I just wanted to add that you're ahead of the game by even asking this question! So many new small business owners miss their first 941 filing and end up with penalties. The fact that you're using a payroll service and asking these questions before the deadline means you're already doing great. One tip: Set calendar reminders for all your quarterly tax deadlines now that you're an employer. The 941 is due by the end of the month following the quarter (April 30 for Q1), but there are also deposit schedules for the actual tax payments that are separate from the form filing. Your payroll software should handle the payments, but it's good to verify everything is happening on schedule.

Hey Kristin! Welcome to the world of being an employer - it's definitely overwhelming at first but you'll get the hang of it. Everyone has already given you great advice about the March 12 date (it's just a statistical snapshot, not your actual filing requirement). Since you're using Gusto, I'd recommend double-checking that they're set to file your 941 automatically for you. Most payroll services offer this as part of their service, which can save you from having to worry about the filing deadlines and form preparation. If they're not handling the filing, make sure you know exactly when your Q1 form is due (April 30th) and set that reminder now. Also, don't forget that as a new employer, you might be subject to semi-weekly deposit schedules depending on your payroll amounts. Gusto should handle this automatically, but it's worth confirming so you don't accidentally miss any deposit deadlines. The deposit penalties can be pretty steep even for small amounts. You're asking all the right questions - keep it up!

What I ended up doing after facing this exact same issue was printing out Form 8863, filling it out by hand, scanning it, and then attaching it to my electronic return as a PDF. This bypassed the fillable form system's validation for that particular form while still allowing me to e-file the rest of my return. It's a workaround but it worked for me.

I've been dealing with this exact same Form 8863 rejection issue for the past week! After reading through all these suggestions, I tried the browser switching approach first (went from Safari to Firefox) and that actually fixed it for me. For anyone still struggling, here's what I learned from this thread and my own experience: 1. Try a different browser first - it's the easiest fix 2. Make sure you're filling out BOTH 22a and 22b sections even if you only attended one school 3. If checkboxes aren't working, try typing "X" instead of clicking 4. As a last resort, the print/scan/attach method works The whole Free File Fillable Forms system really needs an overhaul. These rejection issues seem way too common for such a basic form. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions - this thread probably saved dozens of people from having to mail in their returns!

Quick tip on the expense tracking part - don't overthink it when you're starting out. I wasted so much time trying different complex systems. Just get a dedicated business credit card that automatically categorizes expenses and syncs with accounting software. I use Chase Ink Business which integrates with QuickBooks. Makes expense tracking almost automatic. For an S Corp with your revenue level, you'll want a simple chart of accounts that tracks: - Office expenses - Travel & meals - Software subscriptions - Professional services - Equipment purchases - Home office (if applicable) Keep digital copies of all receipts (I use the QuickBooks app to snap photos). The IRS accepts digital receipts now.

The meal deduction rules have changed several times recently, but for 2025, business meals are generally 50% deductible if they're ordinary and necessary for your business. The key is proper documentation - you need to record the business purpose, who attended, and the business relationship. For S Corps specifically, if you're entertaining clients or having business meetings over meals, those qualify. Solo meals while traveling for business also count. Just make sure you're not trying to deduct personal meals or anything that could be seen as lavish. The temporary 100% deduction for restaurant meals that was in place during COVID has expired, so we're back to the standard 50% rule. Keep detailed records because the IRS scrutinizes meal deductions more than most other business expenses.

Literally just got my refund this morning with a similar situation. DDD was 3/14, and it finally hit my Varo account today (3/17). No explanation for the delay. Seems like the online banks are running behind this year for some reason.

Same exact situation here! Filed through TurboTax, DDD of 3/15 on my transcript, using Chime, and still nothing as of today. Called Chime twice and they keep saying no pending deposits. It's so frustrating because I really need this money too. Reading through these comments gives me some hope that maybe it'll just show up in the next day or two like what happened to Noah with Varo. Going to try to wait until Friday before I start panicking more, but the anxiety is real! 😰

Just want to add something important - make sure you're tracking ALL your legitimate business expenses, not just the obvious ones. Internet costs, portion of rent/utilities if you work from home, camera equipment, lighting, subscription services related to your work, advertising costs, website fees, etc. So many content creators leave money on the table by not claiming all eligible deductions. The adult toy is definitely a legitimate business expense if used for work, but don't miss the bigger deductions that could save you much more!

Great advice from everyone here! As someone who's been through this process, I'd recommend keeping a simple spreadsheet throughout the year to track all your business expenses. For items like what you mentioned, I use descriptions like "Content Production Equipment" or "Business Props" - keeps it professional and accurate without unnecessary detail. One thing I learned the hard way is to photograph your receipts immediately and store them digitally as backup. Some of the stores in this industry don't always provide the most durable paper receipts, and you definitely want that documentation if needed later. Also consider setting up a separate business bank account if you haven't already - makes tracking expenses so much easier come tax time. The key is consistency in how you categorize similar expenses. Whatever description you choose, use it for similar items throughout the year. The IRS cares more about legitimate business purpose than specific item details.