This is incredibly helpful information! I've been doing farrier work for about 3 years now and had no idea I could deduct those first and last trips of the day. I've been missing out on thousands in deductions because I thought it was all considered commuting. One question - what about when I have to drive back home in the middle of the day to pick up a specialized tool I forgot, then head back out to clients? Is that round trip deductible since it's directly related to completing my work? I probably do this 2-3 times a month when I realize I need my specialty rasps or a different size shoe. Also, for anyone else tracking mileage, I started using a simple voice recorder app to log my trips while driving. At the start of each trip I just say "Tuesday, March 15th, leaving Johnson Farm at odometer 45,230, heading to Miller Ranch for trimming and shoeing two horses." Makes it easy to transfer to a proper log later and the timestamps prove it's contemporaneous.

Just want to add another perspective as someone who's dealt with IRS scrutiny on mileage deductions. The documentation everyone's mentioning is absolutely critical, but I'd also recommend photographing your odometer readings at the start and end of each work day. I'm a mobile veterinarian and had an audit two years ago where the IRS agent specifically asked for proof that my recorded mileage was accurate. Having photos with timestamps on my phone that matched my written logs really helped validate everything. It takes literally 2 seconds but provides rock-solid evidence. Also, for farriers specifically - if you have a truck that's used exclusively or primarily for business (which most farriers do since you need the bed space for anvils and equipment), you might want to consider the actual expense method instead of standard mileage. With gas, insurance, maintenance, and depreciation on a work truck, it could potentially give you a bigger deduction than the per-mile rate. Worth running the numbers both ways to see which works better for your situation. The fact that you're driving 500-1200 miles weekly means this decision could save you significant money either way - just make sure you're maximizing it properly!

As someone who's been doing brand partnerships for a couple years now, I'd recommend treating this seriously from the start even though $325 seems small. I made the mistake of not tracking anything my first year and it was a nightmare trying to reconstruct everything at tax time. The key thing to understand is that once you accept products in exchange for content/promotion, you've crossed from "consumer getting samples" to "business receiving compensation." Even if it feels casual now, the IRS sees it as self-employment income. My advice: Start a simple system now while it's manageable. Take screenshots of the retail prices when you receive products, save all your agreements/emails with brands, and track any expenses like phone accessories or backdrop materials you buy for content creation. Even though you're under the $400 self-employment tax threshold, you'll still need to report this as "other income" if you file a return. And honestly, as a college student you should probably be filing anyway to get any refunds you're entitled to from any jobs or financial aid. The good news is that once you have a system, it only takes a few minutes each time you receive something to log it properly!

Since you're just starting out as a brand ambassador, I'd definitely echo what others have said about keeping good records from day one. I learned this the hard way when I started getting free products last year! One thing that helped me was setting up a simple folder on my phone where I screenshot the retail prices of products when I receive them. Most brands list the value on their websites, so it's easy to find. I also take a quick photo of the actual products with the brand packaging visible - this helps if I ever need to prove what I received. The $325 you've gotten so far definitely counts as taxable income since you're providing promotional services in exchange for the products. Even though you're under the $400 self-employment threshold, you should still report it as "other income" when you file your taxes. Pro tip: Start tracking any expenses related to your content creation now too! Things like ring lights, phone tripods, or even a percentage of your phone bill can be legitimate business deductions that offset some of that income. As a broke college student, every little bit helps! The tax stuff seems scary at first but it gets easier once you have a system down. Better to start doing it right now with smaller amounts than scramble to figure it out later when the numbers get bigger.

One thing nobody mentioned yet - if you had a really big win (like a jackpot over certain thresholds), the casino might have already withheld taxes! Check any W-2G forms they gave you, which will show if they took out federal or state taxes before paying you. This is actually good because it could help you avoid an underpayment penalty.

One more tip that saved me a ton of stress - start keeping your gambling log NOW, even if you think you're done gambling for the year. I made the mistake of trying to recreate my records months later from memory and bank statements when I realized I had significant winnings to report. It was a nightmare. Get a simple notebook or use a phone app to track every gambling session going forward: date, location, game type, starting amount, ending amount, and any comp points or free play used. Also keep all your players club statements - they often show your theoretical win/loss that can support your records. The IRS wants contemporaneous records (made at the time of gambling, not reconstructed later), so starting good habits now will save you major headaches if you have future winnings or if you ever get audited. Even if this year's $7,800 seems manageable, building the documentation habit is worth it for peace of mind.

When I file through TurboTax, I never mail anything physically - I always e-file. Is there a reason you're mailing paper forms? E-filing is usually faster for processing and refunds.

Great point about e-filing! I always recommend e-filing over mailing paper returns when possible. It's not only faster (refunds typically process in 21 days vs 6-8 weeks for paper), but you also get immediate confirmation that your return was received and accepted by the IRS. If you've already prepared everything in TurboTax, you should be able to go back and e-file instead of printing and mailing. TurboTax will guide you through the process and you'll know within 24-48 hours if there are any issues with your return that need to be corrected. Plus, with e-filing, you don't have to worry about your return getting lost in the mail or delayed due to processing backlogs at the IRS service centers.

Has anyone had issues with their Premium Tax Credit calculation being wrong after entering multiple 1095-As? My refund seems way lower than I expected and I think it's because of how I entered these forms.

I went through this exact same situation last year and it was incredibly confusing at first! The key thing to understand is that when you have multiple 1095-A forms from switching plans mid-year, you're essentially dealing with two separate insurance periods that need to be handled separately in your tax software. What worked for me was treating each 1095-A as a completely independent entry. For your first form (Jan-June), only enter the months where you actually had that coverage - don't try to enter anything for July-December, even though the form shows zeros. Same thing for your second form (July-December) - only enter those months. The zeros on the forms are correct from an administrative standpoint (showing you didn't have that particular plan during those months), but tax software like TurboTax expects you to only input active coverage periods. Once you enter both forms this way, the software will automatically calculate your total Premium Tax Credit for the full year. Double-check that your total advance payments across both forms match what you actually received throughout the year - this is usually where people run into reconciliation issues at tax time.