous years. I've been monitoring the IRS Where's My Refund tool daily and it just keeps showing "Your return is being processed" with no additional information. My return is relatively straightforward - just W-2 income, mortgage interest deduction, and charitable contributions - so I can't understand what's causing such an extended delay. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it seems like this filing season is genuinely different with these processing backlogs. Has anyone found out if there's a specific timeframe we should expect, or are we just in limbo indefinitely? I'm tempted to try some of the services mentioned to get through to an actual IRS representative, but I'm also hesitant to spend money when it might just be a matter of waiting it out.

Hey Yara! I just went through something similar with my business and wanted to share what I learned. Your Outlander PHEV at 6,063 lbs definitely qualifies for Section 179 - you're safely over that 6,000 lb threshold. One thing that really helped me was understanding that the $28,900 limit for heavy SUVs is just for Section 179, but you can potentially stack other depreciation methods. For example, if your Outlander costs $40,000 and you use it 80% for business, you could take the $28,900 Section 179 deduction and then apply bonus depreciation to part of the remaining balance. Since you mentioned being new to business taxes, I'd strongly recommend setting up your mileage tracking system before you even drive the vehicle off the lot. The IRS pays special attention to luxury SUV deductions, and having solid documentation from day one will save you major headaches if you ever get audited. Also, double-check that your business income will be high enough to absorb the full deduction this year - Section 179 can only offset your actual business profits, so any excess would carry forward to future years. Good luck with your purchase!

Welcome to the community, Yara! Your Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV absolutely qualifies for Section 179 with that 6,063 lb GVWR - you're safely over the threshold. As someone who works with small business tax issues regularly, I'd add a few practical tips to what others have shared: First, consider timing your purchase strategically. If you buy and place the vehicle in service before December 31st, you can claim the deduction for this tax year. But if your business income this year is lower than expected, you might want to wait until January to maximize the benefit when you can fully use it. Second, keep in mind that the Outlander PHEV might qualify for additional state incentives or federal EV tax credits that could stack with your Section 179 deduction, depending on your state and tax situation. These don't reduce your Section 179 benefit. Finally, since you mentioned being new to business taxes, I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional before making the purchase. They can help you model different scenarios and ensure you're structuring everything optimally for your specific situation. The potential tax savings are significant, but getting the documentation and timing right is crucial for avoiding issues down the road. Good luck with your decision!

Been there! Liberty Tax's advance approval usually comes within 24-72 hours, but definitely check your spam folder like others mentioned. Also make sure you have all required docs submitted - missing anything can delay the process. If it's been over 3 business days, definitely give your local office a call to check status.

Just a heads up for anyone still waiting - I work at a tax prep office and we've been seeing some delays with advance approvals this week due to high volume. Liberty Tax's system has been a bit slower than usual. If you applied Monday or Tuesday, you might not hear back until Friday. Don't panic if it's taking longer than the usual 24-48 hours right now!

I'm dealing with the same frustrating situation! Filed in March and still waiting for my identity verification letter. The whole system seems completely broken. What's really bothering me is that they can flag our returns instantly for verification but then take months to send the letter we need to actually verify. Has anyone had luck with the in-person visits to IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers? I'm wondering if showing up with ID documents might be faster than waiting for this letter that may never come. My local office is about an hour away but at this point I'm desperate enough to make the drive. Also seeing some people mention these third-party services - are they legit or just taking advantage of people's desperation? The IRS process is so opaque that it's hard to know what's actually helpful vs what's just a money grab.

I've been going through this exact nightmare too! Filed in early April and it's now been over 8 weeks with no verification letter. What's really frustrating is that I called the regular IRS line probably 15 times and kept getting the same automated "your return is being processed" message. Finally tried the specific identity verification number (800-830-5084) that someone mentioned earlier and actually got through to a human after about 45 minutes on hold. The agent told me that my letter was "generated" 7 weeks ago but there's no tracking on whether it was actually mailed or delivered. She was able to verify my identity over the phone using questions about my tax history and prior addresses, which saved me from waiting potentially weeks more for a letter that might never arrive. My advice: definitely try that direct ID verification line first thing in the morning (7-8am seems to be the sweet spot), and don't give up if you get disconnected - keep calling back. Also have your last 3 years of tax returns handy because they'll ask specific questions to verify you're really you. Really hoping the IRS gets their act together because this process is absolutely brutal for people waiting on refunds they desperately need!