ur better off waiting for ur actual refund tbh. these advance loans are just another way for these companies to make $$ off poor people 💅

I totally get needing your refund fast! If you're set on an advance, I'd definitely go with H&R Block or TurboTax like Madison mentioned. But honestly, if you can swing the $5 for that taxr.ai tool Ella recommended, it might save you from needing an advance at all. Sometimes refunds come way faster than we think, especially if you file early and have direct deposit set up. The IRS has been pretty good about getting refunds out within 21 days if there are no issues with your return.

Have you checked if you made any payments to them via PayPal, Venmo, or any other payment apps? Sometimes you can find their info that way. Also check any invoices or emails they might have sent you. There's often contact info in email signatures or invoice headers.

I went through something very similar with a freelance graphic designer last year - paid them $1,800 and then they completely vanished when I needed their W-9 for tax filing. Here's what I learned from the experience: 1. File the 1099-NEC anyway with "UNKNOWN" in the address field and blank TIN/SSN as others mentioned. The IRS prefers incomplete filing over no filing. 2. Document EVERYTHING - save screenshots of any old emails, text messages, or calls you made trying to reach them. This becomes crucial if you need to request penalty abatement later. 3. Check your bank records for any additional contact info. Sometimes contractors include business names or phone numbers in payment descriptions that might help you track them down. 4. The $280 penalty isn't automatic - you can request reasonable cause relief when you receive the notice. I successfully got mine waived by showing I made good faith efforts to obtain the information. 5. For the contractor's side - they're still legally required to report that income even without receiving a 1099. The IRS has ways of matching unreported income, so this will likely catch up with them eventually. Don't panic too much - this happens more often than you'd think with small businesses. Just make sure to implement the W-9 requirement before payment going forward!

I'm so confused about all this Premium Tax Credit stuff. This is my first year dealing with Marketplace insurance. So if my mom claimed me on her insurance for part of the year, do I need to fill out this 8962 form too even if I'm not claiming any of the credit? I didn't get a 1095-A form myself.

Just went through this exact same situation last month! The IRS letter can be scary but it's actually a pretty straightforward fix. Like others mentioned, you need to complete Part II of Form 8962 showing all the monthly calculations with your 0% allocation - even though it results in zeros, the IRS needs to see the work. Here's what worked for me: I filled out a new Form 8962 with "CORRECTED" written at the top, completed the monthly table in Part II showing the premium amounts from the 1095-A multiplied by 0%, attached a copy of the 1095-A that showed my name, and included a brief letter explaining the 100%/0% allocation agreement with the other taxpayer (including their name and last 4 of SSN). Sent it certified mail and got a letter back in about 6 weeks saying the matter was resolved. The key is showing the IRS that you properly reconciled with the 1095-A information they have on file, even with a 0% allocation.

Don't forget about insurance! If the damage was from a hit-and-run, did you file an insurance claim? If your deductible is less than $860, it might be worth filing. Your insurance rates might go up slightly, but that could still be better than paying the full $860 out of pocket.

As someone who's been driving rideshare for several years, I can confirm what Maya and others have said - the $860 mirror repair unfortunately can't be deducted separately when using the standard mileage deduction. The IRS is pretty clear that the standard mileage rate covers ALL vehicle operating expenses, including unexpected repairs from accidents. However, Logan makes an excellent point about potentially switching to actual expenses for this tax year if you haven't filed yet. Since you use the car 100% for business and started with standard mileage, you have the flexibility to switch to actual expenses this year if it results in a larger deduction. With an $860 repair plus all your other car expenses (gas, insurance, registration, etc.), it might be worth calculating both ways. Just make sure you have detailed records of ALL your car expenses if you go the actual expense route - the IRS requires much more documentation for this method. And definitely explore the insurance angle that Mikayla mentioned - even if your rates go up slightly, it could still save you money overall.

Has anyone used a tax professional specifically for this? I tried asking my regular accountant and she seemed really uncertain about how to implement this correctly, which doesn't give me much confidence.

This is exactly the kind of question I had when I started my LLC! One thing I learned the hard way is that you absolutely need to establish legitimate job duties and pay rates BEFORE you start paying them. The IRS looks for whether this is a real employment relationship or just a way to shift income to your kids. I recommend creating written job descriptions that match what they're actually doing, setting up regular work schedules (even if it's just a few hours after school), and paying them consistently - not just random amounts when you feel like it. The phone answering and filing work you mentioned is perfect because it's clearly legitimate business tasks. Also, make sure you're familiar with child labor laws in your state. Most states have restrictions on how many hours minors can work during school periods, and you want to stay within those limits even though they're your own kids. The payroll vs. 1099 question is important - definitely go with payroll as others have mentioned. Your children working under your supervision in your business are employees, not independent contractors.