The biggest thing to remember is that you only get taxed on income ABOVE the standard deduction. Working more always means more money in your pocket, even after taxes. Your dad's advice is coming from a good place but it's based on a misunderstanding of how our tax system works. Also, you're developing good work experience and habits! That's worth something too, even beyond the immediate financial benefits.

I'm a tax preparer and wanted to jump in to confirm what everyone else is saying - your dad's heart is in the right place, but he's definitely misunderstanding how taxes work! The key thing to remember is that we have a "progressive" tax system. This means you only pay higher tax rates on income ABOVE certain thresholds, not on your entire income. So even if you did hit the 12% bracket (which you won't at $16k), you'd only pay 12% on the dollars above that threshold. At your income level of around $16,128, here's what would actually happen: - First ~$14,000: $0 in federal income tax (standard deduction) - Remaining ~$2,128: 10% federal tax = about $213 - Total federal income tax for the year: ~$213 You'd also pay FICA taxes (Social Security/Medicare) of about 7.65%, but that's unavoidable regardless of your income level and isn't affected by working fewer hours. So to save $213 in taxes, your dad is suggesting you give up thousands in income. That math just doesn't work out! Keep that third day if you can handle it with school - you're building great financial habits that will serve you well in the future.

Has anyone used the Taxpayer Advocate Service for help with a stuck amended return? I've heard they can sometimes intervene when regular channels aren't working.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! Filed my 1040-X in September 2024 for a $2,200 refund and it's still showing "received" status with no movement. Reading through these comments has been really helpful - I had no idea I should file this year's return using my original amounts rather than the amended ones. That was honestly my biggest worry about moving forward. Has anyone had success with the "Where's My Amended Return" tool actually updating to show progress, or does it pretty much just sit on "received" the whole time until it's suddenly processed? I check it obsessively but it never seems to change. Also curious if there's any pattern to which processing centers are moving faster than others. Mine went to the Ogden, UT center and I'm wondering if that's particularly slow or if they're all equally backed up right now.

Make sure you understand the rules for "support" with college students! My ex and I got audited because we misunderstood this. For kids in college, their scholarships, grants and student loans in THEIR name count toward THEIR contribution to their own support. If your son gets enough scholarships/loans, he might actually be providing more than half of his own support (room, board, etc), which means NEITHER of you could claim him!

Just wanted to add something important about timing - make sure you coordinate WHEN each parent files their taxes if you're alternating years claiming your son. The IRS computer system will flag it if both parents try to claim the same dependent on returns filed around the same time, even if it's for different tax years. Also, keep excellent records of your agreement and the Form 8332 filings. I've seen situations where the IRS questions these arrangements years later, especially if there are any changes to custody or support arrangements. Having clear documentation from the start saves a lot of headaches down the road. One more tip - consider having a conversation with your son about this plan. As he gets older and starts filing his own returns, he needs to understand he can't claim himself as a dependent in years when one of you is claiming him. Sounds obvious, but college kids make this mistake more often than you'd think!

For the non-profit paper, consider exploring the accounting challenges of international NGOs that operate across multiple countries with different accounting standards. I worked for an international humanitarian organization, and reconciling donor restrictions across different legal jurisdictions was a nightmare. Some countries require fund accounting while others use completely different models. Plus there's the forex issues when donations come in one currency but are spent in another. Super interesting from an accounting perspective!

I'm currently working on a similar governmental accounting paper and found that focusing on pension reporting under GASB 68 provides excellent research opportunities. The implementation challenges that state and local governments faced when this standard took effect created some really interesting case studies. Many municipalities had to completely restructure their financial reporting processes and suddenly had massive unfunded liabilities appearing on their balance sheets for the first time. What made my research particularly compelling was comparing pre-GASB 68 and post-GASB 68 financial statements from the same entities. The dramatic changes in reported net position tell a powerful story about transparency in government financial reporting. I looked at three different state pension systems and how they adapted their reporting - the differences in implementation approaches were fascinating. For your non-profit paper, you might consider the recent changes in lease accounting standards (ASC 842) and how they've impacted non-profit organizations differently than for-profit entities. Many nonprofits lease significant portions of their facilities and equipment, so this created substantial balance sheet changes that affected their debt-to-asset ratios and compliance with donor restrictions.

anyone else remember when refunds used to come in like 2 weeks no questions asked? pepperidge farm remembers lololol

my sister got hers already with ACTC... system makes zero sense