Has anyone actually RECEIVED their 1095-C yet??? I'm in the same boat as OP with missing Box 12 DD and I still haven't gotten my 1095-C. My employer keeps saying "they're in the mail" but it's been weeks.

Just wanted to add some clarity on the small employer aspect that Lincoln mentioned - this is actually really important for your situation! Since your company has under 50 employees, they're not subject to the ACA employer mandate, which means they're not required to offer coverage that meets the affordability and minimum value standards. This is huge for determining whether you need to repay your premium tax credits. Even if your employer did offer some kind of health insurance during those three months, it likely wouldn't qualify as "affordable coverage" under ACA rules unless it specifically met those strict federal standards (which most small employer plans don't). The fact that your HR person said you "missed enrollment" and had to wait also suggests their plan might not have been continuously available to you anyway. If coverage wasn't actually available during those months when you had ACA insurance, then there's no overlap issue at all. I'd suggest asking your employer two specific questions: 1) Was health insurance coverage available to me during [specific months]? and 2) Did that coverage meet ACA affordability and minimum value standards? Most small employers won't even know what those standards are, which is telling. Without proper documentation showing you had access to qualifying employer coverage during those months, you should be able to keep your premium tax credits.

Just want to add one more important point that I learned the hard way - make sure to double-check all the numbers on your transcript against any pay stubs you might have saved throughout the year. Sometimes there can be small discrepancies if your employer made corrections or adjustments that didn't get properly reflected. I found a $200 difference in my federal withholding when I compared my transcript to my pay stub records, and it turned out my employer had made an error in their filing. I had to call the IRS to get it sorted out, but having those pay stubs as backup really helped prove the discrepancy. It's always better to catch these things before you file rather than having to amend your return later! Also, if you're self-employed or had any side income in addition to your W-2 job, make sure you're not double-counting anything. The transcript only shows what that specific employer reported, so you'll still need to handle any 1099s or other income sources separately.

I went through something very similar last year and can confirm that using the wage transcript is totally legitimate! One thing that really helped me was organizing all the transcript information in a simple spreadsheet before entering it into my tax software - it made it much easier to double-check everything and catch any potential errors. Just a heads up though - if you had any benefits like health insurance premiums or retirement contributions that were deducted from your pay, make sure those are properly reflected on the transcript. Sometimes the codes can be confusing, but those deductions can affect your taxable income calculations. Also, since your employer was unresponsive about sending the W-2, you might want to consider whether they properly handled other year-end requirements. If you had a 401k or other retirement account with them, make sure you receive those statements separately since they won't be on your wage transcript.

Has anyone tried both FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax)? I'm also leaving TurboTax but trying to decide between these two free options.

I made the exact same switch last year and totally understand the frustration! While there's no direct PDF import in FreeTaxUSA, I found a workaround that made the process much smoother. What I did was open my TurboTax PDF in one browser tab and FreeTaxUSA in another. Then I systematically went through each section - personal info, income sources, deductions, etc. - copying the information over. It took about 45 minutes total, which honestly wasn't too bad considering I only have to do it once. Pro tip: Start with the "Import Prior Year" section in FreeTaxUSA even though you can't actually import - it shows you exactly what information they need, which helps you know what to look for in your old return. The interface is definitely different from TurboTax but in a good way - less cluttered and more straightforward. And once you're set up this year, FreeTaxUSA will automatically carry forward your info for next year, so this manual entry is truly a one-time thing. The savings compared to TurboTax make it totally worth the initial setup time!

Just FYI for everyone dealing with Section 1256 contracts with zero values - I called the IRS directly about this last year. They confirmed that even with zero values, you should still report these on Form 6781 since the 1099-B was issued. The IRS agent explained it's important because their matching system will look for this form since they received the 1099-B copy. Omitting it could potentially trigger a notice even though there's no tax impact.

I ran into this exact same issue with my Schwab 1099-B supplemental form showing Section 1256 contracts! What worked for me was switching to TaxAct which has better support for Form 6781 than HRBlock's online version. Even though your values are all zeros, you definitely need to report this since the IRS received a copy of your 1099-B. I learned this the hard way when I initially skipped it and got a notice asking about the missing form. In TaxAct, look for "Investment Income and Expenses" then select "Other Investment Income" and you'll find the Section 1256 option. It walks you through entering the values from boxes 8-11 of your supplemental 1099-B. Since everything is zero for you, it should be straightforward once you find the right form. If you want to stick with HRBlock, you'll likely need their desktop software or to work with a tax professional since their online version doesn't handle specialized investment forms very well.

This is really helpful info everyone, thanks! I had no idea about the business expense deductions. Quick question - for equipment like my gaming chair, webcam, and microphone that I bought specifically for streaming, can I deduct 100% of those costs? Or do I need to calculate some percentage for personal use too? Also, should I be keeping receipts for everything streaming-related? I've been pretty casual about record-keeping but sounds like I need to get more organized before tax season hits.

Great thread! As someone who's been dealing with streaming taxes for a few years now, I wanted to add that it's also important to understand the self-employment tax implications. When you earn over $400 in net self-employment income (which includes streaming), you'll owe self-employment tax (about 15.3%) in addition to regular income tax. This is why tracking business expenses is so crucial - every legitimate expense you can deduct reduces both your income tax AND self-employment tax burden. Things like your streaming software subscriptions, portion of internet costs, equipment depreciation, and even things like music licensing fees if you use copyrighted music can add up to significant savings. One tip: if you're just starting out and income is irregular, consider opening a separate bank account just for streaming income and expenses. Makes tracking so much easier come tax time, and the IRS loves clean record-keeping if you ever get audited.